Source: Maui Time, Maui News, Best of Maui, Maui Activities

Food%20%26%20Drink
Hungry and Bookish
Good places to eat while you read

by By Samantha Campos

November 09, 2006

Eating while reading combines two of my favorite pastimes. I often

read at home but one glance into my refrigerator will show you that I

don’t generally eat at home. So I go out.

If I’m dining solo, I like to bring a book with me. It gives me

something to do while I’m waiting, and makes me feel like I’m treating

myself instead of warranting curious stares from accompanied diners

nearby.

Obviously there are better places to eat while you read than others.

You’ll want appropriate lighting—bright without being blinding, natural

and even. No evil flickering fluorescent light bulbs please.

You’ll need a relatively peaceful environment—exceedingly busy

establishments, or those with loud music and/or raucous drinking may

distract. Also, you’ll wanna be sure you don’t hold up a table in a

three-table joint, unless it’s during their off-peak hours. Comfortable

seating, casual service and extensive menus get bonus points.

Although not quite eat-readable in the evening—low lighting, limited seating, and busy—Java Jazz in

Honokowai during the day provides the kind of bohemian coffeehouse chic

environment that will appease your bookish and culinary desires.

They offer the usual snacks at their espresso bar, plus waffles and

omelets for breakfast. The lunch menu offers a condensed but eclectic

array of soups, salads and sandwiches, like the turkey, cranberry,

romaine and sweet Thai chili cream cheese on sourdough. Plus, nothing

inspires literary perusal like a birdcage stuffed with naked Barbie

dolls.

The Pioneer Inn Grill & Bar in

Lahaina may seem a dubious choice for the ole eat-read. Who would think

to use Hawai`i’s second oldest hotel and one-time site of drunken

whaling sailor revelry as a place to read Mitch Albom’s latest

sap-riddled—er, I mean, inspirational novel?

But their menu utilized local ingredients on standard Pacific Rim

fusion cuisine and wide-appeal appetizers. Breaded calamari, spring

rolls and the like are only made better by an open-air lanai and vistas

onto Lahaina Harbor. Might make you wanna switch out Albom for

something by Melville or Michener.

An option for a late-night bite while booking would be Le Cafe Cafe

in Kihei. Here, you get to munch on simple fare with proper lighting

and friendly, read-welcoming service. Wireless computer access is a

nice bonus.

Another coffee shop with a collegiate feel is Maui Coffee Roasters

in Kahului. With a fairly impressive sandwich, wrap and salad menu,

walls covered in colorful modern art, wireless access, natural lighting

and the buzz of caffeine permeating the atmosphere, you’re sure to

finish that 678 pages in time for your book report tomorrow.

For a laid-back read while people watching outside and dining on hearty Italian fare, check out Casanova Deli

in Makawao. Wood-fired pizzas, fresh mozzarella sandwiches and Caesar

salads somehow complement your current travel narrative nicely.

And while you’re lazily fantasizing your next trip to Tuscany, enjoy

the often-written about sights and sounds of the uniquely upcountry

artists, writers and rodeo stars who flock here. MTW