Maui chef James McDonald has three respected eateries in Lahaina. I'o and Pacific'o are upscale oceanfront Hawaii east-meets-west fusion joints with stellar fish and apetizers. Feast at Lele is actually a luau / dinner show but McDonald suppliers the grinds, making it the best luau dining in the state, hands down. He's been on Maui for 20 years. Here's where he eats when he's not cooking.
* Mala Tavern (map/reviews): "This is Mark and Judy Ellman’s little place right on the ocean. I like it there for several reasons. The food is always interesting and tasty. I’ll usually get a flatbread, the lamb appetizer with Tzatziki is very good, and I love to watch the family of turtles that are there at sunset every evening."
* Thai Chef (map / (808) 667-2814) : This is a great little place for Thai cuisine because they actually do have very spicy food when you ask for it. A lot of places disappoint in that aspect. The many curries are all very good and so are the prawn summer rolls. The added bonus is that it’s a BYOB, with an ABC store right across from the restaurant that has decent wines and beer.
* Gazebo (map/reviews) and Plantation House (map/reviews) tie for the best place for breakfast. There is always a line at Gazebo. All of the items on the menu are delicious, large and fresh. I normally opt for the Popeye omelet. It has spinach, feta cheese and hollandaise. The Plantation is great for Bloody’s and Bennie’s. You can go there on a Sunday morning and nurse that hangover. The views are spectacular and you can mix and match various creative Benedicts.
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