Main Street Bistro in Wailuku Maui offers refined comfort food, like an open-faced roast beef sandwich on French roll, a blackened chicken and shrimp pasta salad, and slow-cooked baby back ribs. The food is delicious and sophisticated, served tapas-style, with daily specials like roasted eggplant terrine.

Savor the splendid desserts and coffee at Maui's Market Street Cafe while you take in a little of Wailuku town. Mark Twain lived in this area for a spell. We bet he would have liked the place.

A well-established mom-and-pop bakery in Wailuku. Only, Pop happened to be trained in the South of France. Homemade soups, deli sandwiches, and scores of fresh-baked goods explain why they’ve been around so long.

For fast local, Korean and Japanese food, go to Maui Grill and Bento.

For authentic Chinese cooking and local favorites, visit the small but friendly dining room of Mike’s Restaurant on Maui.

Nazo’s Restaurant offers affordable local and Japanese entrees, with a notably fulfilling oxtail soup.

Ohana Café on Maui offers healthy, famously delicious options for breakfast and lunch. They use organic produce and local fish and beef, with many vegetarian options, like their carrot-cashew wrap with avocado and sprouts in a sundried tomato tortilla, or their portabello mushroom burger with Swiss cheese.

Rosie’s is ono grinds. That means good local food. A mix of Korean, Chinese, and Japanese adds up to Hawaiian flava.

For quick local favorites, plate lunches and some Chinese dishes, visit Royal Island Drive In, by Wailuku’s industrial park and post office.

Try tantalizing Thai food served in a tranquil garden patio at Saeng’s Thai, just off the row of county buildings in Wailuku. Select from a six-page menu of traditional curries and spring rolls, or get a little more adventurous with creative offerings, like the bean cake with spicy peanut sauce.

A kama’aina favorite as far as Japanese food is concerned. Sam Sato's does plate lunches, but they are famous for their dry saimin. Also be sure to try their manju, which is a sweet pastry.

Good pastries and coffee can be expected. Their tuna sandwiches are rumored to be the best on the island. They also serve soups and salads for lunch.

Maui's Takamiya Market place won the SBA Family-Owned Business of the Year in 2006. They have everything from produce to fried squid, but the must-have is anything from the chilled-fish counter. The fresh sashimi without any unnecessary pomp is where it’s at.

When you want the best hot cakes in the most unpretentious setting around, take up a seat at Tasty Crust. Of course, they have other items on the menu besides hot cakes, including all your comfort and local food basics.

Although the establishment is not the prettiest thing to look at, the food is good. We recommend the fish with ginger sauce. Local Chinese flavor.