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Hali'imaile General Store |
Chocolate Macadamia Nut Pie and
Hali‘imaile Pineapple Upside-Down Cake
Celebrity Chef and Hawaiian Regional Cuisine pioneer Bev Gannon built her first restaurant in what was once the general store for the workers
at the pineapple cannery next door—creating a little island of foodie heaven in the ocean of Upcountry sugar cane fields. Perhaps it’s the proximity to the featured fruit’s birth that makes her signature dessert, Pineapple Upside-Down Cake, so consistently delicious.
Of course, it could also be the butter. To make a good pineapple upside down cake, one must use enough butter to tenderize the pound cake, but also to caramelize the pineapple, without making it heavy and greasy. Add fragrant, richly flavored vanilla and just enough dark brown sugar to round out the sugary pineapple, and you get a dense, tender dessert that tastes like Maui feels—almost overwhelmingly beautiful. The whipped cream on the side helps to balance your palate (and your emotional response).
This cake is on the menu year-round, but another, even more decadent sweetie shows up for a short time in the winter months: Chocolate Macadamia Nut Pie. Think of a pecan pie. Now substitute the pie’s crust for a thick, intense chocolate tart. Now replace the pecans with halved macadamia nuts that maintain a satisfying crunch and release little bursts of mac nut flavor on your tongue. Add chocolate to the filling to take down the sugar and boost the flavor. Serve with whipped cream lightened with vanilla to balance out the chocolate ... and you have heaven on a plate.
James is on a campaign to have this dessert on the menu all year (it once was, years ago). Help him out by requesting it when you visit! Bev may be famous for her Crab Pizza (we know the secret ingredient, but we’ll never tell) and Sashimi Napoleon, but her excellent dessert menu ensures that we have our last course in mind even while we enjoy our first.
Hali'imaile General Store
900 Hali‘imaile Road,
Hali‘imaile, Maui
808-572-2666
Hours: Monday-Friday, 11am-9:30pm for lunch and dinner,
mini menu 2:30-5:30pm;
Saturday & Sunday, 5:30pm-9:30pm for dinner only.
Cost of adult entrees: $20-$45
Known For: Hawaiian Regional Cuisine, separate kid-friendly menu.
View: Sugar Cane fields.
Alcohol: Full Bar
Reservations: Recommended, especially for dinner.
All Major Credit Cards accepted.
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Hali'imaile General Store 