The Pint & Cork; Wailea, Maui

Although only open for two months (as of this writing), The Pint & Cork (TP&C) at The Shops at Wailea seems to be going strong. This is probably due to the venue being the only really decent place to watch sports in all of south Maui and that it's conveniently located next to shops husbands would rather not be dragged into.

Although the ten or so big screen televisions showing all sports all the time might beg for this place to be labelled a sports bar, the interior - with its 'tique wood and brick walls - speak to something more closely resembling a wine bar. In this regard, TP&C is probably one of the

The view as you walk in.

most aptly named places you'll ever drink at. Featuring 16 taps on rotation (none of them particularly impressive if you drink at Maui Brewing Co. as often as I do, though MBC beers are offered here) and a respectable variety of wine, to say nothing of the cocktail menu, there is plenty to sate your thirst and for much less than what nearby hotels will charge. Are far as getting your drink on is concerned, TP&C pretty much has you covered. That is, unless you're a beer snob. Then you might want to try Monkeypod Kitchen just up the road.

Interestingly, TP&C bills itself as a gastropub. Well, maybe in Maui this is true but I haven't eaten anything at TP&C that I haven't found better somewhere else. Their garlic fries, for example, are indeed very garlicky but they pale in comparison to Gannon's Volcano fries down in Makena. The pork sliders? Much better from Horhitos Mobile Taqueria's food truck. The burger? Way better at 5 Palms closer to Kihei. I'm not saying the food is bad, just that there is better tasting food nearby. I should say, though, that the food is still pretty darn good and you'll pay a heck of a lot less than you would dining at the hotel restaurants which are over-hyped to put it mildly.

As for the atmosphere, it is friendly. The staff doesn't ignore you to nearly the same degree most

TV's, lot's of 'em.

Maui food venues operate and for that I'm thankful. It should be noted that even at half capacity, TP&C is very noisy, so you might want to consider that before gently and quietly breaking up with your other half after they've spent entirely too much on a Coach purse next door. On a related note, TP&C does have a very small patio and a balcony area for a little bit more privacy. And, although I haven't been there for it, I understand TP&C is open to 2am(!) daily and features live music on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

Walk over to TP&C from your hotel or pay for parking at the Shops which has been in effect for almost a year now. Free 1 hour parking. Parking validated if you make $25+ in purchases.


Directions: The Shops at Wailea are sandwiched between the Marriot and The Grand Wailea on Wailea Alanui Drive. TP&C is on the upper deck on the south side of the shops next to Tiffany and Co.

Sssssliders.

Garlicky fries.

Wailea Beach, South Maui

Wailea Beach is a long and wide stretch of soft sand nestled between the Four Seasons and the Grande Wailea in Wailea, south Maui. Whether or not you think this is a good beach depends upon what activities you have in mind. This beach is a great location for sitting and soaking up the sun, playing in the waves thanks to the sandy bottom that extends yards into the water, playing with a ball in the waves, and people watching. If you so desired, there is even enough room in the early hours to set up a volleyball net between the resorts. If you like easily accessible beaches where you can sit or build sand castles in fine, velvety sand, Wailea Beach is a good choice. However, if you are looking for good snorkeling or diving, you may want to seek out another beach.

A view of the south end of the beach.

As Wailea Beach fronts two prominent hotels, the beach and surf can get crowded fast. The beach serves as a popular place for touring kayakers, canoers, and paddle-boarders (SUPs) to shove off. The waves here tend to be somewhat more prone to strong currents than other south Maui beaches. This appears to be the effect of each end of the beach's rocky points being more flat than pointy, as is the case at many other beaches where the arrangement of a beach’s rocky points serve to protect you from currents. This aside, another strike against Wailea Beach is that I have not found the variety of fish or as many turtles as other nearby beaches. The coral is terribly beat up here as well, which I suspect is due to waste run-off from the hotels. The south end of the beach (your left if looking out to sea) features an extensive field of this coral and the water tends to be calmer on this side. Problem is, you have to swim at least 100 yards away from shore to see any remotely colorful coral. The north end of the beach does not have as much coral, which will cause you to stay near the rocky shoreline where the surf is typically rougher. However, if you follow the right side north towards Ulua beach, the water may get rougher but you will be rewarded when you spot the Turtle Town amid the better coral hugging this edge. Overall, this makes the snorkeling better at the north side of the beach as long as you are comfortable snorkeling; if so, attempting to swim in this direction shouldn't be too challenging.

If you don’t mind crowds, I’d say Wailea Beach is a perfectly respectable beach if you don’t want to stray far from your nearby resort, though I contend that there are better beaches a five-to-ten minute car ride away. I would beware of reviews of Wailea Beach that say the snorkeling and diving are fantastic or that this beach is uncrowded; these observations have never been true in my experience. There is a hill behind the south end of the beach near the public parking area that is good spot for a picnic since you can easily spot whales during whale season, or you can just watch the strange characters that walk by on the beach path. If you want to take a walk, the Wailea Beach path is easily accessible from either end of the beach. There are no lifeguards here but the gentlemen staffing the cabanas and activities booth are surely able to help in an emergency. Finally, there is a bathroom facility and rinsing area at the south end of the beach by the public parking lot.

Looking north onto Wailea Beach from the beach path.

Directions

Drive south on Wailea Alanui until you pass the Grande Wailea. The first right past the Grand Wailea is the public access parking lot. If you don’t see any parking in the lower lot, there is a large parking lot hidden to the right after you've made your initial right turn and descended towards the parking lot. Conversely, if you find no parking in the lower lot, the hidden parking lot will be on your left as if you were going to leave the parking lot. If you're driving south and you see the Four Seasons, you've driven past the public parking lot.

Looking south onto Wailea Beach from the beach path.

Honolua Coffee Company, Wailea

Coffee, how do I love thee? Far too much. That’s why I only drink it once a week and when I do, it’s almost always Honolua Coffee Company’s coffee. There’s no two ways about it; Honolua Coffee Company at the Shops at Wailea has the best coffee in South Maui and probably the island of Maui. (The only other business in Maui that comes close to good coffee is Anthony’s Coffee Company in Paia, where Paia will be the subject of another blog here shortly.)

Now, if you’ve done any research on coffee in Maui and read bad reviews about Honolua Coffee Company on TripAdvisor or Yelp, I believe those bad reviews are generated either by competitors, people too familiar with Starbucks sugary and burnt coffee, or people who are just plain impatient. Or all of the above. The fact is that this company gets it right consistently. Sure, sometimes when there is a long line they get backed up and your drink takes some time, but ‘dis ain’t da mainland, brah; ‘Island Time’ is no joke and this small operation doesn’t have 2-3 baristas going full throttle because YOU have no patience. Sorry, pet peeve of mine there. Both their hot drinks and cold drinks are always done to perfection, never burnt, and not overly sugary or chocolaty like you get in most coffee shops. And, the majority of the time the service is cheery, though there is one cashier some mornings who looks like she could care less to be there. Still, she does her job and the job here is coffee, so I always forgive her.

A few other things: I also love the pastries here, especially the cinnamon bun. Usually you don’t get what you pay for food wise in Hawaii, but this is one large chunk of bread. Seriously, where do they get this thing? Eating it always makes me feel guilty to the point I wind up trying to run it off later in the day. Also, the employees DO NOT like it if you are on your cell phone when trying to order and I don’t blame them. They want to get your order straight and you being on your phone doesn’t help. In fact, it’s rude on your part. And no, your defense is not “that’s just the world we live in now.” Besides, this place is the only place to get coffee in Wailea unless you want Starbucks from your hotel’s “café” so deal with it. I'm going to Honolua Coffee Company.

Sorry for sounding like I was on a high horse here. It’s the coffee talking :)

Ulea Beach and Mokapu Beach, South Maui

Ulea Beach and Mokapu Beach: (It’s really just one beach separated by a few trees and a bit of lava) I’ve somehow managed to miss visiting this beach until late 2012. I didn’t know what I was missing! This is a fantastic beach that fronts several luxury condos in the Wailea area. At about a quarter mile long featuring good views of Molokini and Lanai, the swimming here is fantastic, particularly in the middle of the beach where it is sandy and as long as you stay within the confines of the rocky points. The snorkeling is great, too; both ends feature beautiful coral and a high fish count. Now, I’ve heard people argue that the north end of the beach is better for snorkeling but personally I’ve had better luck finding turtles and eels around the rocky point to the south. I have also found that the further out you go, the stronger the current and wave action is at this beach, though I don’t know why that would be. (Most south Maui surf is pretty safe most of the time. I don’t know what’s different here.) The north end of the beach is popular with divers, so be aware of that if deciding to set up camp at this end. As for the little spit of sand called Mokapu Beach on the north side of Ulua Beach, I can’t say that I find it is anything to talk about other than it connects you to Keawakapu Beach if you want to take about a mile long walk along the beach(es). There is another walkway above the beach, a paved path that extends past this beach north to the southern end of Keawakapu Beach and south going past the Grand Wailea to the Fairmont Kea Lani. This path, known as the Wailea Beach Path, is about 1.5 miles from end to end.

I will inform you that this beach gets crowded, especially on the weekends. Now keep in mind that this beach has only one small parking lot for its public access. So if you want to come here from outside Wailea you’ll want to get here by nine in the am to snag a spot. From the parking lot then, it’s a short walk to the beach. There’s a rinse off area and restrooms between the parking lot and beach but there are no lifeguards here.

Driving directions: Drive south on Wailea Alanui Drive. Make your first left past all the construction for the Andaz hotel (still under construction as of Jan. 2013). Welcome to Ulea Beach’s small parking lot. If you see the Shops at Wailea, you’ve gone past the parking lot. If driving north on Wailea Alanui Drive, it’ll be your second beyond the Shops at Wailea.