ROff the bustling streets of Pa’ia, down a aspect alley and discreetly hidden between buildings, an lovable espresso oasis has quietly changed into a neighborhood hotspot. Tucked away on the sting of the Hana Freeway, Paia Bay Espresso & Bar has introduced a bit of the jungle to the center of Maui’s favourite seaside city. Its stunning setting consists of an array of tropical crops and customized wooden furnishings round a tiered patio backyard. Already famend for its breakfast and low, the restaurant has lately expanded its providing.

“Folks discover us off the crushed path,” proprietor Liam Grist mentioned once I stopped by the cafe to speak. This 12 months, the brand new homeowners have redesigned their area and added quite a lot of occasions corresponding to conventional glad hour and stay music, in addition to extra quirky and exhausting to seek out (in Maui) actions like sport nights, events cinema and artwork exhibitions. Since taking up the enterprise final 12 months with co-owner Danny Keevil, Grist has quietly prolonged his hours to incorporate a dinner menu and domesticate an area that’s each stunning and welcoming.

“I would love to see this area grow to be one thing that loads of locals come to and never solely to satisfy and play board video games, however actually to dive into dialog and have enjoyable collectively. I actually wish to see it grow to be the neighborhood middle of Pa’ia, for folks to have birthdays, post-events and provides musicians and artists a spot the place they will carry out and current. I believe it is wanted in Pa’ia for therefore lengthy, ”Grist instructed me.

Over a couple of specialty drinks served in classic copper mugs and the freshest sashimi possible, we sat down to speak about bringing his imaginative and prescient to life and the restaurant’s dedication to contemporary meals, neighborhood and other people. good vibes.

“With the evening, we have now so many extra locals right here, supporting their associates by taking part in music, supporting artwork exhibitions and coming for film nights. Numerous regulars, ”enthuses Grist. “Lots of people have come for Pau Hana; we have tried to maintain our costs as inexpensive as attainable and I believe folks appreciated that.

The boutique now provides dinners, cocktails, pupus and stay music throughout their “magic hour” from 4pm to 8pm. Together with an eclectic and scrumptious dinner menu, the cafe provides handcrafted cocktails, beer and wine with leisure 5 nights per week. The cafe has additionally lately began providing film evening. As I sat down with Grist the regulars began flocking to look at Huge wednesday. “Subsequent week can be Bridesmaids, “he mentioned. At a latest screening of Avatar, “All the children had been thrilled with the free scorching popcorn.”

Virtually every single day of the week there’s something enjoyable taking place at Paia Bay Espresso & Bar. Leisure ranges from film evening on Monday to Bossanova music on Taco and Tequila Tuesdays. “Wednesdays are Wahine’s Wednesdays, that are actually superior,” Grist defined. “It has been loopy the previous few occasions. It’s one thing that retains rising. It is a girls’s empowerment occasion, so there is a host within the celebration, and there is a musician, then a girl behind the bar, a girl within the kitchen, all the feminine employees, and he is simply making an attempt to maintain the temper for ladies. Wahine’s Previous Wednesdays featured feminine singers like Grace Welton, DJs, and Jimbolaya & Ashley Toth.

The cafe options Maui Brewing Firm favorites, Bikini Blonde and Huge Swell IPA, together with impressive-named craft cocktails together with the scrumptious, mild Moana Trails made with PAU vodka, and the extra critical and sassy Salty Kook Margarita with Guava , jalapeno, cilantro and Hawaiian sea salt. “There is a story behind each cocktail,” Grist mentioned.

To accompany the scrumptious drinks, the dinner menu has quite a lot of flavors, together with a Mediterranean platter, avenue tacos with a vegan choice, a watermelon salad, macadamia nut pesto crostini and a poke. with ahi, native avocado, brown rice, furikake, and microgreens so contemporary it seems to be like they had been picked that day.

The shop has not given up on its mission as a espresso store and nonetheless provides quite a lot of caffeinated choices and breakfast and lunch from 7am to 4pm every day. There are many espresso standbys within the type of espresso, tea, and espresso, with specialty drinks like Kickin ‘Coconut Espresso and matcha lattes. The store additionally provides non-coffee drinks like freshly squeezed ginger, lemon and turmeric juice, distinctive sodas, selfmade lemonade, and scorching chocolate for many who want rather less enhance. The espresso is contemporary and daring, and so they additionally supply a chilly brew.

The meals is tremendous contemporary and easy however tasty, with selection. For breakfast, the cafe provides acai bowls, an natural Greek yogurt parfait, quite a lot of natural scrambled egg choices, and bagel sandwiches starting from smoked salmon and bacon to vegan. Their croissants are baked contemporary every morning. For breakfasts there are a selection of sandwiches, with commonplace tuna and turkey in addition to extra distinctive flavors like goat cheese, brie, and apple sandwich with tomato and herb mayonnaise.

Amongst different cool issues concerning the restaurant, all of them use compostable merchandise, which has earned them recognition from the Surfrider Basis for his or her efforts. “It was necessary to all of us,” mentioned Grist. “We’re thrilled to be one of many few eating places on Maui to be Platinum Licensed,” which implies their eco-friendly efforts have given them Platinum Ocean Pleasant restaurant standing.

The stunning little spot works for a morning or night repair, so test it out on your subsequent espresso, distant work session, or evening out. An up-to-date music calendar is on the market on their web site, and the restaurant’s rigorously curated Instagram is one other good approach to perceive the evening’s occasions.

Paia Bay Cafe and Bar

115 Hana Hwy., Pa’ia

(808) 579-3111

Open on a regular basis from 7 a.m. to eight p.m.

Photographs by Sean M. Hower

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