Casa Blanca at Kiahuna

Description:

• This used to be one of my favorite dining places on Kauai; I planned my trips around eating here. But it has just gotten too unreliable in recent years -- you can either have the meal of your life here with great service or a total fiasco with bad service to boot. If the owner Elizabeth "Liz" Foley, a culinary genius, who opened this stylish, elegant, open-air restaurant overlooking the manicured grounds at the Kiahuna Swim and Tennis Club, is on property, then you stand a good chance of having great food and good service. When Liz is on-site, she makes sure that every detail is taken care of, from the polished slate floors to the fresh flowers. Unfortunately, if Liz is not at the restaurant, it is not so sterling, and the service and the culinary dishes coming out of the kitchen suffer. Call in advance and ask if Liz is there -- if she is, make a reservation; if not, you might want to pass. Lunch is a creative selection of sandwiches, salads, soups, and brochettes (Moroccan lamb, Algerian chicken skewers, and Moroccan vegetable with couscous), and there is even a kids' menu with such classics as PB&J and grilled cheese. They also have a delicious tapas menu of small items: Spanish shrimp, carpaccio, crostini with olive tapanade, spicy eggplant caponata, and more at Happy Hour. But it's at dinner that Liz's famous culinary talents really stand out, with zarzuela (Spanish stew with lobster, shrimp, mussels, tomato, and saffron), Tangine al Dajaj (traditional Moroccan street fare of stewed chicken with olives and spices served over couscous), agnello (New Zealand lamb with roasted red potatoes), and nightly specials. Whatever you order, do not miss the chocolate mousse with orange for dessert. After the sun as set, it is hard to find the unlit turnoff to the restaurant, but it's worth the search.

• © Frommer's 2012

Awards:

Frommer's

•  Recommended 2010