Dayton: Bill's Donut Shop

Old school donut shops are a favorite of mine. There's something about the distinct smell of donut frying oil and freshly brewed coffee that I find oddly appealing. Linoleum floors, chromed stools bolted to the floor, yellowing back lit signs with blue snap-in plastic letters, all take me back to the shops of my childhood.

Bill's Donut Shop is such a place.

Old School

If you look Bill's up on the internet, you're probably going to find claims like "the best donuts ever" or "I've lived all over the country and never found anything that comes close to Bill's". I suspect many of these declarations come from a place of nostalgia. Thousands of children brought up on these donuts. Childhood memories are a powerful thing.

The truth is that the donuts' at Bill's are hardly what I would consider unique. One could go to most old school shops around the country and they'd find many of the same things they sell here. There is, however, a HUGE selection and the prices are very reasonable (70¢ a piece).

So what did I get? If it's called "Red Velvet", I'll buy it - and I did. Essentially a chocolate cake donut dyed red with cream cheese frosting, the Red Velvet was one of the more inventive offerings they had here. I like it.

Bill's is open 24 hours, so if you're looking to miss the morning rush - and it is busy all morning - then you can stop in just about anytime of day. Even though the parking lot was full the counter is well staffed, very friendly, and moves with purpose. Lines don't last long here.While it isn't someplace I would go out of my way to get to, if you're in the area I would certainly give it a shot. I'll be the first to admit that this is not on par with Dynamo Donut in San Francisco, but then again it is about a quarter of the price, too.

Bill's Donut Shop

268 N Main St

Centerville, OH 45459 

(937) 433-0002

Cleveland: Vero Bistro

Vero Bistro is the newly incarnated pizza place in the old La Gelateria space on Fairmount. This is a very similar experience to the former tenant; the main exception is that the oven has been moved from the front to the back, and now there's an upstairs. I could be wrong but I don't recall there being upstairs seating before.

First let's start with the website. I was critical of Sweetie Fry's website and this one is no different. Nowadays most people look at a website before they ever think about going to a restaurant. It tells a story; a first impression if you will. Since websites are fairly inexpensive to produce, a hastily thrown together website that tells us very little is not the way to start things. Unless the place is old school and its reputation precedes itself, the bare bones approach doesn't really cut it for most customers.Some pictures of the decor and the food would be nice to see.

 I ordered a Margherita pizza to go ($9). With the high heat of the wood-fired oven it was done and ready to go in a matter of minutes.

 Pizza Margherita

Here's my assessment:

• Very small. If you're going to serve small pizzas, put them in small boxes. This looked like a two year old child that was sleeping in a queen-sized bed. The scale dwarfs the pizza and makes it look even smaller than it really is. I'm guessing it was 10". Buy boxes that are the size of your pizzas or vice versa.

• The sauce was actually very good. Simple and sweet. I also like the smaller basil leaves. Nothing sucks worse than have a huge basil leaf slide of the slice, hanging from you mouth.

• There was a perfect amount of cheese. 

• The bottom was straight up burnt. If the char was on top of the crust, it would be a little easier on the palate. A small bit of char on the bottom is good; I'm talking about spots that should be the diameter of a pea. The vast silver dollar sized char spots laid a coat of bitter burnt taste on your tongue, overpowering everything else on the pizza. Since the top was not all that charred, I have to believe the floor temp on that oven is just too damn hot. The debate of char on the bottom of the pizza is very subjective. See HERE.

 The char went too far

•  There was not a whole lot of lift or puff to the crust. With a high heat oven you've got the thermal power to pop a fermented dough into the stratosphere. If you look at the picture this crust is pretty flat. The hole structure is fairly uniform. Top notch pizza has a pretty good diversity due to a good fermentation.

I feel the pizzas need to be larger. The 12" pie is about as perfect as it gets in a wood-fired oven. Is it going to cost more? Sure, but I could have easily eaten two of these pizzas. Vero Bistro has only been open for a month or so. As they settle into a groove and better understand how the dough and the oven are interacting; I expect the product will get better. This isn't the last these guys have seen of me. I'll be coming in every so often to see how they're coming along. The owner is a young guy and he's going to learn from his mistakes. I have no problem updating this post to reflect an improvement over this past visit.

Vero Bistro

12421 Cedar Road

Cleveland, OH 44106

(216) 229-8383

verocleveland.com

New York: Sigmund Pretzel Shop

As a former resident of Philadelphia I can say that I enjoy a good pretzel. So imagine my delight when I read an article in the New York Times about a little handmade pretzel place in the East Village called Sigmund Pretzel Shop. Since I obviously don't live in NYC, I made sure I marked it on my New York Google map so I could visit the next time I'm there.

Fast forward to the present. Always looking for something that isn't so filling that it ruins dinner, but enough to bridge the gap from morning to night - I headed over to Sigmund's.

Lina Kulchinsky's small pretzel shop is a light and airy space with folding windows. Sitting on the east side of the street, the afternoon sun floods the entire shop. Inside there is no shortage of handmade pretzels. From breakfast type things sprinkled on top (cinnamon and raisin) to the afternoon snack-like truffle and cheddar, Sigmund's offers up a good variety.

Looking for something for lunch? Not a problem. Kulchinsky also offers up turkey, ham, smoked salmon, or caprese on a pretzel roll to knock down your lunch time hunger. I actually went with the Shaller and Weber hotdog topped with spiced kraut. Since I was on vacation and not on my lunch break, I was able to wash it down with a Spaten.

I thought the place was pretty cool. There were, unfortunately, out of the traditional German pretzels that have are really fat and bready at the bottom and thin and crunchy at the top. Overall, I thought you paid for what you got. Sometimes I think the prices of these little shops can be completely out of line simply because they don't move enough product and need to make money. I think it's certainly unique to what NYC, which in itself is pretty hard to do. Sigmund is worth going out of your way to visit.

Sigmund Pretzel Shop

29 Avenue 

New York, NY 10009

(646) 410-0333

sigmundnyc.com

Since I love trying to make the very things that I enjoy eating, here is a link to one of Lina's recipes on the Martha Stewart website. It's obviously not the traditional hardcore method using lye, but I'd be interested in trying this one out.

It's Been a Rough Go

If you're a regular reader - and I doubt there are many left- you will notice that the last couple of months things have been pretty quiet around here. The fact is, that even though the blog has been quiet doesn't mean my life has been.

In the middle of May I suffered from the most debilitating back pain I've ever experienced in my life. I've had bouts from time to time where I have to spend a couple of days in bed, but this was different. After going on a rather lengthy bike ride, my back began to tighten up. As the day wore on it felt worse and worse. By the time I had come home from a dinner out I could not sit or stand. I laid down in bed and remained there for four days.

Thankfully, I had my frenchie Seamus and pug Ladybug to keep me company. For those four days they basically laid in the bedroom with me, only leaving for the occasional drink of water. It always amazes me how loyal and therapeutic these wonderful animals are. They made me laugh. They made me feel better. Once I was able to actually walk, they motivated me to walk farther and farther each day.

On Sunday, June 10th Seamus started having trouble walking. Every now and then he would yelp with pain. After a Monday vet visit, steroids, and more yelping we ended up at an animal hospital in Akron at 3:30am. With a very grim prognosis we had to make the extremely difficult decision to put him down. On June 12th - our wedding anniversary - we experienced the saddest day of our thirteen year marriage.

So what does this have to do with my silly little blog?

Well, Seamus was my constant shadow - and that definitely included the kitchen. He loved sitting in front of our oven because the excess heat was exhausted down near the floor. He'd just lay right in front of the vent until we had to open the door. He was also the vacuum that instantly sucked up any excess crumbs that might make their way to the floor. Our boy was also a foodie in his own right. An aficionado of carrots, blueberries, and especially green beans; the only time that dog ever left my side was when he heard his mom making her lunch in the morning. He'd hear the clinking of the glass bowls she put her blueberries in and would bound down the stairs in search of two or three fruity treats.

His spot in front of the stove

For most people this is just a dog. I get that. I actually used to be one of those people. I can say that after losing a dog like Seamus you're changed. He was my constant companion, and was never more than 10 feet away while I cooked the very things you see on this blog. In fact, he was more than likely laying under my desk as I wrote many of these posts.

It takes serious wind out of your sails when something like this happens. After spending a week in NYC and Philly, I can say that I'm reinvigorated. It isn't that I'm "over" Seamus. You never forget a Hall of Famer like him. I'd like to think that I have taken on some of his zeal for life. It's the same zeal that made him pull me around one particular corner on our daily walk, so he could see what was on the other side of the hedge. It's with a Seamus-like zeal that I hope to pick up where I left all of this off.

Dessert: Passion Fruit Cream Tart

One of our favorite cookbooks - and bakeries - is Tartine. I've purchased my fair share of books that proclaim to let out the secrets and throw you the keys to the kingdom. Many don't, but Tartine, Craft of Baking, and Bourke Street Bakery do.

Excuse me if I wasn't surprised when Food 52 cited Tartine's 'Lemon Cream' as one of their Genius Recipes. As I read through the comments section of the post, I noticed someone said they'd subbed out the lemon for passion fruit.

Passion fruit?!?!?! Oh hell no!

Fresh off our Hawaiian vacation, the tang of passion fruit (they call it lilikoi)was still on our tongues. Oh what a treat a passion fruit cream tart would be - if we were in Hawai'i. You see, passion fruit grows in Hawai'i like crabapples grow in Ohio. They can't give away these things in Hawai'i. Ohio? $1 a piece (yields about two or three tablespoons including seeds). [below is a picture showing them (lilikoi) being sold for a dime.]

Fruit is about the only cheap thing in these parts.

Needless to say, buying individual passion fruit would be a very expensive proposition in the Midwest. Luckily Premier Produce & Specialty Foods carries passion fruit puree for around $15. After calling just about every Mexican and specialty grocery in town, this was pretty much the only place that had it. Great people and very helpful, BTW.

Passion Fruit Tart with Toasted Coconut and Macadamia Nuts

I'm not going to crazy copying the recipes for these posts. Here's the link to the Lemon Cream recipe. They don't include the sweet tart dough recipe that Tartine uses, but there is a link for Paule Caillat's Brown Butter Tart Crust.

Notes:

• The substitution for passion fruit to lemon (or any fruit juice) is 1:1. Pretty self explanatory, right? I thawed out the puree before I used it, but realistically I don't think it makes much difference.

•  Err on the side of the water simmering too low, rather than too high. If you take the temperature up too quickly you are most definitely going to end up with what looks like smalls shards of egg white in your curd. While it's probably going to be chopped up by the blender anyway, take a few more minutes to heat it up. What's the big hurry?

• If you're doing the lemon version, used freshly squeezed lemon juice. I tried to pass one over on the boss and got called out on it. Me: 0 Boss: 1 

• Freestyle on the accouterments to compliment whatever juice you're using. We went with the Hawaiian theme on this particular version. Most every dessert in this island paradise has one, if not all, of these ingredients.

• Read the whole recipe first and have everything at the ready. Once this ball starts to roll, there isn't a lot of time to pull out extra bowls and utensils. Lay the whole thing out first and know what steps you have to take. Nothing sucks worse than having hot curd and realizing you haven't even taken the butter out of the fridge yet.

• Use a blender. I normally like using a stick blender, but this goes much easier if you just get it in the blender and drop in the butter from there. I've tried it both ways, and as much as I hate cleaning a dirty blender - it's way easier. In the long run.

• If you have a dough you like - use it. I wouldn't recommend a flaky dough, though. Any shortbread-like sweet dough will do.

Cleveland: Biga Wood Fired Pizza

I'm pretty cynical when it comes to wood-fired pizza here in Cleveland. If the pizzerias here came up against any of the places on this list, they'd get absolutely smashed. I'm not trying to be an a-hole, that's just the way it is. Cities like New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Portland, Chicago have really latched onto this idea of the new pizza paradigm Wood fired pizzas made with naturally leavened dough, high quality ingredients, with locally sourced seasonal specials are the new breed. The old way is the new way.

The recently opened Biga Wood Fired Pizzeria in Kirtland is crafting the best pizzas in Cleveland. I'm not talking about hairsplitting here, there is a considerable gulf between Biga and what can be had at the other wood fireds here in the Cleveland area.

As with all great pizza - it starts with the dough. The owner (John) said it all began with a visit to Pizzeria Bianco, in Phoenix. He said it was right after that visit he decided he wanted to one day make a pizza that was on par with Bianco's.

After eight years of perfecting his recipe, John and his wife Vicky took the leap and opened Biga this past winter. This little pizzeria is only open Thursday thru Sunday. (Dinner is served all four nights, and they're open at 1pm on Sundays.)

Pizza is the main attraction here at Biga.

The dough that John has formulated is some of the best I've had. A good pizza dough should be able to be used for breadsticks, pizza, heck....they even use it for dessert here at Biga. This is a crust that is masterful in its nuance. The interior has the softness of freshly baked bread, a hole structure that only comes from patient fermentation, and a buttery exterior that combines char, crisp, and a slight crunch in each bite.

I've tasted about four of the pizzas on this menu. As is my custom, the first pie I tried was their Margherita. In terms of measuring sticks, la bella regina did not disappoint. The crust was the star, but the bright sauce, dollops of cheese, and a wisps of basil made for a very well balanced rendition of this pizza metric.

The ramps and bacon pizza, which will only be available for a week or two more, is a tour de force. The bacon is sliced in thick chunks, the ramps finely chopped, with a little sweet something mixed in that offers a great balance of salty and sweet.

Antipasto Plate

Pizza Margherita

Can you tell I like this place?

But wait! There's more!

Dessert is made the owner's mother - these aren't chintzy either. Easily shared by two or even three people the Biga Hoho is a much larger version than its Hostess namesake

. I've also had the Biga Donuts which are like pizza dough churros with Nutella.

Another reason I love this place is that it is BYO, they do ask that you get a reservation for after 7:30 in order to accommodate the first seating.

While wood fired neapolitan pizza is nothing new to this city, this level of execution is. These pies are way above average. I've eaten at enough of the world famous places to recognize a superstar when I see one. I have very little doubt that Biga will be nationally known within the next couple of years. My suggestion is make a reservation (for after 7:30), bring a bottle or two of your favorite wine or beer, sit back, and enjoy the show.

Biga Wood Fired Pizzeria

9145 Chillicothe Rd

Kirtland, OH 44094

(440) 379-7313

bigapizzeria.net

Food: No Knead Pizza Dough

When the new Bon Appetit arrived it had a tasty looking pizza on the cover. I'll be the first one to admit that for the most part, pizza that comes out of the home oven doesn't taste very good. I'd say the one exception is Grandma or "Nonna" style pizza, which is meant to be made in a home oven. That, however, is a post for another day.

Imagine my skepticism when I saw that pizza with "no knead" in the caption below it. "It's gonna suck," I thought. My one kernel of hope, was that Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery authored this particular recipe. His book "My Bread: The Revolutionary No-Work, No-Knead Method" has been getting props for its easy to make recipes. I felt that if he was willing to put his name on it, it had to at least be decent.

I've attached a link to the recipe here, so I don't have to rehash the whole thing. Here are some accompanying pictures to show what my results were.

After 18 Hours (yeasty frothy goodness)

 Dumped out and ready to divide

Dough Balls

 

Finished Mushroom and Red Onion Pizza

Here are some notes from my experience:

• When you initially mix everything together it will be lumpy. Don't worry. That's the way it looks.
• The recipe calls for 18 or more hours. I found that 18 hours was plenty, but I also put the mixture in the warmest room in my house. At this time of year, a cold house might mean a longer ferment.
• I use a Lodge caster iron pizza pan because I can move it around in the oven instead of fumbling with a pizza stone. Start the pizza away from the broiler for the first five minutes. When things look like there pretty close to being done, move the pizza up to the broiler. I find this method leads to a more tender crust with a good amount of char. Too much time under the broiler dries out the dough and makes it tough.
• I go fresh mozzarella on this one just because it has a tendency to not brown as easily as the other stuff. I've had good results with Maplebrook out of Vermont, it not in brine and doesn't release as much moisture. (It also doesn't keep as long, so you have to use it quickly.)
• I don't make sauce. Use whatever plum tomatoes you prefer and simply crush them with your hands (blending cracks the seeds and makes things bitter). I add sea salt to taste.  Done.

For oven made pizza it's a very good recipe. When you consider this is about as close to "so easy a caveman could do it" as you can get, it's a slam dunk.

Cleveland: Sweetie Fry

I've been to Sweetie Fry a number of times in the last few months. At first I was a little confused in terms of what they had to offer - ice cream and fries. This is certainly an odd combination since they both seem to fall off of different branches of the guilty pleasure tree. I've seen odd combinations work before in the food world and decided to keep an open mind.

On my first visit I admittedly had a bad attitude. *What can I say? It happpens*  Businesses that deal in food that don't have websites grate on my nerves. Facebook is not a website. Twitter is not a website. I don't need music, Flash, or any of that stuff - actually it prefer they not - but a well put together, simple, clean website makes one hell of a first impression.

At any rate, I ordered the Parmesan and Truffle Oil Fries. I watched the guy in the back freshly grating  chunks of Parmesan he had just cut off of a huge wheel. He calls out the order in the back of the dining area when they're ready.  As is typically with truffle oil, you can usually smell it but can't really taste it. With something like Parmesan there's virtually no chance of tasting the oil. I think they could easily ditch the oil and just go straight cheese. At $8.75, it certainly represents the high end of their fry offerings.

On my second visit I just went with the plain fries (around $5) and I have to say that I think I like these more than the truffle oil version. The fries themselves are very robust in terms of size, yet very crispy. I don't recall having any soggy nastiness in the basket. If you're in the mood, I think you should give them a try.

On my last few visits I've gone with the ice cream. My biggest complaint is that the ice cream itself is not visible to the customer. I'm sure there's a reason for it, but I don't know what it is. You basically have to look at the list on the chalkboard and then place your order.I can honestly say that every single ice cream store I've ever been to displays their ice cream in some manner. I order with my eyes. I can't help but to think that this hinders sales to some extent. I think this system also paralyzes already overwhelmed first timers.

For the most part the ice cream at SF is above average. Sure there has been the stray ice crystals here and there, but I think it's some pretty creamy stuff. I actually think their ice cream improves considerably after you let it soften up for about five minutes. My favorite is the Maple Bacon. Maple ice cream is very difficult to make so that it has a strong maple taste - this one delivers. I'm actually so impressed with it's overall flavor I'd like to seem the ditch the bacon for something like walnuts, the maple flavor is that good.

Sweetie Fry is just a young pup. Since my first visit last fall they have added a website.It's pretty down and dirty and just gives hours of operation and location. On the plus side, it's not of Geocities circa 1997 quality; they've kept it simple and consistent with their color palette and store design.

If you find yourself in the Cedar Lee neighborhood, you owe it to yourself to stop in and give it a try. While there are some things I'd like to see them change, it really is a high level of execution on both the fries and the ice cream. It's a great little location that is already very popular with the neighborhood. Sweetie Fry will no doubt be hopping come spring and summer.

Sweetie Fry

2307 Lee Rd.

Cleveland Heights, OH 44118

(216) 932-2300

http://sweetiefry.com/

The Value of Customer Service

I'm the kind of person that believes you get what you pay for. My experience is that if it's priced like a piece of junk, it probably is. Side note: the one kitchen tool that defies this logic is the Benriner mandoline. Some of these mandolines go as high as $300, but this little $27 beast is all you ever see people using. I don't like replacing things. I want to buy them once and not have to deal with the frustration of untimely malfunctions, or crummy designs.

On New Years Day I decided to sit down and write a couple of emails to companies who's products were failing me. My Thermapen had a stress fracture that was slowly making its way across the face of the display. I knew I was a few months over the warranty date, but figured I'd give it a shot anyway. The second email was to Microplane. An Ultimate Citrus Tool 1, which I bought because it was three zesters in one, developed these cracks in the plastic around the periphery that caused it to flex when you used it. I attached a couple of pictures illustrating the problems for both and then sent off the emails.

I figured it would be a week or more before I heard from them.

Thermoworks got back to me two days later, their first day back after the holiday. They gave me a case number for the return and told me to send it in so they could look at it. I'm not certain, but I think I ended up sending it out to Utah. By the following Thursday I received a brand new Thermapen in the mail. From the initial complaint to receiving the replacement (from Utah no less) took under 10 business days. There was no argument about the warranty. No charge for repair. A brand spanking new Thermapen. I was pretty chuffed at the experience from beginning to end.

Microplane got back to me four days later. The customer service person stated that their products are dishwasher safe and that the plastic should not have reacted that way. She told me to trash the one I had and asked me for my address so they could send me a new one. Within three business days a brand new Ultimate Citrus Tool 2, arrived in the mail. Again, from beginning to end it took less than 10 business days.

Now it gets crazy....

Once a week my wife indulges in a siggi's Pomegranate and Passion Fruit yogurt. One day last summer she went to open the container and it was filled with mold. My guess is that the seal around the lid wasn't airtight and as a result - mold. She contacted siggi's about the problem and within a few days (from Iceland, the Icelandic postage gave them away) sent her an apologetic letter about the mishap along with a generous number of gift certificates and coupons. More so than the free stuff, the letter was very heartfelt and the response time was off the charts.

Here comes the crazy part...

I open the mail the other day (February, six or seven months since the aforementioned bit) and there's a letter from Siggi's. THEY FOLLOWED UP on the previous complaint!

    "We wanted to send you this note to truly express how much we appreciate your kind support and honest feedback this past year...Looking back into our records for 2011, we noted that you contacted us regarding a less than perfect product form siggi's."

More coupons and more gift certificates fell out of the envelope. Are you kidding me? The Icelandic banking system may not be worth a damn, but these siggi's yogurt people are something else! We were both gobsmacked.

 I write about these stories, not because I want you to go out and get upgraded stuff or gift certificates, but because I think it shows what can happen when a company is told about a shortcoming or design flaw in their product. I could have just as easily gone on the internet and flamed these companies through review websites, or whatever. But I'd like to think that, given the chance, most companies (especially if they're premium brands) are going to try to make things right. After all, you get what you pay for.

Hawai'i: The Paia Inn

People will ask me, "Where should I stay on Maui?" While on the surface it seems like a fairly simple question, it really comes down to what people plan on doing while they're there. Are you driving to Hana? Kite Surfing? Golfing? Watching the sunrise from Haleakalā? Just laying out or swimming in the ocean?

What you plan on doing, in terms of activities, should probably drive your decision on where to stay. Our first time there we stayed up at The Ritz Carlton Kapalua. I went to golf - that's really the only reason we were up there. It was a little cooler than I was hoping for, not nearly enough sun, and out of the way in relation to the rest of the island. It doesn't help that I'm not much of a resort person, but thankfully it wasn't overrun with children.

On our next couple of visits we opted for the Pineapple Inn, in Kihei. The location was warmer and sunnier, the price was very affordable, and the digs were nice. I would describe it more as a hotel-in-a-house rather than a bed and breakfast. Even though they are a mile or two from the ocean, there's a pool and hot tub on site. I'd have no problem staying here again, but it did require you to hop in a car every time you wanted to go somewhere.

Then there's Paia......

Paia is a small one intersection town (a 3 way intersection at that) that sits at the base of The Road to Hana, or the Hana Highway. This little hippie town has more character, and characters, then all of the resorts in Wailai, Ka'anipaali, and Kapalua could ever hope to muster. Whenever I hear Jack Johnson's song "What You Thought You Needed", this is the place I think of.

The Paia Inn

Tasteful Pacific influenced decor

As with most things architecturally related Paia, it's all a retrofit, and the Paia Inn is no exception. Molded around a Lululemon, dotted through some on-the-way-to-the-oceanfront property, with  parking on site as well as a few doors down, is the ever evolving Paia Inn. This little hotel's constellation of rooms is tied together with a consistently strong knack for efficient use of space as well as supplying a modern feel at each level of accommodation.

 

Our Deluxe Sweet

 

A strong customer service experience ties together the whole package here. Are the girls that work at Paia Inn cute? Totally, but let's not judge a book by it's cover. These girls (Nina, Tina, Carly, Angelina, and Sarah - yes three names end with -ina) are extremely helpful. Whether it's getting something for your room, asking a question about activities, getting info on general Maui stuff, or finding a bottle opener for your beer, they are all more than happy to help you anyway they can.

 Pathway leading to the ocean

There's also beach access from the hotel. At the end of the path that leads to the ocean is a private entrance that offers beach chairs, boogy boards, beach towels, and outdoor showers so you can rinse off the sand a salt water. Three separate beaches can be accessed if you have the will to walk them, but be warned it is Paia so there may be a missing bikini top from time to time.

Around the back of the building, near the front desk is the outdoor eating area. They've got a guy that makes breakfast everyday except for Tuesdays. Monster omelets with fresh local ingredients can be had the other six days of the week. If you feel like getting something from somewhere else, you're more than welcome to bring it back and eat it, as well.

Outdoor Dining Area

For us Paia Inn is all about location. We love staying close to the area, but in terms of access you're close to a lot of things. You're fifteen or twenty minutes from the airport, down the hill from the Upcountry, at the base of the road to Hana as well as Haleakalā. We love the energy here. It's just a fun place.

Paia Inn Hotel

93 Hana Highway

Paia, Maui, Hawaii96779

Tel. (808) 579-6000

Fax (808) 579-6001

Toll Free (800) 721-4000

Info@PaiaInn.com