Isabell and I just returned from a relaxing trip to Maui. Not only was the trip a nice break from the drab Pacific Northwest weather, but it was a great opportunity to eat great food at some of the best restaurants in the islands. Here are the highlights:

• Dinner at Mama’s Fish House. While Mama’s is no longer a Maui secret, the food is still world-class. The food of choice was not an entree, but the Ahi sashimi we had for an appetizer. Simply put: this is the best, most fresh fish Isabell and I have ever had in our lives. Right off the boat - amazing. The wine we had at dinner is also worth noting: a 2000 Faiveley Burgundy Blanc. Imagine a silky chardonnay mashed up with world class sauvignon blanc for crispness, finishing with classic French minerality. Very good!

• The wine of the trip came at the restaurant Pacific’o, where we had a 2006 Morgan “Twelve Clones” Santa Lucia Highlands pinot noir. Even though we all had fish, the wine was perfect for the bold Pacific rim flavors of our food. Here is some commentary on the wine: “Grapes from Morgan’s organically farmed Double L Vineyard in the Santa Lucia Highlands make up 40% of this wine’s blend in 2006, which actually includes 12 different clonal selections of pinot noir. The diversity of clonal selections combine with the cool Monterey climate and strong Salinas valley winds to create a complex wine with fully developed flavors and acidity. Notes of leather, toast, mineral and vanilla balance the cherry, berry, rose petal and spicy earth notes in this medium-bodied, structured wine.”

• Chef Bev Gannon is a Hawaii icon and has two standout restaurants on Maui: the Hali’imaile General Store and Joe’s. We celebrated her amazing food in two ways: 1) we ate at Joe’s, where my dad had her amazing ribs. Real quick… I’m from Texas so this might be blasphemy, but Bev’s ribs are the best all of us had ever tasted. 2) upon Bev’s personal recommendation on where to buy the freshest fish on the island (Eskimo Candy Seafood), we got some beautiful mahi mahi fillets and made her macadamia nut crusted fresh catch with a mango lilikoi sauce. The result was symbolic of the entire trip to the Garden Isle - absolutely fantastic!