Aside from visiting farmers' markets, we had another foodie goal in mind when we went to Hawaii. Well, maybe this could be called a "drinkie" goal. You see, we were in search of the perfect Kona coffee. Having tasted Kona coffee in the sun-spattered morning kitchen of my in-laws some time ago, I knew what dark depths of delight could be found on this green and verdant island.
It's sort of hard to have a piece on Hawaii without indulging in hibiscus or plumeria porn.
After reading our guidebooks and consulting with friends and family, we were familiar with names like Bong Brothers and Holualoa Kona before we even got there, but that didn't stop us from pit-stopping at places like K'au Organic Fruit and Espresso Stand on Highway 11. While in the midst of a long drive from Volcanoes National Park to the southernmost tip of the United States to our final destination of Mauna Lani, we felt the need of caffeinated refreshment. Plus, at this point I was still hoping to run down some mangosteens and sort of insisted in examing every fruit stand that juiced across our path.