On what should have been our last full day on Maui (more on that next time), my younger daughter, Jenny, and I decided to take her two girls on a morning excursion to Garden of Eden Arboretum & Botanical Garden, located on the island’s north shore along the Road to Hana. We were eager to show the girls the massive groves of bamboo, stunning rainbow eucalyptus trees, tropical flowers and the wandering peacocks. Because my husband and I had late lunch reservations later in the day, we girls set out early from our condo in Kihei, on the southwest shore of the island, to get our visit in early. We were also keeping an eye on the weather, as Hurricane Lala was tracking south of the Hawaiian Islands, but forecasters were predicting that all of the islands would be experiencing heavy rains and high winds by the next day, Saturday. The north shore of Maui can be fairly wet (hence the lush vegetation), even without storms in the area, so we kept our fingers crossed.

We thought we might do a little last-minute souvenir shopping in the charming little town of Pa’ia but realized most of the shops there don’t open until 10 a.m. or later, so we passed on through. A little farther along the Hana Highway (Don’t let the name fool you; it’s two lanes, barely any shoulder and the speed limit tops out at maybe 40 mph.) we found a solution for our grumbling tummies at the Halehaku Maui Family Farm café and gift shop. In addition to home-baked pastries and island coffee, we delighted in the handcrafted items members of the family sell in the shop. There were hand-painted and -dyed silk shawls and scarves, carved items from native wood, jewelry, and incredible photography of the waters offshore. Once we were suitably sated (and the girls given a dose of Dramamine), we proceeded along the windy, narrow Road to Hana, carefully navigating the one-lane bridges and gazing in awe at the lush vegetation hanging in green curtains over the road and along the cliffsides.

It had been drizzling off and on on our journey, and when we arrived at the gates of Eden, we decided to purchase plastic ponchos “just in case” to supplement our jackets. It was a good call: We experienced some pretty heavy showers in between some drier moments. We knew our time was short, so we hit the high spots: the bamboo groves; the many varieties of hibiscus, birds of paradise and other tropical blooms; and the waterfall and valley overlooks. The girls were pretty excited to see the many peacocks strolling around but did not appreciate how “friendly” they got when we sat down to have some lunch at the open-air on-site café. The clock and the rain finally chased us back to our car, and we headed back to Kihei so I could prepare for our special meal.

Mama’s Fish House claims a well-deserved reputation as one of the best restaurants on Maui, and I can attest to the excellent service, location, ambience and, of course, the food. This family-run establishment opened in 1973 after owners Floyd and Doris Christensen had spent years sailing throughout the South Pacific with their two small children. Today it continues the tradition of identifying the fishermen who caught the fish served on the menu and the location of the catch, as well as the growers of the local produce and fruit used, and the service is both warm and top-notch. We arrived a little before our 3 p.m. reservation and enjoyed strolling down the steps to the beachside grounds, where graceful palm trees dotted the lawn and beautifully landscaped flowerbeds bordered the pathway.

We were celebrating our 45th anniversary with this meal, a fact Harry had shared when he made the reservation several weeks before, and we discovered that earned us what seemed to be the best table in the house, right next to the wide-open windows looking over the lawn and out to the sea. Several additional special touches made this a truly celebratory meal, including flowers and a lovely note on the table acknowledging our special day.

I started off with a refreshing mocktail, the Blue Bee, made with blue spirulena honey and lemonade, and complimentary warm, fresh bread and butter and a cup of a smooth, savory mushroom bisque opened the meal. We had such a difficult time narrowing down our choices from the mouthwatering descriptions of the starters, appetizers and main courses on the menu . . . especially when it came to selecting from the amazing variety of fish and seafood available. I would want to return here several times just to be able to try everything.

We finally decided on our starters: Harry loves French onion soup, and he knew he had to try Mama’s version featuring Maui sweet onions and Gruyere cheese (delicious), while I chose a salad with Waipoli greens, Maui watermelon, heart of palm and Surfing Goat Dairy goat cheese (we had visited the dairy earlier in the week) drizzled with a vanilla vinaigrette. The cheese offered a creamy contrast to the crisp greens and sweet-crunchy watermelon and made for a refreshing start to my meal.

Our main courses had to feature fish (though the menu boasts locally raised beef options as well), and Harry chose Mama’s Opah, Mahi-Mahi and Ahi Curry with Mama’s mango chutney, Hana bananas, macadamia nuts and sambal as side garnishes. My entrée also featured opah, sautéed in white wine with garlic, capers and cherry tomatoes. The fish was tender, moist and rich, perfectly cooked. As you can see, the portions were generous, but we had already checked out the dessert options and saved room for that. Again, several dishes called to me, but, as this was a special meal in a very special place, we had to go for the Polynesian Black Pearl. Presented to look like an enormous black pearl set in a tuile seashell, the Hawaiian chocolate mousse had a little ring of toasted, crushed macadamia nuts at its base and sat in a sunburst of chocolate and liliko’i (passion fruit) sauces. It was one of the most stunning — and delicious — desserts I’ve ever had. It was the perfect way to cap off a truly magnificent meal, a special anniversary and a wonderful week in Maui.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor