Well Fed On the Town

So, here I am in paradise. No really, here I am. This, the second full day of my vacation on the gorgeous island of Kauai, in Hawaii, started off with a great breakfast. The stunning Princeville Resort in Hanalei, HI provided the setting for this amazing breakfast.

A stroll through fountains, across flagstones, over marble tiled foyers appointed with couches and lovely decor, across rugs, and down a flight of stairs leads to the Cafe Hanalei with its large, floor to ceiling glass windows and outside dining area overlooking stunning Hanalei Bay.

The sun was just peeking through the clouds, so we decided to sit outside and enjoy the slight ocean breeze coming off of the Pacific, creating minor swells in the Bay below. Surfers and Kayakers could be seen taking advantage of both the swells outside the reef and the calm, crystal blue waters within the protected bay.

Menu offerings were very upscale with a slight trend towards the tropics, but plenty of old school favorites. You could order from the a la carte menu or you could choose from their buffet offerings. For those with a smaller appetite, the buffet was available in a continental style as well. Of course, even that was a grand setup. Many varieties of fruit, pastries, danishes, bagels, cream cheese, smoked salmon, diced red onion, capers, cereals, etc.

Admittedly though, I would have regretted not having ordered the full buffet. I started my meal with Passion Fruit Juice, Eggs Benedict, Crispy Bacon, Portugese Sausage and French Toast with a Strawberry Peach Sauce.

Normally, that would have been enough. However, my breakfast partner gave some glowing recommendations to “this banana thing” and the smoked salmon.

So, back I went. The banana thing turned out to be a quarter of a banana, split along the side, still in the peel. It was brushed with a brown sugar, syrup and toasted with Macadamia Nuts on top, and yes, it was very much worth going back. I couldn’t resist having a toasted bagel with cream cheese, capers, red onion and smoked salmon too.

Finally, I finished with a mixture of fruit (mango, watermelon, cantalope and more). I will admit that it was among the pricier breakfasts I’ve ever had, but the setting alone made it worth every penny.

By the time we left, the misty clouds were breaking over the tree lined mountains, now dappled in sunlight and the crystal clear waters of the bay were churned in places to white foam by the incoming tide, but serene and still within the confines of the reef. Breakfast with a view, indeed.

Photo courtesy of the Princeville Resort Website

Cafe Hanalei
Princeville Hotel Kauai
5520 Ka Haku Rd
Princeville, HI 96722-3069
Telephone: (808) 826-2760