It's always a pleasure to return to a restaurant that you remember fondly; I recently had the opportunity to do that at Pulehu, an Italian Grill. This restaurant is somewhat of a hidden gem tucked away in a lush corner of The Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas. The management would like all residents to know that they offer complimentary valet parking and a 25 percent kama'aina discount off food at any time.

The fare that new Chef de Cuisine Jesse Pita has created for Pulehu is well worth a visit at any price. Chef Jesse was born in New York City and graduated from the famed Culinary Institute of America, but his Italian family background shines through in his cuisine. His family hails from from Bari in Italy's Apulia region. "I like to do family style dishes that I grew up with - what my grandmother cooked for us. It's nostalgic cooking while using as much local produce as possible from small farms on Maui," Chef Jesse related.