I did something kind of out of the ordinary this weekend. I went out to dinner. But this wasn’t just any dinner. It was the annual Taste of the Hawaiian Range, a Big Island food event that brings prominent chefs together with locally raised and produced food items. Thirty-five restaurants were on hand, each preparing an assigned cut of grass fed beef, mutton, or feral pig. It is a meat heavy event, this one. Attendees browse their way through booths, picking up small plates of a variety of dishes, giving them a chance to “dine” at some of Hawaii’s best restaurants. It was my first time attending, and I was wowed. The Hilton Waikoloa Village was packed with residents and visitors lining up to sample some of the island’s delicious fare. Our favorites included the ginger beef stew from Honolulu-based Umeke Market, the luscious feral pork tacos from Roy’s (topped with a sprinkle of what I think was a smoked salt), and the green papaya salad presented by the community college culinary students. There was lamb bacon, lilikoi-papaya sorbet, Kona coffee, goat sausage, island-grown blueberries, and ferments. The longest line, though? People waiting to sample the Rocky Mountain oysters. (I skipped...
