Hale Nanea at Kualoa Ranch

Stepping onto the stunning grounds of Kualoa Ranch feels like going back in time, or into the world of Jurassic Park (probably because the movie was filmed there). Between the grassy hillsides where cattle graze, tropical fruit orchards bursting with guava, papaya and dragonfruit and the ancient Hawaiian fishponds, we may never run out of spots to set the table. This year, we’ll be at a new-to-us location overlooking the ranch’s loko iʻa kuapã, a traditional Hawaiian fishpond where the Kualoa team has pioneered growing Hawaiian oysters from seed to market. We’ll have the opportunity to tour the oyster farm by boat before sitting down to a Mediterranean feast by mother-daughter duo Ahu Hettema and Nili Yildirim from Istanbul Hawaii. They’ve spent the last few years working to build the best Turkish restaurant in Hawaii, and have gained a reputation for crafting warm Mediterranean flavors from the freshest island ingredients.

A portion of the proceeds from this event will be donated to support Maui wildfire relief efforts.