Eat Well and Support Local Food Suppliers in Kona during COVID-19

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Stuck at home microwaving your leftovers again? Tired of cajoling your kids to do dishes? Well then, we here at 365 Kona feel your struggle. Here is a list of ways to support local restaurants and farmers during the COVID-19 outbreak. All the restaurants offer curbside pick up or take out, so you can enjoy a nice relaxing meal with your loved ones without worrying about spending time outside the house. We let you know where you can pick up farm fresh produce, too. Staying home and doing your part to stop this virus is crucial to everyone here on the Big Island. 

 First, here are a few of our favorite places in Kona.

Breakfast

 If you’re looking for an early morning coffee stop, we suggest Green Flash Coffee on Ali’i Drive. If you’re an early bird, they open at 6:30am, and have warm pastries to go with your locally brewed coffee. You can check out their menu here https://www.greenflashcoffee.com. Another great COVID-19 safe restaurant is Herbivores,  off Kuikini in downtown. They have a fully vegan menu and serve breakfast, lunch and dinner through their drive through window so you can enjoy healthy delicious food without even leaving your car. 

Lunch

For lunch there’s Habaneros in the Keauhou Shopping Center which specializes in Mexican cuisine, Kona Grille House which offers many types of delicious poke and locally caught fish and Poi Dog Deli which serves all types of tasty sandwiches. Right now Poi Dog Deli is doing curbside pick up if you call your order in ahead of time. They are currently only serving food and drink for take-away, but they do have a retail liquor license so you can take home a 6-pack of craft beer! For more information check out their website https://www.poidogdeli.com

For breakfast, lunch and dinner AND specialty coffees AND beer and wine, Island Lava Java is offering on site pick up and FREE delivery of food on orders over $35. https://www.toasttab.com/island-lava-java

Lunch/Happy Hour/Dinner

Jackie Rey’s is also a great spot located in Kona, they have a delicious pupu menu which has special pricing during happy hour which starts at 3pm includes a pulled pork spring roll with dipping sauce for only $8. https://www.jackiereys.com/kona#kona-menu.  

Dinner 

Finally for dinner, my family’s favorite pizza spot is Biannelli’s Pizza. They are located in the Keauhou Shopping Center, make amazing pizza and you just call to pick up a delicious pizza. They are also offering curbside pick up to elder people in their cars.http://www.bianellispizza.com

Another great dinner spot to order from is Ola Brew, they offer tacos, pizza and salads. They are also known for their beer, cider and hard seltzers. We found that their website was super easy to navigate and order dinner from http://www.olabrewco.com

Food-A-Go-Go

To help restaurants in the state of Hawaii, Food-A-Go-Go was created. Go to their website and choose which island you wish to search and you will see that many local restaurants are adding themselves almost daily to the site for people to find them, check out their menu and order and support!

Fresh Produce and Farm to Your Car 

 If you’re used to strolling the Keauhou Farmers Market on the weekend, they just created a solution so you can safely receive your goods. Click this website https://keauhoufarmersmarket.com/online-market, and shop and order online from the list. Various vendors are selling local produce, fresh flowers, macadamia nut products, freshly made bread, Kona coffee and much more. Just place your order and pay online before Thursday at 12pm, and then your order will be available for pickup from 9:30 am to Noon* HST this upcoming on Saturday’s at the Honalo Marshalling Yard – 79-1016 E Honalo Rd., Kailua-Kona. It is located on the Mauka side of Hwy. 11 just north of the Honalo junction and just south of the Harold H. Higashihara Park. 

Another great way to get local fresh fruits and vegetables is to subscribe to Adaptations which is a Community Supported Agriculture co-op and they offer a weekly or bi-weekly produce subscription. You can customize your order on their website, and pick up your box full of locally grown fruits and vegetables.

What a fantastic way to support the hard working farmers on the island!

You can choose your pick up location in South Kona at the warehouse, where they can leave your box outside for pick up, or Kona Butcher Shop, Kailua Candy Company and soon, Laulima Food Patch. There are other pick up locations, so contact them directly.  Why buy bananas from Ecuador at Starbucks when we have plenty here for sale? This is also a great way to stay safe and avoid grocery stores when shopping for produce. Start your subscription here at http://www.adaptationsaloha.com.     

Maureen Datta, owner of Adaptations, also suggested,  checking out Vibrant Hawaii, which is aimed at low income households. This organization started before COVID-19, but is necessary now more than ever to our population affected by the tourism industry drop off.

We hope that you expand your “shelter in place” menu to beyond what you picked up at Costco in mid-March when all of this started. Set up your living room to look like a restaurant with all the free time you have on your hands now and go ahead and order/pick up/get it delivered and enjoy eating well and supporting local!

Story researched and written by Caylin Ziemelis

 

 

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Meet the Author

Julie Ziemelis

Julie Ziemelis is an entrepreneur, business owner, author, blogger and vlogger in Kailua Kona. She created and moderates the “365 Things to Do in Kona” page and the Kona Newbies group on Facebook. She blogs at 365Kona.com and MoveToHawaii365.com and vlogs with her husband, Eric, at “365Hawaii” on YouTube. Julie also authored the books, “How to Move to Kona” and the “Insiders Guide to Buying Real Estate on the Big Island of Hawaii”. You will most likely find Julie in Kona hiking, running, biking, taking photos and sharing Aloha.

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