Ryan Pointer
Sustainable You Hawaii – Sol Remedies
Sol Remedies, located on the Hawaiian island of Kaua’i, emerges as a provider of herbal wellness through an array of products and consultations, grounded in the lifelong herbal practices and expertise of its founder, Kelsy Burch. Raised in the Midwest, Burch’s personal health struggles catalyzed her exploration into herbal remedies, starting with local plants such as burdock and milk thistle. “I had a lot of health problems growing up,” Burch shares, “and I do believe in Western medicine, but nothing was really helping me in the way that I needed.”
This initial self-exploration and tangible health improvements forged a path towards formal education and eventually, to establishing Sol Remedies, which currently permeates various locations, including more than 30 stores across several Hawaiian islands. “I’m a licensed health practitioner now and love what I do, and love helping others maintain health and wellness,” states Burch, reflecting on her journey from self-experimentation to professional herbal practice.
Burch underscores an avowed commitment to quality, underpinned by her holistic philosophy. She discloses, “I wild-harvest and grow about 50% of all of the herbs,” a practice that aligns with her aspiration to intertwine healthful and sensorially pleasing herbal products. Burch’s commitment to source and create quality is mirrored in her meticulous production methods, which notably involve an extended curing process of 6 months, superseding the conventional industry norm of 4 weeks.
One of the key offerings highlighted is the Holy Cacao, a product praised not merely for its healthful properties, including “supporting brain health, immune function, and balancing hormones in both men and women,” but also for its applicability in various forms of consumption and its integration of locally sourced cacao. The proximity of ingredients is of significance to Burch, who asserts, “knowing where your ingredients are coming from is super important, and I feel that when you make that, you can really taste it in every cup.”
Moreover, the Mystic Morning Blend, entwining ginger, cinnamon, elderberry, and hawthorn, is flagged not merely for its elevated vitamin C and antioxidant content but also for its strategic function in invigorating the consumer’s morning with a “fruity flavor with a hint of spice.” Burch elaborates on its efficacy, explaining that consuming vitamin C in the morning “kind of wakes everything up.”
Burch’s pragmatic approach to herbalism is steeped in a blend of personal experience, formalized study, and a perpetually evolving practice that converges traditional herbal knowledge with a modern palate. Her stated mission provides a clear viewpoint: “providing not only products but tips to incorporate into your lifestyle that are health beneficial and taste well.”
This narrative stitches together the evolution of Sol Remedies, not merely as a business but as an embodiment of Burch’s commitment to leveraging herbal practices toward health and wellness, solidifying her belief that “there’s an herb for every ailment.” And while her products are accessible across numerous locations in Hawaii, the underlying narrative of Sol Remedies resides within its founder’s journey from a childhood amid Midwest flora to a vocation deeply rooted in the herbal landscapes of Hawai’i.
Sustainable You Hawaii – Living Foods Market, Poʻipū
Living Foods Gourmet Market and Cafe, situated in Poipu, Kauai, Hawaii, reimagined its operation upon reopening in September, holding fast to its original name but layering it with a contemporary culinary twist, according to Chef Mark in a conversation with Kauai TV host, Amanda Smith. It serves dual functions: as a market featuring a gamut of both international and local products, and a cafe plating a menu deeply rooted in local sources, which has recently undergone a rejuvenation under the aegis of Chef Mark and his team.
Upon reopening, Chef Mark spoke about his intentions for the space, saying, “We kind of wanted to keep the name and add our own little twist to some of the food and things like that.” The cafe pursues a commitment to employing local produce, underscored by Chef Mark’s relationships with “local farmers, ranchers, fishermen,” aiming to provide a platform to “showcase all that stuff, from locally grown beef to whole fish and everything else.” The team does not perceive their daily tasks as mere jobs; instead, Chef Mark emphasizes, “It’s not a job; it’s a place where I get to have fun with some of my friends. We’re making killer food.”
Navigating through both gourmet market and cafe, the establishment threads a focus on locally-sourced ingredients across its operations. With an approach that melds a “mellow and casual” ambiance with a commitment to handcrafting components – “baking all of our breads, making all of our sauces, we cure all of our meats” – Living Foods aims to create a space that patrons will frequent, not just visit once as “that one destination spot when they’re vacationing,” according to Chef Mark.
The chef outlined the meticulous preparation underlying seemingly simple offerings, explaining, “The process is a seven-day process to make a turkey sandwich,” and highlighted the Provision Salad as a personal favorite because “it’s so ingredient-based.” The salad eschews a traditional dressing, instead relying on “lemon juice and olive oil, but you have feta cheese and a ton of fresh herbs, avocado, and all these things that kind of turn this into a salad that tastes like you have a garden in your mouth.” This ingredient-focused, fresh philosophy extends to their breakfast offerings, such as the chilaquiles — “corn tortillas softened in a chili verde” — and their avocado toast, which is made with “fresh-baked sourdough bread, crushed avocado to order, tomato jam, some arugula, and a little everything bagel spice over the top of it.”
Interestingly, despite the casual tone, the ethos driving Living Foods’ culinary practices remains clear: sourcing superior ingredients and ensuring they shine on the plate, or in Chef Mark’s words, “Part of being a chef is getting really good ingredients and don’t screw it up.” Even the beverages at Living Foods bear the signature of considered, simple preparation, with Amanda noting the straightforward yet tantalizing flavors of one drink: “What does that one taste like? Tastes like beets and vodka.”
Living Foods, through its market and cafe, merges an approachable, everyday dining experience with a fastidious attention to ingredient quality, preparation processes, and local sourcing, crafting a space where Kauai’s residents and visitors alike can regularly engage with and savor the island’s culinary offerings.
Sustainable You Hawaii – Fish Bar Deli
Fish Bar Deli, nestled in Old Kapa’a Town, serves as a casual dining space, a welcoming bar, and a comprehensive market, offering an array of dishes, seafood options, salads, sandwiches, and a variety of market goods. The dishes, such as the Double Decker Diner Burger and the OG Fried Chicken Sammie, showcase a breadth of culinary offerings that explore various dietary inclinations. Fish Bar Deli also takes part in special events, such as a pop-up dinner event and participation in Kapa’a Art Night, enriching the community’s culinary and cultural experiences.
In a discussion with Erin Keller, the owner and chef of Fish Bar Deli, during a Kauai TV episode hosted by Amanda Smith, she highlighted the restaurant’s commitment to fresh and simple culinary processes, stating, “It’s organic butter, non-GMO oil,” to describe the foundational ingredients used to sear ahi for their ahi bruschetta, and noted that they “like to keep things pretty simple here and just nice and fresh, let the ingredients speak for themselves.” Amanda, after tasting the dish, commented on the balanced flavors and various textures: “There’s a little bit of a bite from the arugula aioli that’s really well-balanced with the cheese, and then you have the pickled shallots to make it kind of crisp and bright.”
Seafood, a central element in Fish Bar Deli’s offerings, adheres to a strict freshness principle, with Erin affirming, “We never use any frozen fish here at Fish Bar Deli.” Furthermore, the establishment’s fish and chips is characterized by Amanda as having a “crispy” exterior while maintaining a “nice and moist” interior. She drew attention to its “thick flakiness” and unequivocally endorsed it, assuring viewers “you can’t go wrong when it comes to fish and chips here.”
Fish Bar Deli’s bar offerings include cocktails crafted with freshly squeezed juice and local ingredients, as illustrated in their “bikini wax” cocktail. Amanda’s enthusiastic description of the drink reflected its balanced yet complex flavor profile: “A little bit of salty, a little bit of tang. I could taste a little bit of that bite of that chili in there too, which is really good.” The bar cocktail, according to Amanda, is not only one of her favorites but also showcases their dedication to using “local ingredients.”
In the market component, Erin drew a clear line connecting the name of the establishment with its offerings, explaining, “All of the inspiration came literally from those three words: Fish, Bar, and Deli.” This indicates that the array of products available in the market — from pantry staples to specialty cheeses, gourmet snacks, and beverages — adhere to a thematic cohesion inherent in the establishment’s identity.
Erin’s commitment to her culinary establishment and its role within the community becomes evident through her open invitation to visitors, asserting, “Come on down, and I will talk story with you any day of the week.” This transparency and willingness to engage with patrons further characterize Fish Bar Deli as an establishment deeply entwined with its locale and community.
In this manner, Fish Bar Deli, through its myriad of offerings and adherence to fresh, locally sourced ingredients, stakes its place in Old Kapa’a Town, not merely as a dining establishment but as a community hub that welcomes a diverse clientele to experience its array of culinary delights and market offerings.
Ruffin’ It – Laser Tag Kaua‘i
Laser Tag Kaua’i, a business operating in Hawaii, offers varied laser tag experiences tailored to distinct audiences, bringing gameplay to various settings, including their dedicated field in Puhi and, notably, a monthly urban setup at the Downtown Lihue Night Market. Their offerings extend to a “Mobile Laser Tag” service, where the gameplay is brought directly to a specified location, accommodating a sizable number of players. The company ensures a variety of gameplay experiences through diversified settings.
In a video segment led by Olivia Ruff, which provides a visual exploration into the offerings of Kaua‘i Laser Tag, the interaction of participants in the laser tag games is documented, revealing an energetic environment where players, segregated into ‘red’ and ‘blue’ teams, are engaged in roughly five-minute sessions of laser tag. The process of scorekeeping and game progress is managed via devices, and participants, including younger players, actively engage with their scores and in-game status. “A lot of the time, because the devices are numbered, then the little humans can check to see what score they had during the game,” explains Olivia.
Olivia elucidates, “We invite families and friends to sign up to have a laser tag adventure where they get to participate in games,” delineating an environment that welcomes group participations and family-friendly interactions. Within the arena, participants navigate strategically through the gameplay environment, exploring varied tactical options like securing hiding spots, navigating structures, and interacting dynamically with opposing team members.
On occasions where the laser tag setup is mobile and thereby transplanted into varied environments, the company pledges a comprehensive gameplay experience, facilitating a two-hour game segment in the location specified by the participants. Olivia adds, “we’ve partnered with the paintball team, and we also have a mobile setup, so we could basically go to wherever you are to do a two-hour game and enjoy all the fun that is laser tag.”
Within these mobile sessions and more traditional gameplay settings, the company seems to interlink a combination of structured, rule-based gameplay with the interactive, dynamic freedom permitted by the laser tag environment. This mixture appears to craft a gameplay experience that is not only rule-bound and structured but also allows for strategic creativity and dynamic physical interaction among players.
Olivia’s interactions within the video indicate an appreciation for the cardiovascular exercise embedded within the gameplay, mentioning it’s “cardio fun.” The games, despite their brief individual durations, amalgamate into a physically engaging experience over a two-hour session, providing not only an interactive gameplay experience but also a physically active one. Olivia observes, “It’s quick, it’s easy, and you just spent two hours running around.”
Conclusively, Laser Tag Kaua’i emerges as a multi-faceted gameplay experience, manifesting not only in its traditional settings but also in mobile environments, illustrating an endeavor to bring the interactive and physically engaging world of laser tag into varied contexts, from structured arenas to personal locales. The video presentation led by Olivia Ruff provides a tactile, visual exploration into this world, revealing the vibrant, dynamic, and energetically charged environment within which participants are immersed during their laser tag experiences.