A CONTEST FOR REALLY BIG EATERS
Can you consume a 5-pound cheeseburger in 45 minutes? Prove it and you’ll get the $45 burger free at MAC 24/7.
The new MAC Mamma Cheeseburger Challenge begins with a 2-1/2 pound Black Angus beef patty topped with teriyaki sauce, on 1-1/2 pounds of brioche bun, with six slices of Portuguese sausage, six pieces of bacon, four grilled pineapple rings, a whole avocado and hefty amounts of cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onions and lettuce. Plus a side of chicharrones.
The restaurant is in the Hilton Waikiki Beach, 2500 Kuhio Ave. Call 921-5564.
IL GELATO COMES TO THE STREET
Il Gelato Hawaii has opened a stall at The Street food hall at the International Market Place in Waikiki.
Il Gelato was founded in 2010 by Dirk Koeppenkastrop and his wife, Nicole Lueker, merging local ingredients with traditional European gelato-making techniques that Koeppenkastrop studied in Italy. Other locations are in Kahala Mall and Haleiwa.
The Street is open 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. Call 377-4402.
ITALIAN LESSONS
An Italian dinner featuring nut cheeses is the focus of this month’s cooking class at Adventist Health Castle, 6 p.m. Feb. 27.
Nina Pullella of Nina Cucina Health will demonstrate vegan versions of Italian classics — stuffed eggplant Parmigiana and bruschetta — including recipes for roasted plum tomato sauce, cashew mozzarella and walnut Parmesan.
Castle sponsors the vegan cooking classes monthly in the Wellness & Lifestyle Medicine Center Auditorium.
Cost is $12, which includes samples and recipes; reservation deadline is Thursday. Call 263-5050.
NEW CHEF IN TOWN
Turtle Bay Resort will soon have a new restaurant and has appointed a new chef to run it. David Intonato has been named chef de cuisine, to oversee Alaia, opening this summer.
Intonato is the former owner of The Purple Elephant, a “vegetable-forward” restaurant in Long Island, N.Y. He sold the restaurant in 2016, then worked as a consultant for a hotel and restaurant in Costa Rica before moving to Hawaii last year.
In a statement, Intonato said he is looking forward to working with produce from North Shore farms just across the highway from Turtle Bay, as well as “our local farmers, fishermen, bow hunters and food artisans.”
THINK GREEN
McDonald’s marks the 50th anniversary of the Shamrock Shake, bringing it back today, well in time for St. Patrick’s Day. Joining the mint-flavored shake is the new Oreo Shamrock McFlurry. The shake was introduced in 1970; sales in 1974 helped build the first Ronald McDonald House, in Philadelphia.
Quickbites is a weekly listing of dining events. Email items to crave@staradvertiser.com.
