Bistro Casanova has exploded on the scene as the shining star in the central valley dining landscape. Although they opened softly for lunch just this past week, The Bistro was already packed and bustling last Thursday when I stopped in unannounced.

This all started about a year ago when, being a deal hunter by heart, I first noticed a number of restaurants responding to the burst of the economic bubble by offering discounts and specials, especially for kama`aiana.

Here’s a dining deal that’s so first-rate it deserves a separate announcement. Through the month of September, I`o Restaurant in Lahaina treats Kama`aina to half-priced entrees all night, every night.

If you’ve heard about Flatbread Pizza and their wonderful wood-fired pies made with locally grown ingredients dished up with much heralded community spirit, you might think it’s too good to be true but rest assured, it’s the real deal.

For the first few years after arriving on island it seemed every social gathering was marked with at least one discussion of the “things we wish we had here.” The conversation always started, “Maui is wonderful, but I miss _______” (a food item unobtainable on island.)

Lunch is one of the best things to do in Maui. Restaurant tabs can get out of control at dinner, so enjoying the best restaurants Maui has to offer during lunch can be a way to stretch your dollar without scrimping on experiences.

The lovely harbor side views, terrific food and drink at great values, along with wonderful entertainment, add up to a four tiki rating for Maalaea Grill, tops on our list when traveling through Maalaea.

What more can a host ask for than attentive service, terrific food, outrageous views, and overjoyed guests who thank their lucky stars to have been counted among their friends?

A table with a view is obviously a major asset for restaurants on Maui but I`o doesn’t take its location for granted nor slip guests mediocre food hoping they won’t notice. (It happens!)

No self-respecting lunch counter in Hawaii would fail to give a nod to the revered Mixed Plate. This particular meal evolved from the plantation era when workers toiled long and hard in the sugar and pineapple fields…

Deals continue to flood the market as restaurants battle for business to bridge the slump between spring break and summer season.