In the middle of “restaurant central” in Kapa‘a town, one eatery prides itself on catering to the locals. Open for two months in a small shopping center one driveway over from Taco Bell and Coconuts, Kauai Pasta’s owners Russell and Karolyn Stokes are already pleasing palates with “a simple menu with lots of variations.” They offer the familiar spaghetti and meatballs alongside panini sandwiches, chicken parmesan, lasagna and pasta variations like pesto, alfredo and marinara, and their house salad is not the typical iceberg lettuce-and-tomato with cheese plopped on top.
Russell Stokes, previously the executive chef of Roy’s Poipu Bar & Grill, says his Italian family (his grandmother is Sicilian) and his Euro-Asian culinary training inspired him to create Kauai Pasta’s menu and specials. Stokes, now 30, joined Roy’s at 19 and opened Kauai Cuisine with Karolyn after eight years there. He was born in Portland, Ore. but raised on Kaua`i since age 8, so he has an innate knowledge of local ingredients and tastes.
Karolyn Stokes, sous chef, received a culinary education from the California School of Culinary Arts and its parent school, France’s Le Cordon Bleu. A Portland, Ore. native, Karolyn, 27, said she moved to Kaua‘i specifically to work at Roy’s. More about this couple can be found on their Web site, kauaicuisine.com/.
Karolyn’s parents, Jon and Rondi Heller, moved to the island in July to work at the restaurant and be closer to family. Recently, Jon retired after 27 years as a food and restaurant supplier for United Grocers Cash & Carry in Portland.
“There are so many places that are catering solely to the tourists, and that’s sad,” said Karolyn. “We are really grateful for the locals, who have been really supportive.” “If I can’t walk in the door and feel comfortable, I don’t want to be there,” added Rondi.
Thus the futon couch, baby seats, crayons with drawing paper and stack of glossy magazines in the restaurant’s “waiting area” that reminds one of a cozy B&B. Important, especially because the establishment seats just under three dozen diners (booths and tables).
There’s just one restroom, also, and under state laws, Kauai Pasta can’t get a liquor license unless they expand to have one more. Until then, it’s “bring your own bottle.” The corking fee is $5. Soda, tea and coffee are served.
“This is definitely a family place,” Karolyn said, making note of the friendly atmosphere. Walls are light-colored and feature sconces with flowers, and paintings and drawings of Italy, handpicked by the owners.
They are also, of course, mostly focused on the food and Russell’s eyes twinkle when he talks about his menu specials – often he’s created them with leftover ingredients from the couple’s catering company, Kauai Cuisine.
Recently he’s fashioned a prosciutto and arugula salad with heirloom tomatoes and white vinaigrette, chilled tomato soup, and uses only fresh opah, ‘ahi and other island fish. That’s topped with a few colorful curls of fresh micro veggies. When available, Stokes uses fresh ingredients from Kaua‘i farms.
“Balancing flavors is the most important thing,” Russell said. “It can’t be too much of one thing, and textures are important. Keep each bite different so it’s exciting.” “I might be biased, but Russell has really great flavor profiles,” beamed Jon. He’s talking about the different flavors and aromas in the foods. They’ve come up with their own spins on old favorites: Russell’s family’s recipe for manicotti was transformed into the special lasagna (yes, the recipe is a secret). Karolyn’s tiramisu cheesecake is “a twist on the tiramisu that most restaurants serve,” she said. Lastly, price is an issue for anyone dining out, especially if kids are in tow. Expect to pay about $6-7 for salads, $8-12 for panini sandwiches, pasta or entrées. There’s a kids’ menu offering $5 spaghetti or pizza panini.
