What's a vacation without taking advantage of the opportunity to sample local delicacies? Maui has a wonderful array of restaurants to suit all palates and budgets. Here are some of our favorites:

The Aloha Mixed Plate (right) behind the Lahaina Cannery Mall serves up great, inexpensive combination plates. While dining on their outdoor lanai, you'll enjoy the music that drifts over from the Old Lahaina Luau. They share the same kitchen. We usually eat there once or twice per trip.

Reasonably priced Italian fare just doesn't get any better than the menu at the Penne Pasta Cafe on Dickenson Street in Lahaina. It's where Fran chooses to go for her weekly "pasta fix." Arrive early to grab one of the five outdoor tables.

If you venture down to Wailea, consider Tommy Bahamas Tropical Cafe and Emporium. We've enjoyed a leisurely lunch on its large, open-air lanai. Food and ambience were first-rate.

Two choices for a late lunch on the way down from Haleakala Crater are the Kula Lodge and the Haliimaile General store, both in Upcountry. The Kula Lodge has perfected Maui onion soup, and the Haliimaile General Store features delicious, light Pacific Rim in an unlikely location.

For excellent soups, salads, and entries that change daily, head over to the Soup NutZ on Lower Honoapiilani Highway across the street from our condo at the Kaanapali Shores. it came highly recommended by our realtor, and we strongly agree. As the name implies, soups are their specialty, and they are to die for. To help you decide, your server will offer a taste of each. As if the food wasn't good enough, dim lighting, soft jazz, and comfortable appointments set the mood.

Our last night splurge is usually at the Hula Grill right on Kaanapali Beach. Watch the sunset, listen to live entertainment, and enjoy an exquisite filet of opakapaka. Then start planning your return trip over mouth-watering Hula Pie!