Food for Thought, Dining in Kauai, and a Hotel Chef Worth Tweeting About

KAPA'A, HI--(Marketwired - May 17, 2013) - Forget what you think you know about hotel food and make your way to this hotel in Lihue's two restaurants to meet their newly appointed Executive Chef Charles Steppe.

Chef Charles Steppe has garnered acclaimed reviews from an extensive list of mouthwatering restaurants from California to New York. His resume tells a fascinating story from high-end dining in some of Manhattan's most revered restaurants (Rainbow Room and Hudson River Club), to opening his own farm to table concept in upstate New York (Purdy's Homestead). Despite the fast-paced, big city environments he has been in, Chef Charles exudes a relaxed demeanor in the kitchen, preferring to pass on his knowledge and zest for all things edible through his delectable dishes. A graduate from New York's Culinary Institute of America, Chef Charles came to the Kauai Coconut Beach hotel because of his team's Aloha spirit, passion to please their customers and openness to new things.

Kauai is diverse in cultural influences from the Tahitian, Polynesian, Japanese, Portuguese, Filipino, and Puerto Rican. This multi-cultural Pacific Rim flavor, combined with a modern California twist, is what Chef Charles and his team have begun to cultivate.

When asked about his experience when cooking Chef Charles simply states, "[It's] love coming from the soul, to the fingertips, onto the plate and to the table." The love that he describes is what drives him to create a menu that is as fresh and local as possible, and he has begun taking tours of local farms to find the best cheeses, tomatoes, sprouts and so on.

However, the most interesting information about Chef Charles' style is his request that hotel guests and locals come to him with their ideas of how his team can best represent Kauai's culture, its resources and of course, share dishes they enjoy. With that said, this Wailua Kauai hotel invites you to dine with us and "talk story" with Chef Charles about your experience.

About the Courtyard Kaua'i at Coconut Beach Hotel

The Courtyard Kaua'i at Coconut Beach hotel welcomes guests with a fresh and vibrant atmosphere after completing a $13 million renovation that included an expansive new lobby, an expanded fitness center, family entertainment room and updated meeting space. The Kauai Beach resort's meticulous guests rooms, designed with comfort in mind, all feature a private lanai, spacious sitting area and high ceilings for a warm and airy feeling. In-room entertainment includes cable/satellite service over a 37-inch flat screen TV with premium movie channels and pay-per-view movie options. Complimentary Internet access is available throughout the hotel and from the all-new eLounge so guests can stay connected with reality while capturing the rejuvenating atmosphere that only Hawaii can provide.