Where am I?

This pic could have easily been snapped on my trip down South, right? But it's on Maui, brah!

I asked the cashier at this convenience store about the tradition of these offbeat peanuts and he said it boiled down to this: "They're good to snack on when you're drinking beer."

On this trip, I noticed some striking similarities between Island Time and the South, namely the absolute love affair both places have with food. Unfortunately, that doesn't often translate at touristy restaurants, where I had some really rank meals. And expensive, too. (Avoid Chez Paul's! And the nasty Aloha Mixed Plate.)

My favorite spots to grind included Mala -- the "Ocean Tavern" where my brother Chris works as a bartender (he makes the best mojitos), Flatbread in Paia (which is an outpost of a tiny East-coast based chain) and the Pioneer Inn in Lahaina Town. At that historic place on the harbor, I watched the Dawn Patrol coming in after catching their morning waves while munching on macadamia nut pancakes drenched in coconut syrup. Does it get any sweeter?