Papalani Gelato in Poipu on Kaua'i

On our last day on Kaua'i, we stayed in Poipu on the south side of the island. The tradewinds were nowhere to be seen, it was hot and humid, and we needed a cold treat. Bad. Lucky for us, our hotel was blessed with having a top-notch gelato join across the street, Papalani Gelato. After tasting (and loving) their Lilikoi gelato earlier in the week, we were dying to try in person. Ruin our dinner with a pre-game dessert? Why not?

Their array of choices made for tough decision making, with gelato and sorbet in both "standard" flavors but also highlighting local ingredients, like passionfruit, guava, blood oranges, and pineapple. The colors were bright and tantalizing. Without a few taste tests, I'm not sure how we could have ever made up our minds.

Kelly ended up splitting her cup between white chocolate & lavender and salt flats (which tasted like a mix of salted caramel and butterscotch.) The bits of lavender were really fragrant and the salt flats were rich and perfectly salty.
I went the tropical route, with a mix of pineapple and P.O.G. (passionfruit, orange, and guava.) The pineapple was really fresh (there were even strands of pineapple mixed in) and the P.O.G. was a perfect mix of sweet and tart. Heck, we both liked it so much, we decided to get a pint of P.O.G. to take back to the hotel room for breakfast.

If you're anywhere on the south side of Kaua'i and need a little cold, refreshing treat, I'd heartily recommend stopping by (even if it's out of your way.) It's not just good gelato for Hawaii, it's just plain good.