Your husband and son are off to Shipwreck Beach to shore fish with a couple of rented poles, some squid bait, and lots of enthusiasm.

 

Neither of them has any idea what they’re doing and you can’t wait to see what they catch. 

After you checked into your villa at Koloa Landing Resort on Kauai’s sunny South Shore the day before, your entire family jumped into the Lagoon Pool that sprawls just beyond your private lanai. The moment your husband spied the community barbecues nestled in a palm-shaded corner, he was eager to get grilling. 

“Let’s all go fishing together bright and early,” he said, “and then I’ll grill up the day’s catch for dinner out here!” 

You and your daughters were more interested in the resort’s morning yoga event than you were in casting squid parts into the ocean, so the men forged ahead without you.

Now, post-yoga, you and your girls are wandering amid the colorful produce on display at the Koloa Farmer’s Market and gathering goodies for dinner: organic lettuces, stalks of pale green bok choy, and an oversized Sugarloaf Pineapple (a softer, sweeter version with white flesh, grown only on Kauai). 

That afternoon the boys do, indeed, return with some fresh-caught fish — but not from their own hooks. Though they had a fun day, they threw back the one and only fish they’d managed to reel in: a tiny striped goatfish. So as not to return empty-handed, they hit the Koloa Fish Market on the way home. The pinkish ono fillets look plump and delicate so you season them up in your villa’s gourmet kitchen while the kids prep the bok choy and pineapple. You pack a tote with drinkware, plates, grill utensils, etc., grab a bottle of rosé from the fridge, and head to the pool.

The Lagoon Pool is the second largest of the resort’s three pools. This lush oasis is peaceful now as the tiki torches flicker against a pink-and-orange sky. Everyone in your family seems to have forgotten what shoes are — and that suits you just fine. The kids dip their toes into the shallow end while you and your husband head to the barbecues. 

Another couple is charring crackly skinned chicken on one of the two large silver grills. They scoot their platters over to give you room to set out your own. They ask where you’re from and strike up a conversation. Your fillets sizzle on the hot surface and the couple admires the ono. Your husband smiles sheepishly and reports that he had a less-than-fruitful day fishing. They console him by saying their chicken came from a store, too, and you all laugh. You pop open the rosé and fill extra cups for them and enjoy the relaxed vibe. A young dad arrives with a tower of hotdogs and ears of corn and you hand off the grill. 

At a poolside table under the stars, your family sits down to their plates of ono — grilled to perfection. You raise your glasses, toasting to paradise, family time — and fish markets. 

“Dad . . . tomorrow?” your son asks, as he pops another forkful into his mouth  “. . . can we go to the fish market again?” 

Your husband grins. “You betcha, buddy.”

For more information about our poolside barbecues, fishing spots or where to find the best groceries on the South Shore, connect with our concierge team at 808-240-6600, [email protected] or Koloa Landing Resort. We can even help you find squid bait. Happy grilling! 

Erica Karlin — Koloa Landing Resort