February 12, 2009

Flagstaff House Selected by Prince Resorts Hawaii to Open High End Restaurant and Bar at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel

Hawaii Island, HI – Prince Resorts Hawaii has selected owners of the award-winning Flagstaff House Restaurant, brothers Mark and Scott Monette, to develop and operate a new restaurant and bar/cafe located in the world-class Mauna Kea Beach Hotel in Hawaii.  The new restaurant will be called MonettesTM and will have full ocean views of Kauna’oa Bay and one of the best beaches in Hawaii as ranked by top travel authorities.

Monettes, which is scheduled to open in March 2009, will serve inventive American French cuisine with island influences in a fine dining atmosphere.  While Monettes will provide cuisine that reflects the flavors of the islands, the restaurant will also serve several signature dishes from the Monettes’ Flagstaff House Restaurant in Boulder, Colorado, such as the Colorado rack of lamb, which was featured on Food Network.

Monettes will also offer a more casual dining experience within the restaurant and adjacent outdoor terrace with the new Bar M CaféTM.  Bar M Café will offer elegant cuisine in a casual atmosphere complemented by a variety of unique specialty cocktails utilizing fresh squeezed juices and herbs.

The Monette brothers are pleased to be able to offer a second location as exclusive and memorable as the Flagstaff House, the Monettes’ flagship restaurant in Boulder, Colorado.  “Like the Flagstaff House, Monettes will offer exquisite food and wine, unparalleled service with the personal touch of a family owned restaurant and an unforgettable setting,” said Scott Monette, General Manager and Co-Owner of Monettes.

“We are pleased to have the Monettes join our culinary team at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel,” said Jon Gersonde, General Manager.  “The Big Island of Hawaii has always had family as its traditional foundation which is why many of the farms and businesses here are family owned.  We were attracted to the Monettes as they are one of the few families in the nation to own and operate a highly successful, four star restaurant over the past 38 years.  Their high standard of excellence is consistent with the culture and philosophy of the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel.”

“A key ingredient to our culinary success is the use of local ingredients – the fresher the better,” said Chef and Co-owner Mark Monette.  “The prestigious Mauna Kea Beach Hotel and the Big Island in general is the perfect place for our restaurant concept. We have easy access to Big Island raised meats, dairy products, seafood and other specialty items that can be used in our recipes.”  The Big Island of Hawaii offers a wide range of growing conditions, climates, available land and resources and hosts nearly one million of the state’s 1.8 million acres in agriculture production.

“While we are very excited about this partnership with the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, we are also thrilled about how our Hawaii location will benefit our patrons at the Flagstaff House Restaurant,” added Chef Monette. “In addition to the local Colorado products we currently utilize at the Flagstaff House, our diners will now be able to enjoy specialty items only available from Hawaii, including fresh seafood just hours out of the water, shipped direct from the fishermen. We believe that sharing unique local food offerings between our two restaurants will further enhance the overall dining experience for our patrons.”

About the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel

Situated on 60 acres overlooking Kauna'oa Bay, one of the finest natural white sand beaches in Hawaii, The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel is known for its a remarkable sense of place that enhances without intruding on dramatic natural surroundings. In 2007, the American Institute of Architects recognized the hotel as one of the 150 best works of architecture nationwide. 

The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel is a part of Prince Resorts Hawaii, which operates four hotels in Hawaii.  For more information, visit www.princeresortshawaii.com/mauna-kea-beach-hotel.

About The Flagstaff House Restaurant

Celebrating 38 years, the Flagstaff House Restaurant has been providing award-winning mountainside dining with inspiring views of Boulder and the Colorado Front Range. Owned by the Monette Family since 1971, the Flagstaff House has one of the best wine collections in the world, with more than 20,000 bottles and 3,000 selections.

Starting in 1983, the Flagstaff House has won the prestigious Grand Award each year from Wine Spectator magazine, signifying the Flagstaff House as one of the top restaurants in the world. Other prestigious awards include the Mobil Four Star Award, the AAA Four Diamond Award and the DiRoNA Award.  In 2004, the Flagstaff House became the first Colorado restaurant to be inducted into Nation’s Restaurant News’ Fine Dining Hall of Fame.  Bon Appetit magazine named the Flagstaff House among its “Top 10 Favorite Outdoor Dining Spots” nationwide.  The Flagstaff House was also featured on a Food Network series called “Road Tasted,” that is hosted by Jamie and Bobby Deen, sons of celebrity chef Paula Deen.  For more information, visit www.flagstaffhouse.com 

About Monettes & Bar M Café