The toast makes it ‘French Breakfast’

LIHUE — Did Bill Bestpitch of Roanoke, Virginia, get to meet Arryl Kaneshiro?

Bestpitch, a Kiwanis member and councilman from Roanoke, attended the Kiwanis French Breakfast while here on vacation with his wife, Sheri.

“I researched it and found the local Kiwanis club,” Bestpitch said. “I was able to attend one of their monthly meetings where I found out about this breakfast, so I got some tickets.”

Nearly 1,500 meals were served up Sunday by the Kauai chapter of the Kiwanis Club at the Elsie Wilcox Elementary School cafeteria.

Kaneshiro, the past president of the Kiwanis Club of Kauai and a member of the Kauai County Council, was busy supervising the activity in the kitchen. He noted that the kitchen crew was striving for efficiency.

“You’re here too late,” Kaneshiro said, helping Matthew Kawamura with his tray laden with fresh fruit salad. “We’re done cooking already.”

Helping with the menu of scrambled eggs, French toast and assorted fresh fruits served with juice or Kauai Coffee, members of the Kauai High School and Kapaa High School Key Clubs took shifts to help serve diners.

“The reason is called ‘French’ is because of the toast,” said Thomas Yano, a diner who enjoyed the meal with his wife, Marites. “The Lions have miso soup so it’s called ‘Japanese.’”

Entertainment was provided by a group of musicians headed by Kent Tanigawa, audio technician for the event, and the Kapaa Middle School Ukulele Band and Chorus under the direction of Mary Lardizabal, which had just returned from the Heritage Music Festival in Anaheim, California.

“We already had three appearances since returning,” Lardizabal said. “This year, we finished with two silver medals in a competition where judging was really tough. We’re already working to raise the bar for next year. We’re going to get better. We want the gold.”

The Kiwanis Club of Kauai meets on the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at the Hookipa Cafe at the Puakea Golf Course starting at 5 p.m.