For Sean’s 21st birthday and my parents’ 56th anniversary in September, Tammy got us dinner reservations at Mama’s Fish House. She had to book it in January to secure a table at this insanely popular restaurant. It is a gorgeous spot, a sheltered cove right on “Mama’s Fish House Beach” on the North Shore of Maui with a Pacific sunset backdrop.

The airy entryway is decorated with tropical flower arrangements and exotic orchids and the food was excellent.

We had tender seared octopus, flaky crabcakes with fire and ice relish, crispy kanpachi collar with spicy ponzu sauce, and the waipoli greens and kula strawberry salad for appetizers.

Four of us ordered Mama’s Mahi-mahi and Ahi Curry. They came with mango chutney, hana banana, macadamia nuts, and sambal. Tammy had one of them and I got to taste a few bites of the rich curry before she devoured it.

I got the filet mignon because I was hungry after a day of snorkeling and fish does not satisfy me the way a steak does.

The kanpachi collar was so good that Sean ordered the kanpachi entrée with crab and lobster in a macadamia nut crust. Everything was perfectly cooked and every bite was delicious but what stood out even more was our server. We had a party of ten and she didn’t write down any of our orders. Six of us had dietary restrictions. Our server remembered all six and even made recommendations on the menu, the specials, and the desserts. I was impressed when she didn’t write anything but what really blew me away was her attentiveness when the desserts came.

We ordered several different choices to share: coconut chiffon cake with fresh coconut and mango coulis, passion fruit (liliko’i) crème brulee in a tart shell, and hana banana macademia nut crisp. Some of them were appropriate for everyone and some were not.

My brother has a mild reaction to dairy but when he saw the fluffy white coconut cake, he had to have a bite. As he raised his fork, our server glided over and gently interrupted. She explained the cake had dairy and suggested he try one of the other desserts. Troy smiled and told her he was willing to take the risk for such a special cake. She nodded graciously and disappeared. Big style points.

On a different night, we went to another classy establishment. Atmosphere was great and we got another amazing sunset. Unfortunately, the level of service and professionalism was so different I call it ‘The Saga of the Second Server’ or ‘A Tale of Two Waitresses.’ At this other place, which will remain nameless, our server was kind and earnest and energetic. She was nice enough but she was an amateur compared to what we experienced at Mama’s Fish House.

Again, our party of ten had the same dietary restrictions. However, this menu was simpler and nine of us ordered without a problem. With our last diner, the waitress displayed an astonishing lack of skill. First, she didn’t know if there was dairy in the mashed potatoes. Tammy said they usually have butter and when our server checked, sure enough, they had butter. We asked another question and the server rushed off to verify. Weirdly, she repeated her vanishing act several times until she finally brought back a large binder with the menu and ingredients. Even the binder had a mistake and a dish marked “dairy free” actually had dairy. Not her fault but it certainly did not make her look good.

The bumbling of the second server highlighted the talent and competence of our server at Mama’s Fish House. She displayed an incredible memory, a complete mastery of the menu, and an eye for detail. When Troy reached for the cake, she also demonstrated flair and tact to disarm a difficult and potentially dangerous situation. Sometimes, when you have a party of six or more, you get poor service because the server knows they will automatically get a 15-20% tip. This did not happen at Mama’s! Our server deserved and received a great tip. We had an unforgettable dining experience at Mama’s Fish House, one of the highlights of our trip.