HILO, Hawai'i — So you're headed to Hilo by the sea.

Maybe it's a holiday trip, family gathering or a weekend getaway. Or perhaps you're planning ahead for next year's Merrie Mon- arch Festival (April 12-18; www.merriemonarchfestival.org).

Whatever the reason, you have to eat. And you surely have to pick up some omiyage food gifts if you want to be welcomed back when you return.

Hilo is the place for both. From hip fine dining to the localest of mocos, from unforgettable fresh mochi cakes to some of the best butter cookies on the planet, Hilo is the place. Add to this the existence of a thriving agricultural infrastructure; varied and frequent farmers markets; and the state's most eclectic, smartly merchandised and friendliest grocery chain, locally owned KTA stores, which stocks everything from chevre to chardonnay, smoke meat to lomi salmon.

Did I mention that I love Hilo? I'm not alone. Islanders tend to get a kind of dreamy look when you mention the place the songs call "Hilo Hanakahi," in remembrance of a famous chief of that area. The pace is slower. The ua kani lehua, the rain that plays on the scarlet lehua flower, sweet and gentle. The green as bright as any in Ireland, glowing against the stark black of lava-rock walls. The modest wood-frame houses perched high above the manicured yards. The folksy town ringed along the bay, with its waters that change from calm blue to white-capped gray. The glimpses of Mauna Kea's peak above.

Hawai'i as we'd like it to be seems closer here. And a good meal, snack or treat is closer still.