“The Pied Piper” of Hawaii Cuisine.”
—Los Angeles Times about Pittsburgh-born, Chef Peter Merriman
Cecile and I hosted a family dinner at the Hula Grill in front of Whaler’s Village, located in the heart of Kaanapali’s south beach, also known as, “Dig-Me Beach.” It offers a stunning view of the Pacific and of the island of Lanai and Molokai. Dinner was served on the restaurants outdoor patio with live Hawaiian music and a hula dancer, which our granddaughter Lyla, particularly loved watching. We had everything from farm greens salads, fresh grilled Mahi-Mahi, Crab-Topped Macadamia Nut Crusted Mahi-Mahi, Fresh Fish tacos, and shared sides of Roasted Beets, Colorful Wood-Roasted Glazed Carrots, Bamboo Steamed Greens, Pumpkin Hummus with Pita and raw carrots and cucumbers. Lyla and Emmy had Mac Cheese and Fresh Battered Fish. Dinner was followed by two Original Hula Pies the size of small footballs. It is made with chocolate cookie crust, macadamia nut ice cream, hot fudge, toasted Mac nuts, and whipped cream, Hula Pie is one of the best guilty pleasure desserts of all time.
In 1994, Pittsburgh native, Peter Merriman, partnered with TS Restaurants to open Hula Grill on Maui’s famed Ka’anapali Beach, and was touted as “the best fish house in the islands” by Honolulu Magazine.
The son of a respected food writer of the Pittsburgh Gazette, Chef Peter Merriman, cut his teeth on the finest culinary fare the city had to offer. He played football in high school and has reportedly uses the sport as a metaphor for cooking and running a restaurant. "It’s a team sport and you need a team you can count on."
He did an apprenticeship a the Woodstock Inn of Vermont, after earning a BA from the University of Pennsylvania. From there he worked at Martha’s Vineyard, then off to Germany where he worked for the Intercontinental Hotels. Later, with his partners he opened a number of successful restaurants.
