Peter Merriman

Peter Merriman is a chef, restaurateur and one of the original 12 founding chefs of Hawaii regional cuisine. In 2011, he and the other Hawaii Regional Cuisine chefs were inducted to the Hawaii Restaurant Association Hall of Fame.

He was de has been as a culinary pioneer in Hawaii for over 25 years. He is a vocal champion of Hawaii’s farmers, ranchers and fishermen. His restaurants showcase island grown and harvested foods through simple preparations that reflect the myriad flavors of Hawaii’s multiculturalism. He was called the “Pied Piper of Hawaii Regional Cuisine” by The Los Angeles Times

Merriman was born in Pittsburgh. His mother Woodene (Woody) Merriman, a Pittsburgh Post Gazette food writer, exposed Peter to the field at a young age. , She got him a job at the H. J. Heinz Co. doing prep work for Master Chef Ferdinand Metz, who later became president of the Culinary Institute of America, Merriman attended The University of Pennsylvania and studied Political Science. After graduation, he enrolled in a three-year Chefs Apprentice Program with RockResorts, under the auspices of the American Culinary Federation, cooking in resorts across the United States and Europe, including a summer in the vineyards of France’s Champagne region.

In early 1983, Peter was hired as a cook for the Mauna Lani Bay Hotel. In 1985, two years after his arrival, he was appointed Executive Chef of the Mauna Lani Resort’s new Gallery Restaurant.

At his interview for chef of The Gallery Restaurant, Merriman was asked what type of food he wanted to feature. Without thinking, he said “regional cuisine” and went on to explain how no other restaurants were serving the local fish and produce. When he got the job, he had to deliver on the concept but quickly discovered there were almost no local products available. Merriman advertised in the newspapers and went out to the farms, ranches and docks to let local producers know he wanted whatever they had. “We’re in this together,” he told them, “If you grow it or catch it, I’ll buy it, and we all succeed.” Pretty soon he had built solid partnerships and local producers would try to get or grow whatever he needed.