Kapalua Resort recently announced that celebrity chef and restaurateur Peter Merriman will open Merriman's Kapalua at the oceanfront site of the former Bay Club. Merriman's Kapalua will be a chef-driven, fine dining restaurant specializing in locally grown, raised and caught foods. The new restaurant is expected to open to the public by June of 2008.
Merriman's Kapalua will be a 'Farm to Table' restaurant featuring seasonal selections that will change regularly. Merriman's will rely heavily on organically grown produce from nearby Kapalua Farms. All breads and pastries will be made on the premises and the menu will include desserts using locally-grown Maui GoldŽ pineapple. The wine list will have more than 250 selections, featuring both Old and New World wines as well as organic and biodynamic wines with vertical selections of the most celebrated winemakers in the world.
Located on one of the most scenic oceanfront locations in Hawai'i, Merriman's Kapalua will incorporate natural woods, stone and earth tones to reinforce its contemporary, natural Hawaiian theme designed to be "true to the place." According to Merriman, because of the unique history of the location, authenticity will be the cornerstone to every aspect of the enterprise.
"Locally grown food has the advantage of superior quality and freshness plus it supports Hawaii's economy," said Merriman. "As a chef, I appreciate the wholesome and nutritional benefits of organically raised produce, but I know that ultimately great flavor is what matters most. We're very excited to be part of Kapalua Resort and Kapalua Farms."
"We warmly welcome Chef Peter Merriman to the Kapalua 'ohana," said David C. Cole, Chairman, President & CEO of Maui Land & Pineapple Company, Inc., parent company of Kapalua Land Company, Ltd. "Peter's values and skills are a perfect match with our culinary mission at the resort, which is to deliver flavorful and wholesome dining experiences by celebrating Hawai'i's renaissance in locally produced foods."
Chef/owner Peter Merriman is a three-time finalist in the James Beard Awards for Best Chef, Pacific Northwest and Hawai'i. Peter has won numerous awards and has been featured in national and international publications. After arriving in 1983 to work at the Big Island's Mauna Lani Bay Hotel, Merriman soon became executive chef of the resort's Gallery Restaurant. There he began to develop his vision as one of the original pioneers of Hawai'i Regional Cuisine, always focusing on ocal products. His reputation flourished. In 1988, Peter and wife Vicki opened their signature upcountry restaurant, Merriman's, in Waimea--it quickly became the culinary crossroads for Hawai'I Regional Cuisine.
About Kapalua Resort
The Kapalua Resort is a 23,000-acre, master-planned community set amidst a working pineapple plantation on Maui's northwest coast. The resort is renowned for its world-class golf courses - The Bay and The Plantation Courses; 10 residential communities; premier accommodations at The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua; The Kapalua Villas, a villa rental program; Kapalua Luxury Homes, a luxury home rental program; a tennis complex; three white sand beaches including two of America's Best Beaches; and a myriad of restaurants and shops. Kapalua Resort hosts a signature event series each year, the PGA TOUR's season-opening Mercedes-Benz Championship in January, Whale Quest Kapalua in February, The Ritz-Carlton, Kapalua's Celebration of the Arts festival in March, the Kapalua Wine & Food Festival in June, and the Kapalua LPGA Classic beginning October 2008. Readers of Travel + Leisure Golf magazine recognized Kapalua Resort as the #1 Golf Destination in Hawai'i for 2006.