Merriman's Fish House Awards

Merriman's Fish House Restaurant Review:

At this two-story restaurant named for Peter Merriman, each level offers a very different dining experience. Upstairs, the dinner-only menu features marinated lamb chops and a grilled beef filet, as well as numerous fish dishes, such as wok-charred ahi with a wasabi butter sauce and butter-poached local lobster. At the raw bar, ono is successfully paired with coconut and jalapeño for a cool, spicy poke, and fresh ahi is served with a traditional kukui nut relish. The downstairs café, known as Merriman's Gourmet Pizza & Burgers, is more casual, less pricey, and serves lunch and dinner with pleasant outdoor surroundings. Grilled mahi mahi tacos are updated with napa cabbage and a cilantro lime crème sauce, and ahi poke is wrapped in a crispy wonton and drizzled with a plate-mopping wasabi aïoli. Pizza topped with kalua pig, pineapple and a basil-macadamia nut pesto puts an appealing new face on an old favorite. A full bar, specialty cocktails using Kauai rum, and a respectable wine list provide libations. Vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free menu items are available.