Merriman’s longest term chef at the Waimea restaurant was Sandy Barr Rivera. “I was the chef from 1988 to 2005 — 17 years,” she recalled. “It was a great adventure.

In 1991, three years after opening Merriman’s Waimea (his first signature restaurant), Merriman invited 11 award-winning chefs from across the state — Sam Choy, Mark Ellman, Roy Yamaguchi ...