Summary
"A fish feast at oceanside" is how Allan Merrill defines the meaning of the Hawaiian word "hukilau." In the early days of the Hukilau, Merrill traveled to Hawaii twice a year "for background music," he said, "and for waiters' shirts. And to research the mai tai," which is a South Pacific rum cocktail that is garnished with a slice of orange and a cherry skewered by a flag. "Mai tai means the best," he explained.
The Hukilau was Key West's own South Pacific-themed restaurant, its ribbon cut by the mayor, Sonny McCoy. For the first five years, the business was owned by Doug Merrill. "My dad never cooked anything and never took a nickel," said Allan. "My mom made key lime pies and conch chowder. For three years I was afraid to come out of the kitchen.""You have to give them," is how Allan was taught to run a good restaurant in the 1970s. "Americans ate a lot back then." But the Navy was leaving town. The first event after the restaurant opened was a farewell party for a naval group. Then came the gas crisis. "If you needed gas, you had to sit in line at Owens after work, or be one of the first in line in the morning." In those days - back in the day when the Big Coppitt Cowboys played the Raw Bar - truck deliveries meant a delivery every three weeks, with 30 percent of it not actually on the truck.See the full content of this document
Extract
The Huki Huki History of the Hukilau
For years it was the talk of the town. Today it is a memory.
The Hukilau restaurant, on North Roosevelt Blvd., opened in 1972. Last month the property was demolished to make way for Homeland Security's headquarters in the Keys."A fish feast at oceanside" is how Allan Merrill defines the meaning of the Hawaiian word "hukilau." In the early days of the Hukilau, Merrill trav...See the full content of this document
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