I remember Peter Merriman on the Big Island. He started at Mauna Lani and in 1988 opened his first restaurant in Waimea. He featured regional cuisine and, as much as possible, used local farm products. In 1994 he opened Hula Grill on Maui, then in 2008 Merriman's Kapalua. He expanded to Merriman's Fish House on Kauai, with a lower floor of pizza and burgers. In 2011 came Monkeypod Kitchen in Wailea and Kaanapali on Maui and Ko Olina (Oahu). 
If you wondered what is Moku Kitchen in Kakaako, voted as the Best New Restaurant in the 2018 Hale-Aina Awards, that is another Merriman. Thus, what he now has in the Ward complex is clearly not Merriman II, but to me, that is his second, with Merriman I in Kamuela still operating.
The executive chef is Jon Matsubara. He previously headed Stage, Azure, Japengo and Forty Carrots.
So off 15 Craigside went to Merriman's. There is a pianist at the entrance. While he played well, unfortunately, our table was right next to him, and talking was difficult, especially as some of us are challenged as it is with our hearing.
I noticed a sign indicating there were happy hour rates from 3PM to 6PM. However, these rates only applied if you sat at the bar. After some discussion they allowed our group to sit at our designated table and still enjoy those lower rates.
Merriman's is a large restaurant, and at 4:15 PM when we showed up, there were only a few people sitting at the bar. We started with free Prosecco, with Takeo observing the pour. 
Our group, where you will note that we are the only diners. Probably one reason why they were so accommodating, for it was the bar that began to fill up because of the cost inducements.
I guess people who reside at 15 Craigside must be reasonably wealthy, for they all ordered from the menu, where the entre's were priced from $30 to $44 and up, and some started with a salad. Here is the happy hour menu:
I had the taco and quesadilla, with a glass of reisling:
My food bill was $14.
Harriet began with the cauliflower and walnut salad:
Takeo ordered a scallop dish:
We had a discussion on why scallops, abalone and octopus don't taste as good as when we were growing up. I indicated that we then ate them dried. If he slowly fried the scallops and reduced the moisture content, the scallops would begin to have that same flavor. So he took two home to experiment. The group:
The lamb was said to be particularly excellent. At least they got 25% off on their glasses of wine. There was a consensus that the food was fine.
I thought my "chips" were terrible, but the person sitting next to me loved them. I guess I was expecting the British-type of French fries, but the ones served had all those rosemary, sage and thyme herbs, which I hate. Sorry, Simon & Garfunkel.
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There are no ocean storms.
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