Living Localicious at Roy’s Kā‘anapali

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Right now, 21 restaurants on Maui, and 148 statewide, are serving up a special dish with a helping of, well, help for our public schools.

March has been declared “Localicious Hawai‘i Month,” in support of the Hawai‘i Agricultural Foundation (HAF) program that raises funds for agricultural education.

“It’s very important; if the barges shut down, people need to be able to provide themselves with food,” says Ryan Ferguson, executive chef at Roy’s in Kā’anapali. “Educating the students how to grow their own food is great, hopefully something they can take with them and pass along to their own children eventually.”

Roy’s Kā’anapali is one of the 21 Maui establishments with a Localicious sticker on the menu, next to its featured dish: herb-grilled fresh catch of the day, kabocha squash purée, pohole fern salad with heirloom cherry tomatoes, Maui onion, hearts of palm and a tomato-ginger jam.

Restaurants will donate $1 for every Localicious dish sold in March to HAF’s Veggie U educational program, so it can expand to more public school classrooms.

Roy’s goal is to raise $500 for the month of March.

“Roy’s is a farm-to-table kind of restaurant,” Ferguson explains. “We support the local farmers any way we can; featuring the local fresh produce— it’s better for the environment, healthier, taste better, more nutritious.”

There are 113 public schools around the state that currently have garden kits and curriculum received in connection with the Localicious Hawai‘i campaign.

Here are the 21 participating Localicious restaurants on Maui:

Black Rock Kitchen

Choice Health Bar

Da Kitchen Café

Duke’s Beach House

Gannon’s Wailea

Hali‘imaile General Store

Hula Grill Ka‘anapali

Humuhumunukunukuapua‘a

Japengo at Hyatt Regency Maui

Ka‘ana Kitchen at Andaz Maui

Kō

Lahaina Grill

Leilani’s on the Beach

Merriman’s Kapalua

Pailolo Bar & Grill

Roy’s Kaanapali

Ruā Maui

Sangrita Grill + Cantina

Sugar Cane Maui

Tommy Bahama – Wailea

Zippy’s Restaurants

Click here for the list of 148 participating restaurants statewide and to learn more about the March campaign, including a $100 restaurant gift card giveaway.

Roy’s featured Localicious dish of herb-crusted fish with kabocha purée and pohole fern salad, which helps support ag education. Photo by Kiaora Bohlool.

Glass and golf at Roy’s Kā‘anapali. Photo by Kiaora Bohlool.

Roy’s Kā‘anapali Executive Chef Ryan Ferguson. Photo by Kiaora Bohlool.

Pork and shrimp lumpia, on the menu at Roy’s. Photo by Kiaora Bohlool.

Localicious Month poster at Roy’s Kā‘anapali. Photo by Kiaora Bohlool.

Chef Ferguson in Roy’s open kitchen in Kā‘anapali. Photo by Kiaora Bohlool.

Ahi poke in tempura bulb at Roy’s Kā‘anapali. Photo by Kiaora Bohlool.

Localicious sticker next to the special dish in Roy’s menu. Photo by Kiaora Bohlool.

Roy’s signature Szechuan baby back ribs. Photo by Kiaora Bohlool.

Decor at Roy’s Kā‘anapali. Photo by Kiaora Bohlool.

Melting hot chocolate soufflé, available at Roy’s. Photo by Kiaora Bohlool.

Kā‘anapali golf course view from Roy’s. Photo by Kiaora Bohlool.

Chicken gyoza with firecracker sauce at Roy’s Kā’anapali. Photo by Kiaora Bohlool.

Kids can also get involved. As part of the month-long educational campaign, students in grades K-6 are encouraged to enter an art and essay contest called “Eat Local – My Favorite Dish Created with Locally-Grown Produce.” There are two categories, an art contest for students in grades K–3 and an art and essay contest for students in grades 4–6. Winners will receive an iPad mini, and a class party with a celebrity chef and farmer and an iPad mini. For details, visit here.

Hawai‘i Agricultural Foundation is a non-profit charitable organization created to promote agriculture and farming. Established in 2007, HAF’s mission is to support and sustain Hawai‘i’s agricultural industry by addressing critical needs and services of farmers and the agricultural industry in Hawai‘i, and by better connecting the farmers and the community.