Pono Plate Philosophy
Chef Ryan Luckey Named ‘Aipono ‘Friend of Agriculture’
by Ariella Nardizzi | photo by Chris Amundson
Chef Ryan Luckey has never strayed far from the source. Born and raised on Maui, he has been a proud part of the island’s culinary world for 31 years, building his career – and his menus – around local farms, small producers and long-standing relationships. In April 2025, the Maui County Farm Bureau honored that commitment by naming Luckey the Friend of Agriculture at the Maui Nō Ka ʻOi Magazine’s 2025 ʻAipono Awards.
“It’s one of those full-circle moments,” Luckey said. “I’ve watched my mentors win this accolade. To be in that company now is a real sense of accomplishment.”
As executive chef of The Pint and Cork in Wailea, Luckey keeps local ingredients front and center. Up to 70 percent of his produce comes from Maui and the Hawaiian Islands, sourced through partnerships such as Surfing Goat Dairy and Waipoli Greens in Kula, Hua Momona Farms in Kapalua and Mother Mushrooms in Olinda. For Luckey, sourcing local isn’t just a preference – it’s his duty.
“I take it as my responsibility to spread the wealth to my local companies, small farmers and small businesses,” he said.
Luckey’s first kitchen job came at age 15, working the fry station at Red Lobster. But it was a gig at Kapalua Grill and Bar two years later that changed everything. “I walked in and saw those chefs in tall, chimney stack hats, checkerboard pants. It was a big upgrade from my hair net at Red Lobster,” Luckey said, laughing. “I was instantly hooked.”
Without formal culinary training, he learned by doing – apprenticing under chefs who taught him how to make everything from hollandaise to beurre blanc. He developed his skills through stints at Jameson’s Grill and Bar, The Plantation House and Kapalua Bay Club, and landed his first executive chef role at Pineapple Grill by age 28.
He spent the next 13 years with TS Restaurants, expanding his creative reach and building a deep network of local suppliers while helming the kitchen at Leilani’s on the Beach in Kāʻanapali. Many of those relationships, now more than two decades old, remain active – a testament to Luckey’s belief in the island’s interconnectedness.
These days, he pays it forward. He mentors young chefs, fosters kindness in the kitchen and supports up to 10 local vendors who, as he puts it, grow with “Maui sunshine and Maui rain.”
So, what does a chef who’s done everything from fine dining to gastropub fare enjoy cooking most?
Luckey grinned. “A salad,” he said. “In its naked form, treated with care and respect – that’s food in its rawest form, isn’t it?”
Here’s a list of all ʻApono winners.
