Pizza on the Rise
Pizza is written in obsolete vernacular; it’s bread, sauce and cheese,” asserts James Orlando, one of several pizzaiolo currently redefining Hawai‘i’s pizza milieu.
Fatto a Mano (Neo-Neapolitan-style)
Orlando is a self-proclaimed pizza sociopath, but rather than sneer at infractions as smoked bacon and avocado on cauliflower crust, he embraces them all. “Pizza has many weird twists that are not the origin of pizza, and that excites me,” he says.
The pizze prepared at his farmers market stalls may be best chronicled as neo-Neapolitan. He is devoted to tradition, incorporating Caputo Chef’s Flour Tipo “00,” San Marzano tomatoes, hand-pulled mozzarella and a wood-fired oven in his process. His hipster inclinations manifest in the use of local tap water, as well as an all-natural leavened sourdough crust. The result is a crust that exhibits tender and chewy, mochi-like tendencies but yet dons a leopard-spotted cornicione when baked at temperatures lower than the traditional Neapolitan.
The sauce composed of San Marzano tomatoes and sea salt may be traditional, but his toppings are unorthodox, with ingredients such as kale, local Portuguese sausage and house-made cashew ricotta.
Little G’s by Garibaldi’s (New York-style)
Little G Cafe by Garibaldi’s, located at 808Sheridan, pays tribute to owner Jared Brown’s aunt and uncle, Frances and Carmine Garibaldi and the pizza of his youth in New York. “In Hawai‘i, there’s no pressure to do standard fare. It’s okay to try something new too.”
Three types of flour define his crust— whole wheat, white wheat and some toasted flour to impart a subtle nuttiness. Cold fermenting the dough for 48 hours, Brown seeks to establish a “no flop” crust that fractures beautifully down the middle of the cornicione when a slice is folded lengthwise.
Among the various sauces, two are tomato-based—one constructed with San Marzano plum tomatoes and salt, and another prepared by adding crushed tomatoes and garlic to a pot of reduced beef bones and onions deglazed with red wine.
There is also a white cream sauce that serves as the substratum for his aromatic clam and garlic pizza.
Topping combinations range from cacio e pepe tocapocollo with peperoncini, basil and red onion.
‘ili ‘ili Cash & Carry (New Haven-style)
Those who fondly remember the Neapolitan pizze dispensed from V Lounge nightclub may be thrilled by Alejandro “Aker” Briceno’s return at ‘ili ‘ili Cash & Carry at 2065 S. Beretania St.
Briceno takes his inspirations from apizza, the thin-crusted New Haven approach to Neapolitan pizza. “I want my dough to be properly fermented and hydrated, and I want my crust to be edible; it is pretty much 50 percent of what pizza should be.”
While most toppings adhere to convention, the combinations are aroused by Aker’s personal interests. For example, RIP City is an ode to Apizza Scholls in Portland spotlighting homemade Italian sausage using Pono Pork and Mama Lee’s pickled peppers from Oregon. Then there is Off White, a play on sneaker culture that features mozzarella and ricotta with roasted garlic and caramelized onions.
Brick Fire Tavern (certified Neapolitan)
After uprooting from his Hotel Street location and settling into the Kaimukī neighborhood at 3447 Wai‘alae Ave., Matthew Resich continues to operate O‘ahu’s first and only restaurant to be awarded the Vera Pizza Napoletana certification. Resich adheres to all criteria, which encompass specific flour, yeast, ph levels and more. Cooked in just 90 seconds in a wood-fire brick oven designed and built by third-generation oven builder Stefano Ferrara, the crust possesses a crisp, light and wispy texture.
Brick Fire Tavern also incorporates local ingredients and sensibilities whenever possible. House-made fresh pulled mozzarella di bufala is found on every pizza, from the Margherita with Pecorino Romano, basil and EVOO; to the Hot Sausage Pie featuring Pono Pork sausage, red onion, Kalamata olives and Calabrian chili over a spicy Besciamella.
Pizza Mamo
(Detroit and Brooklyn-styles) Inheriting the Downtown space left vacant by Brick Fire Tavern (16 N. Hotel St.) is Pizza Mamo, Resich’s other pizzeria, but one that represents a partnership with neighbors Danny Kaaialii and Jonny Vasquez, owners of Encore Saloon and The Daley.
Pizza Mamo introduces two styles of pizza—Detroit and Brooklyn. The Detroit variant is a double risen pizza baked in rectangular 9” x 7” blue steel trays resembling those used in automobile factories. Tomato and local herb pesto sauces are drizzled over the cheese. The 16-inch Brooklyn boasts a thin, airy crust that compels diners to corrugate each slice weeping with freshly pulled mozzarella, melted Wisconsin brick cheddar and a sauce of Napa Valley tomatoes and olive oil seasoned with salt.
“Everything at Pizza Mamo is premium,” emphasizes Resich.
Orlando, Brown, Briceno and Resich may all have disparate directions on how they are taking the Italian invention, but they are all welcomed augmentations that will continue to keep me pie-eyed as I sit awaiting their next flatbread creation.