The pizza restaurant known as Kaneohe’s Boston Pizza since at least 2006 is undergoing a re-branding by its longtime owners.
Fear not, though, because the thin, thick, deep and wood-fired crusts under the restaurant’s luscious toppings aren’t changing.
Owners Alastair and Brittany Hannmann, the same couple who have been running the joint and adding innovation to the menu and ovens to the interior, are renaming the business Pacifico Pizza Napoletana. Updated exterior signage is pending, and plans for an exterior mural facing Windward Mall are awaiting approval from Kamehameha Schools.
A new bold and colorful wrap already emblazons the van that hauls the mobile, wood-fired oven to Kakaako each week for the Saturday morning farmers market. A social media presence under the new name already is up and running, and will replace feeds under the old name, Alastair said.
PACIFICO PIZZA NAPOLETANA
46-028 Kawa St.,
Kaneohe
Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily
Phone: 235-7756
Info: pacificopizza napoletana.com
Prices: $1 to $40
Parking: Lot, street
BYOB: No corkage fee
Due to a passion for pizza and the Hannmanns’ dogged study of flours, recipes, dough-making techniques and sourcing of origin-certified Italian products for their different styles of pizza, the restaurant has made more than Boston-style, aka New York-style pizzas, for years.
“Everybody’s a foodie now,” Alastair observed, so people were not shy about saying the “Boston” moniker was limiting customer perceptions.
He speaks highly of the early incarnations of Inferno and V-Lounge, which years ago taught people the virtues of “pizza that looks burned,” he laughed, given a 90-second turn in a 900-degree wood-burning oven.
About the business: Alastair and Brittany met while employed by Boston’s North End Pizza’s founders in Hawaii Kai and Kaimuki, and opened the Kaneohe location for their bosses, getting married along the way. They set out on their own in 2006 and, to help expand their customer base, opened a space in the food court at the adjacent Windward Mall. Racks of freshly baked pizza could regularly be seen being wheeled between the restaurant and the mall, with empties coming back in short order.
Response exceeded expectations, Alastair said, giving the original restaurant a real spot on the map and giving Windward pizza fans choices beyond the dominant national chains. The couple no longer needed the space at Windward Mall.
Alastair’s personality and voice are as big and commanding as Brittany’s eyes and smile are bright and warm. Both share a laser-focus on stepping up their game and improving and growing their business.
How to order: Mull the options in the pizza cases, keeping in mind that slices are customizable. If the spinach, garlic and mushroom is sold out, ask for ’shrooms on a slice of “spino and garlic,” or add meat or, gasp, anchovies. The slice will be whisked from the case to the oven, and once heated through, your name will be called, so you can eat and beat feet. If you’re taking it out, it will be packaged accordingly.
What to order: How hungry are you? A thick slice of Chicago deep-dish or Sicilian pan pizza, while cut from 12- and 16-inch pies, respectively, could be more filling than a slice of a 12-inch Pizza Napoletana or possibly even a 20-inch traditional New York-style pizza, depending on the toppings. Some of those toppings are not common to pizza chains, as Hannmann sources DOP (Protected Destination of Origin) ingredients from Italy, including Parmigiano Reggiano and bufala mozzarella, not to be confused with the cow’s-milk fresh mozzarella or shredded cheese that are also available.
The restaurant offers 17 vegetarian choices and three pies flagged as spicy. The recipe for each crust style is different and requires a different fermentation duration, which is reflected in flavor and texture.
Grab and go: Each slice is one-fourth of a pizza, and prices range from $6 to $8. Whole pizzas are $16 to $40 on the set menu, depending on style and ingredients. Pacifico Pizzeria Napoletana also offers calzones ($9 to $11), cheesy bread ($9 for small, $20 for large), oven-baked chicken wings ($11 for 12, $20 for 24 or 36 for $30) and small and large salads ($6 to $15).
If you save room, consider a S’mores pizza for dessert. Toppings include Nutella, graham cracker crumbles and marshmallows that are blasted in the wood-fired oven, for $15.