Cafe Pesto - Italian/Pizza, Hawaii

Best: Pizza

61-3665 Hwy 270
Kawaihae, Big Island, HI 96743
(808) 882-1071
Parking: in parking lot
Hours: Sun-Thurs 11am - 9pm, Fri-Sat 11am - 10pm
http://cafepesto.com/

Last Visited: October 2012

Food: 4 to 5 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 4 to 5 stars
Price: $$

Located in the Kawaihae Shopping center by the harbor on the South Kohala Coast (as well as at a locaiton in Hilo Bay), Cafe Pesto is an amazing find for great Italian food.  If you talk to the locals, a good Italian restaurant is hard to find and buying premade pizza dough is also a struggle.  At this location, it's a little easy to miss if you drive by the area too fast, but if you make an effort to find it, Cafe Pesto is a delight for its great food and outstanding service. 

There are a variety of items on the menu including calzones, pizzas, pastas, soups, salads, and more.  You'll find classic Italian dishes,  Asian fusion dishes such as Thai Curry Shrimp, Seared Poke with Spinach, and what I would typically describe as Californian such as crab quesadillas. 

We arrived just when Cafe Pesto opened for lunch and were promptly seated in their dining area.  Black and white checkered floors, wood tables, and light yellow walls covered with local artists' works filled the restaurant.  Each table also had a fresh rose on the table - what a nice touch.

A lot of locals frequent the restaurant and I watched how the servers were super friendly with the elderly regulars whom were dining near us. The server of that table even gave the elderly women at the table a fresh flower for their hair - so sweet.

Nohea was our server and she was excellent. She memorized our order and since the pizza took more than 15 minutes to arrive, she brought us a few pieces of warm bread, probably the pizza crust, with herb butter which was a delicious combination. 

Wood fired, hand tossed pizzas are available in 9 inch and 12 inch diameters.  These are definitely some of the best pizzas that I've had in a while.  The dough is lightly brown and crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.  While the dough is a little soft in the center, it still holds up fine to the toppings.

- Pepperoni Classico - Italian sausage, dry salami, pepperoni and red onion - The toppings were super fresh with the red onion shaved super thin and sweet.  The sweetness paired well with the salty meat.  Everything tasted super fresh and the fresh grated parmesan accented the pizza.  $12.95 -  9 inches

- Pizza Luau - Kalua-style pork, local sweet onions and fresh Hawaiian pineapple - This is like pulled pork, super succulent in flavor and textures.  The onions were also shaved thin and were sweet and this is probably the first time that I've had fresh pineapple on a pizza and it was wonderful.  It would be hard to go back to canned pineapple which seems to be the only thing you can find on the mainland. If you like pineapple on pizza, you have to try this.  $11.95 - 9 inches

The pizzas were delicious and so delicately balanced in flavor.  The sauce paired well withthe toppings and each bite bursts with flavor.  Wonderful.  The service was also exceptional - I don't think I've had a server this good in a restaurant with this pricing level for some time.  She had great timing for coming to check on us and provided amazing service.  I also appreciated the paper comment card that accompanied the check.  Cafe Pesto strives to give you the best food and service and they do a terrific job.  Their Hilo location also has a great reputation.  Must try.