About
Pizza History...
Pizza’s origin is of much debate. Some claim that the Romans created the earliest version of what we know as pizza today. Some claim that the Greeks invented pizza & brought their new creation to Italy. Whomever may be right, there is no denying that the birthplace of the most commonly known version of pizza in the United States & around the world was Naples, Italy, where tomato & cheese found their way onto the flatbread that had previously been dressed with simple herbs, olive oil & salt.
In the 19th century, Italian immigrants brought their pizza recipes to the United States. The earliest pizzeria was founded in New York by Gennaro Lombardi in 1905. Lombardi brought the pizzaiolo (Italian Pizza Chef) craft and standards created in Italy. Pizzaiolo are craftsmen whom dedicated their life to the perfection of pizza. Over the years many of the old school pizzaiolos in New York and beyond retired and /or sold their pizza shops. With their departure, the craft of the pizzaiolo was fading., being replaced by chain pizzerias and minimum wage pizza assembly lines.
Our Mission is Our Passion...
Our mission is to keep the craft of the pizzaiolo alive. We adhere to the principles of any great pizzaiolo whom laid the ground work before us; to never take shortcuts and to make the pizza the way that it is supposed to be made, and to produce the same type of pizza and flavors that you would get in Naples. To educate the non-foodies of the world and support local farmers whenever possible.
The Pizzaiolo Chef...
Alejandro “Aker” Briceno: Though born in the United States, Alejandro hails from Venezuela. After attending culinary school at Casserole du Chef in his native Caracas, Alejandro traveled to Spain for more formal education. Upon graduation, he completed numerous stages in Spain including artisian chocolate making with Chef Pascal Cherance in Barcelona. With a love of epicurean affair, he traveled to the north of Italy and lived indigenously while self educating himself before returning to Venezuela. Upon arrival in his home town, Alejandro worked as a pastry assistant at the Intercontinental hotel and as a pastry chef at Le Gourmet Restaurant. After Le Gourmet he traveled to Miami and was pastry chef for two restaurants; Afterglo and Tantra. At Afterglo his unique approach to dessert helped earn the restaurant a four star rating from the Miami Herald and generated rave reviews from other local press about his approach to desserts. Alejandro’s next travel landed him into Las Vegas where he became the pastry chef for Nobu Las Vegas. He played a crucial position in earning the restaurant a Michelin Star. Alejandro then moved on to Hawaii as pastry chef for Nobu Waikiki and was a crucial role in earning the restaurant Hale Aina and Ilima awards.
Today Alejandro has stepped out of the corporate cuisine role and is following his culinary passion to be on his own. We are very lucky and blessed to have such a talented chef on our team. The V-Lounge is a stepping stone in Chef Alejandro’s pursuit for the perfect pizza. We look forward to the future of our pizzeria plans.
The Dough...
Our dough is made from only four simple ingredients; 00 Caputo flour from Italy, water, salt & yeast. The dough is mixed completely by hand. The process of fermenting the dough takes about 18 hours at room temperature, with a minimum amount of yeast. This slow fermentation will produce acidity in the final dough, which gives the product a creamy flavor and also gives the crust a complexity in the texture, ranging from crackly & flakey to soft & chewy. Our dough is made daily & is never frozen. Dough is hand stretched, never rolled. If we run out of dough, that means the kitchen is closed for the night!
The Sauce...
The San Marzano tomato is Italy's most famous plum tomato, grown in Campania, the home of pizza -- since the middle ages. The tomato is prized for its tart flavor, firm pulp, red color, low seed-count, and easily removed skin.
These great tomatoes are the perfect start to the perfect pizza sauce. The simplicity of the sauce is what gives you its pure flavors. Many typical pizza establishments use overpowering sauces which overwhelms the other attributes of the pizza. In turn you lose the distinct flavors from the cheeses, the dough, and other toppings which makes a pizza, a pizza.
The Toppings...
Whenever possible we are committed to buying from our local farmers. From the Hamakua mushrooms to the baby arugula grown in Waiahole we strive to one day buy 100% local. Fresh handmade mozzarella cheese is crafted by our award winning chef. Buffala mozzarella, white anchovies, and cured meats such as Prosciutto, Pancetta, Sopressatta, are imported from Italy.