Although Canio’s Pizza — specializing in New York-style pizza slices in Waikīkī — opened quietly last month, business owner Kip Praissman is no stranger to making pizza. Praissman also owns Floralia, which offers wood-fired Neapolitan-style plant-based pizzas, located on Kona Street.
“I’ve been making pizza professionally for more than 10 years now; I think it’s a great concept to have here in Waikīkī,” Praissman says. “This is real New York-style pizza by the slice.”
Canio’s Pizza is named after Praissman’s grandfather. While he doesn’t visit New York as often anymore, Praissman says this business is his way of “bringing a piece of New York to Hawaiʻi.”
“It’s speaking to my roots; my grandfather was Italian-born and immigrated to Brooklyn in the 1900s,” Praissman says. “Of course, New York pizza came from those Italian immigrants. I thought the name would be fitting.”
Pizzas are available by the slice — choose from cheese ($6), pepperoni ($7), sausage and onion ($8) or white pizza ($8) — but customers can order whole pizzas as well. Eight slices come in a full pizza, which is 20 inches, according to Praissman.
“It’s all about balance,” says Praissman, when asked about creating the perfect slice of pizza. “It’s the right amount of crispiness, the right amount of chew, the dough, and the right fermentation. The amounts are important to me; the balance of cheese to sauce.”
He says making the dough is a two-to-three-day process.
“New York style pizza is a large pizza, usually served by the slice,” Praissman explains. “You pick it up and you eat it with your hands. It should be kind of crispy, but still have a little bit of a chew to it. You’re in and out of shops in five minutes; it’s designed to be street food.”
Pepperoni has been the most popular flavor, but Praissman encourages customers to check out the business’s weekly specials. The business recently features a pineapple, jalapeno and sausage pizza as a special.
“I really like the sausage and onion, and I happen to like the pineapple; it’s great,” he says. “We use Ezzo Company pepperoni, which I think is the best in the business. The pepperoni all cup, but some char a little more aggressively on the rim, and the other ones just crisp up. I mix the cupped and crisped together, so you get a combination.
“We never go light on the pepperoni,” he adds.
The white pie includes garlic and ricotta. Vegan-friendly pizza slices are also available.
When pizzas come out of the oven, Praissman usually sprinkles Piave Oro del Tempo, or an Italian mountain cheese, on top.
“Most people haven’t heard of piave; it’s really delicious,” he days. “Piave’s got a little nuttiness and a little sweetness to it.”
The business is currently open until 10 or 11 p.m., depending on the day.
“We’ve been getting busier later in the day,” Praissman says. “There’s certainly a lot of people drinking late (around here); pizza goes well after drinking.”
CONTACT
Canio’s Pizza
2556 Lemon Road, Honolulu
Instagram: @caniospizza
Open 3 to 10 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays, 3 to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays
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Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
