Dining

In the Spotlight

Frank Mento
Pizza Corner

Ruling the roost at Pizza Corner is New York native Frank Mento, whose Italian heritage is honored authentically at Oahu’s top pizza restaurant. If you’re staying in Ko Olina or visiting the west side during lunch or dinner hours, you just gotta go!
“I was born in Syracuse,” says Frank. “My family moved to Hawaii when I was an infant, then we returned to New York when I was five. It was a pretty solid Italian neighborhood, and growing up in the ‘50s and ‘60s centered around sports, usually pick-up games in the park with kids from the neighborhood.
“I guess I still had some Hawaii in me, because I returned here in 1970, enrolling at the University of Hawaii. I graduated with a degree in hotel and restaurant management with a true passion for restaurants. Hawaii has been my home ever since.
“We serve a “from scratch” pizza the old-school way, where we make our own dough and source the same tomatoes and mozzarella used by New York pizzerias. Our chef, Jerome La Sorba, is an absolute master. We’re probably known best for our unique poke pizza, but I’m proud of every menu item. Our crew is top-notch, too… they understand hospitality and aloha.”
As popular as Pizza Corner is, spare time is scarce these days, and Frank likes to kick back with a good book when he has some. As visitor “must-dos” he lists hiking to Manoa Falls, checking out turtles on the North Shore, and some of our best ocean activities — surfing, catamaran sailing, and a sunset cruise.