The motto at the new Porto is "pizza with a purpose," as all of its profits go to Pacific Whale Foundation's research, education and conservation efforts.
Located at Ma'alaea Harbor Shops, the new eatery is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. daily for lunch. Dinner service begins Friday. Pizza lovers will find artisan, flamed-fired creations from the pollo al pesto to the formaggio.
"Everything is homemade," says Chef Megan Kilgore. "We use organic, sustainable and local ingredients whenever possible. The pepperoni is nitrate and hormone free. The DOC Margherita Pizza is made with authentic San Marzano tomatoes and served hot, on paddles, to your table. We also have paninis, salads and soups."
Article Photos
Chef Megan Kilgore, formerly with the Nike World Headquarters, protects our oceans through advocacy — one flame-fired pizza at a time.
PACIFIC WHALE FOUNDATION photo
Porto fronts the commercial kitchen for PWF, which, like Maui Ocean Center, (story above), attracts more than 300,000 people per year on boat cruises. Kilgore is the chef for it all, insisting on high quality. For instance, she makes cage-free chicken sausage from Koga Farms, makes dough from flour milled on Oahu, and uses Kula strawberries in shortcake and Maui Oma Coffee in tiramisu.
"We're getting a lot of positive feedback. We switched to washable plates and silverware on our dinner cruises. We do our own laundry and make our own ice here at the mall. All of it reduces our carbon footprint."
PWF also has a retail store and ticket office at the mall, and it just opened Maui Country Store with island jams, pickled items and other quality foods to front its other various facilities, maintaining the mall's retail look.
CEO Greg Kaufmann says he traveled to the World Pizza Championships in Las Vegas to get ideas and do it right. "Ola. We strive to live in balance, to connect the land and the sea. Now we have complete control -from farm to boat," says the chef.
For more details about Porto, call 856-8337.
