At JP’s Pizza on Kaua‘i, an 18-Year-Old Pizzaiolo With a Passion for Craft

Photo: James Nakamura

Out in Kaumakani, a dusty little town on Kaua‘i’s western coast whose only businesses are the post office, a helicopter tour company and a bakery, lights are on in a small takeout window. JP’s Pizza opened at the end of last year with little fanfare and has gained a strong and steady following. Its biggest surprise is the chef—an 18-year-old who’s never left the island.

Xavier Machado has been making pizzas since the eighth grade. That was when an afternoon of cafeteria lunch duty on pizza day turned into a calling. Something about the craft of it resonated—rolling the dough, slathering it with marinara and sprinkling it with cheese—so he scoured the web and came across a video of Domenico “Dom” DeMarco, of the famous Di Fara Pizza in Brooklyn. Machado fell in love with the Brooklyn pie.

Chad, left, and Xavier Machado. Photo: James Nakamura

“Early on, he was making pizza in the garage. Broke-the-mouth kind,” Chad Machado says. Xavier’s dad is the other part of this father-and-son business. The former owner of the now-closed Iron Hut Gym in Port Allen offers a pair of aluminum folding chairs to sit on while I wait for my pizza.

By “broke the mouth,” Machado doesn’t mean delicious. “He was just starting back then, so the crust would come out so hard would broke the mouth! And we’d just say, oh, it’s good. But he was still learning. And he was making pizza for all friends and family.”

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Now, Machado says, “It’s my son’s time. Time for me to get out of the way.”

Word spread. After seeing Xavier’s dedication, the owner of another pizzeria gifted him a pizza oven. JP’s Pizza found its place in the spot that was once Rebecca’s Filipino Restaurant, bought an antique sign on eBay that said “pizza,” passed its certifications and opened up shop. Expats from New York City began coming weekly. Father and son worked up to an average of 60 pizzas a day. Visiting pizza chefs from the Big Apple told them, “You’ve got it. Don’t change the recipe.”

Half Supreme, half White Pie. Photo: James Nakamura

The menu at JP’s Pizza lists eight pies—basics like cheese ($20), pepperoni and Italian sausage, a meat lover’s pie ($30) and a white pie with two cheeses and basil sauce ($25)—and massive calzones ($20 to $30). Like all the pizzas, Da Supreme ($30) comes in one size. No medium, no small, no slices and every pie made to order. It’s 14 to 16 inches in diameter, topped with a sauce made from whole Di Napoli San Marzano-style plum tomatoes, hand-milled with Hawaiian sea salt and a mix of herbs and spices. The mozzarella is imported from Italy, Machado says, and much of the produce is locally sourced. It’s loaded with lean pepperoni, Italian sausage, mushrooms, olives and bell peppers. The aromatics and olive oil drizzled on as a finishing touch are vibrant, and the hearty crust cradles the generous toppings.

Xavier, soft-spoken, talks about getting the freshest ingredients and importing the highest-quality products he can. He has a disdain for perfectly round pizzas and prefers to shred cheese and scrub every mushroom by hand. Does he toss and spin his dough? “I can,” he says, “but no.” Perhaps he’s staying true to DeMarco, who passed away last year before the Machados had a chance to try his pizza and meet the legendary pizzaiolo. DeMarco dismissed the pizza toss as unnecessary showmanship, preferring instead to focus on craft. “It’s not just a pizza,” Xavier says. “It’s more than that. It’s everything else you put into it. All the time and care.”

As for who actually runs JP’s Pizza, “I can see him trying to figure out how to tell me what to do since he runs the kitchen. Is he the boss? Am I the boss?” Chad Machado says. “I say to him, tell me what to do, but I’m your faddah. In the kitchen. Outside the kitchen. Anywhere. Today, tomorrow, right this minute. I’m your faddah!”

Photo: James Nakamura

All this in Kaumakani, by an empty parking lot and a dirt road leading to old plantation-style homes and a nature preserve. This makes 60 pies a day and all the accolades even more impressive. It may be Kaumakani, but if it’s JP’s Pizza, it’s best to call ahead.

Open Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from 1 to 8 p.m., 1-2500 Kaumuali‘i Hwy, (808) 755-8111, @jpspizzakauai