So is everything in Kauai outside of the hotels. That’s a good thing for the ohana, we recognized, imagining them all snuggled in at home while we spent our Thanksgiving driving in the pouring rain searching for a bit of gruel… I mean, a snack to take the edge off before the big dinner feast at Princeville‘s Hanalei Cafe. We had been driving for an hour, so it was a very sad disappointment and dreadful blow to my blood sugar, which was dropping to desperate levels suddenly, to find the much ballyhooed Kilauea Bakery closed.

When you want something so badly you can taste it, and are then denied, it only makes you crave it all the more. Inevitably, a day or two later we made the lunchtime trek back to Kilauea after a visit to the impressive lighthouse and coastline nearby, and prepared ourselves for the feast that should have been but wasn‘t.

In the Kong Lung Center, a courtyard of charming green wooden structures, sits this little gem, actually more famous for its baked goods than anything else. Here you find Hawaiian sourdough bread made with guava starter, Napali Brown Bread and whole grain Spelt. Word on the street is that people come from all over the island for the famous breadsticks and lavish, and my visit there bore witness to many patrons popping in for nothing more than that. How could they walk away from the danish, the lilikoi bars, carrot cake and cream puffs? Obviously not everyone can, as the selection was nearly depleted by our arrival at 1 p.m.

We didn’t mind. We were here for pizza. Typically two varieties are sold by the slice, but when we arrived only cheese was offered. No matter. We each ordered the individual sized made-to-order versions for $7.25-$10.50. My husband ordered the "Big Meat Combo" made from ham, pepperoni, Italian sausage, onion and cheese. I had the Pomodoro, which was ono (mouth-watering) fresh Hawaiian tomatoes and Kilauea goat cheese, artichokes and black olives. If they’d have thrown in a few fresh sprigs of basil, I might have declared this the most winning combination ever spread on flattened bread dough. As it was, it came close and the dough itself was heavenly.

Pau Hana Pizza also offers soups, salads and calzone, all made painstakingly fresh from scratch using local ingredients - the only way to serve up excellent fare anywhere, in my book. They also offer unique ingredient choices for their made-to-order famous ‘za’s, such as tofurella Cheese, Pau Hana Smoked game fish, Sugarloaf pineapple, smoked ono, and of course, the choice of whole wheat or regular sourdough crust. Additionally, a full service espresso bar, where the renown Big Train Chai is offered, is reason to stop in even if you aren‘t hungry.

But it would be a crying shame to forgo the delectable treats of Pau Hana. On second thought, I recommend arriving famished. Just hope that it's open!