Big Island Bloggers and Tweeters Pizzarama!

Yes Virginia, there is pizza in Hilo. Good Pizza! Not just pre-fab frozen cardboard tasting dough baked to specifications by corporate franchise standards... really good pizza with crust that takes three days to make and locally grown ingredients, home cured meats and if you want it, with free delivery!

Yesterday a group of Big Island Bloggers and Tweeters got together for a social event and a chance to meet in person. Damon Tucker had sent out the notice that Big Island Pizza would be hosting the event, so there was a two fold reason to go, I had been wanting to taste their pizza and learn more about the restaurant. And after nearly a year and several attempts, Damon and I had not had a chance to meet in person. He has a nice smile. He kept on his 'FBI" look all afternoon, wearing his hat and shades:

One new face for me was Ilka (sounds like a nice Swedish name to me!) the newest FBI Blogger who describes herself as 'Big Bald Brainy in a Bitchy Total Package'. She's all that and more!

We arrived to find our friend Tom Lackey (supreme cartoonist) walking through the parking lot.

Jon and Dalynnda from PunaOnline showed up shortly and then Kona Dave and his wife Jeannie from the Kona Forum joined us. Soon Big Island Pizza's patio was full of aloha and laughter.

It was fun meeting new people as well as putting faces on some of the bloggers we follow and people that we have engaged with online. Damon Tucker and I have been trying to get together for several months and we finally got to meet in person after nearly a year of interaction online.

Larry Czerwonka (seen below) spearheaded the event and we seem to be forming some sort of group now that will meet on a regular basis.

I had a chance to talk to the owner of Big Island Pizza, standing center here:

and learned a lot about how they opened the place as well as the care they take to make everything from scratch and grow their own basil and herbs. They even cure their own meats and salami!

The pizza was quite good (and I am pretty picky about pizza), I only got a shot of the first one we were served; pepperoni and cheese (and it was good), but more interesting ones came after that, with lots of fresh local ingredients. The salad (above) was delicious, fresh and crispy with pear tomatoes (one of my favorites!). You can expect to see a full blown blog dedicated to this establishment soon.

Of course, I brought along WesIsland:

If you are a Big Island Blogger, Twitterer or Social Networking participant, send me an

e-mail and i will get you on our list.

some people cannot stop twittering! Oh well, it is the future!