A Condemned Building, Berkshire Pork, and the Perfect Bolognese in Hilo
“They were gonna bulldoze it down until a local contractor called a buddy of his and said, ‘Hey, you move your restaurant down here and we’ll save this building.'” That’s the origin story of Cafe Pesto in Hilo, Hawaii—a restaurant born from friendship and a commitment to preserving local history.
Owner David Palmer started Cafe Pesto on the South Kohala coast back in 1988. When a friend offered to remodel a condemned historic building if David would relocate, the deal was struck. Now the restaurant stands as a mainstay of Hilo, its classic historic look housing what Palmer describes as “comfort foods with a little bit of a twist” featuring local ingredients.
The Berkshire Pork and Beef Bolognese
The star of this segment is Cafe Pesto’s Berkshire Pork and Beef Bolognese—a dish that starts with some seriously pampered pigs. A local farmer raises the Berkshire pork specifically for the restaurant, feeding the pasture-raised animals macadamia nuts, papayas, and bananas. As Guy put it simply: “Good pig.”
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For locals in Hilo’s wet, rainy climate, this dish hits the spot. “It’s nice to come into this cozy atmosphere and have a warm pasta,” one diner explained. Unlike something like a Salt Cod Sandwich you might find at a coastal joint, this bolognese is pure comfort food designed for cooler Hawaiian evenings.
How They Build This Dish
The process starts with house-made Italian sausage: grass-fed Berkshire pork combined with dried onions, minced garlic, fennel, salt, and pepper. The sausage goes into a wood-fired oven with kiavi wood for about 40 minutes.
While that cooks, the team prepares their house marinara: blended oil, diced onions, celery, and grated carrot create a mirepoix base. Then comes minced garlic, fennel, paprika, oregano, pepper, salt, a dash of sugar, white wine for deglazing, six-in-one tomatoes, fresh blanched and peeled tomatoes, and house veggie stock—all simmered for half an hour.
The basil pesto features fresh basil grown by the prep cook, combined with garlic, parmesan and romano cheese, salt, pepper, and olive oil.
For the final assembly: ground beef gets browned with salt and pepper, then combined with the Italian sausage, a touch of flour, shallots, garlic, red wine, demi-glace, and house marinara. That simmers for five minutes while linguini gets tossed separately with basil pesto. The meat sauce is laid over top, finished with fresh basil, tomato, goat cheese, and parmesan.
Two Distinct Flavors in One Dish
Guy identified what makes this bolognese special: “It’s a very simple dish but the key to it is you’ve got two really distinct flavors.” The meat sauce sits on the outside, letting you grab it when you want that “nice big rustic sauce.” He praised the fennel in the pork, then noted the contrast with the herbaceous pesto underneath.
“One of my favorite things about the dish is the goat parmesan and the basil from your prep girl,” Guy added. His final verdict? “The meat is very clean… it’s the perfect dish.” High praise considering Guy’s tried everything from Double-Fried French Fries to Dynamite VEGAN Loaded Shawarma Fries.
Tips From the Cafe Pesto Kitchen
Layer your flavors separately: Keep the pesto-dressed pasta and meat sauce distinct so diners can control each bite.
Use kiavi wood: The wood-fired oven with local kiavi wood gives the Italian sausage its character.
Source matters: Berkshire pork fed macadamia nuts, papayas, and bananas produces noticeably cleaner-tasting meat.
Find Cafe Pesto and other Triple D spots in our restaurant directory.