MAUI - “Ideas are like pizza dough, made to be tossed around.” – Anna Quindlen

What makes a great meal great? Is it a big name chef in the kitchen, a super sheik décor, or a four figure price tag? Does one really need a degree in molecular gastronomy to provide a memorable dining experience? Jay and John Meehan from the Flatbread Company don’t think so. Since opening their first location in 1998 they have been turning out some of the best and most unique pizzas using only local organic ingredients and wood-fire ovens that hearken back to the very infancy of culinary time. Flatbread’s dedication to culinary tradition and organic ingredients as well as their view that “food is sacred” yields an end product that is simple and simply delicious.

Flatbread opened their first location in Amesbury Massachusetts in 1998. From the beginning they chose to do things a little differently, forgoing current industry trends for a more traditional approach to the art of pizza making. Instead of the standard gas powered steel pizza oven, Flatbread opted for a slightly more primitive wood-fire clay oven. Using only local wood to heat a large clay and stone kiln to temperatures in excess of 800 degrees, the wood-fire oven offers a superior environment for baking but takes a skilled hand and constant attention to operate successfully. Though not as cost effective as modern ovens, the taste and texture of a wood fired pizza is sublime and something that can’t be duplicated in a gas powered equivalent. This cooking method has all but disappeared in the modern culinary world but Flatbread chooses to keep tradition alive believing that new does not always equal better. The ideas of “tradition” and “food being sacred” are the cornerstones of Flatbread’s philosophy and concepts that have fallen by the wayside in many other establishments, overshadowed by profit margins and the concerns of millions of anonymous share holders.

The oven is not the only nod to the traditional. Flatbread prides itself on being an ardent supporter of local farmers and producers supporting organic produce and livestock producers all over the country. Almost everything from pepperoni to the salad greens to the wheat for the hand ground flour is procured from organic farms near each of the 10 restaurant locations, and all producers are give due mention on the bill of fare. Cheeses are obtained from local dairies as well and when combined with the other top notch toppings and hand tossed crust the flavor of the finished product is everything a true artisanal product should be. A full bar and great microbrew beer selection also awaits those in need of a tasty libation as well as a half dozen dessert selections featuring local fruits and ice cream as well.

Flatbread Company in Pa’ia has traded the new for the traditional and in doing so has produced a pizza that is unique and, as far as this Chicago boy is concerned, unmatched in the pizza world. The use of only the freshest local ingredients along with the hand tossed crust and traditional wood-fire baking method set Flatbread apart and may cause you to question what you know about the humble pizza pie. Flatbread is open daily from 11:30am to 10:00pm but you may want to take advantage of their call ahead seating during the lunch and dinner rushes. The staff at Flatbread are all very friendly and extremely knowledgeable when it comes to the sometimes confusing world of organic eats. Our server Daniel was more than accommodating to my friends and I, taking time to answer all of my many questions and making a few suggestions that greatly enhanced our dining experience. All in all you will be hard pressed to find a meal made with more care or better ingredients than the one from the oven at Flatbread Company in Pa’ia. So before you set off for your Hana adventure stop in and checkout Flatbread for some mouth watering organic pizza with a little bit of wood-fire flavor.