Itʻs said the problem with eating Italian food is five or six days later youʻre hungry again. Al Vicolo, the new Italian restaurant in Kawaihae Harbor, lives up to this declaration, serving up delicious dishes brimming with the authentic tastes of Italy. Al Vicoloʻs owner, Davide Semenza, arrived in Florida from Italy two years ago with his family. A fine jewelry maker and designer, he always dreamed of opening up his own Italian restaurant and was just waiting for the right time and opportunity to make his dream come true.

Then one day last January, Semenza received a call from his friend on Hawaiʻi Island who presented him with the opportunity he was waiting for. “We came to Hawai‘i for a two-week vacation and found everything we needed—a house to rent and a space for the restaurant,” said Semeza. “So we went back to Florida and packed everything in a big container and we moved here. We arrived on March 11. We opened the restaurant and I chose to call it ‘Al Vicolo,’ because the street I grew up on was called Vicolo del Serpenti. I did this all to remember my dad.”