What better way to start your Independence Day holiday long weekend (and First Friday people watching) than to participate, observe or heckle at the 2nd Annual J.J. Dolan's Pizza Eating Contest? Friday July 2nd, 2010 at 5:15pm. (To sign up to be a contestant inquire with the bartender at J.J. Dolans or call 808-537-4992.) How many slices of pizza will the winner eat in 10 minutes? Be there to see it all go down. And possibly come back up.
Editor's Pick for Best Pizza - Honolulu MagazineThe past couple years have been good for pizza in Honolulu, with gourmet upstarts popping up seemingly everywhere. Our favorite (after extensive testing, of course) is the New York style pie served at J.J. Dolan’s. We love the crust, the sauce, the cheese. Oh, the cheese. Co-owner Jay Niebuhr has been making pizzas since 1994, and brings an old-school, East Coast sensibility to his craft—kind of. “I’m a classic cheese guy, Jersey Shore, but that hasn’t stopped me from putting Waialua asparagus and Maui sweet onions on there, some roasted red potato and garlic,” he says. One of our favorite touches at J.J.’s: You can buy the cheese or pepperoni pizza by the slice for just $3—perfect for a quick lunch or pau hana. Read Full Story
The Best Bars in Honolulu: Liquid Assets
J.J. Dolan’s opened like a pop-up book—a fully formed institution that sprang up seemingly overnight. But owners Jay Niebuhr and Danny Dolan have plenty of experience with bars in Honolulu, coming from Murphy’s and O’Toole’s, respectively. Their experience, combined with a friendly staff and “the best pizza in Ireland” meant the bar had “an instant group of regulars,” says Dolan, who says the recipe for success is simple: “We can guarantee a cold beer, great pizza and a good room with nice people.” Read Full Story
Pizza CrawlThe very best pie? Who knows, but here are our faves. Read Full Story
2009 ‘Ilima Award Winner - Critics' Picks
Sure, we go for the beer - it is an Irish pub, after all. But we keep going back for the warm, hospitable service and the thin-crust New York-style pizza. OK. We mostly go for the pizza, but the beer's good, too. Read Full Story
Dining of the DeadThough terrifying to contemplate, the ritual of the last meal of the condemned celebrates, in its macabre fashion, the dimension of food as joie de vivre. Read Full Story
Dining: Pizza for the ParticularIn a world where pizza can be almost anything from barbecued chicken to “Hawaiian” pineapple and ham, Italy is trying to establish by law the definition of “a traditional Italian pizza.” Read Full Story
The Pizza PlaceI'm the father of a finicky 6-year old and the husband of a very particular thirty-something-plus, so, over the past several years, I've been eating pizza like a college kid. I like to think of myself as a bit of an authority in the field. However, being a self-proclaimed pizza expert in Hawaii is kind of like being a surfing guru in Nebraska. Read Full Story
A New Slice of ChinatownIt’s 4:30 on a rainy Thursday afternoon at the soon-to-open J.J. Dolan’s Pizza Pub on Bethel Street, and co-owner Jay Niebuhr’s mother is on the floor. No, she hasn’t been tippling at the freshly installed beer taps. She and Jay’s father have flown in from New Jersey to assist with the opening. Read Full Story
JJ Dolan's Does Simple RightHANG around a bar long enough, and eventually you'll meet a regular or two who think they hold the secret to business success. Read Full Story
More ZaSo after lamenting about the lack of good New York style pizza in Honolulu, voolah, Jay, a good ole boy from Jersey throws his hat into the arena at JJ Dolans on Bethel in Chinatown. Now this ain’t no Ray’s, Joe’s or Fred’s (whoever he is), this is Jay’s and it is all about him, this guy loves his Za and if you evah meet him you’ll know what I mean. This is happy pizza! I had the cheese, my gauge for judgement, it’s very thin crust and a good balance of tomato sauce and cheese. I also tasted the buffalo wing za and it was oh so good especially with the ice cold pint of beer. Solid and delicious stuff, thanks Jay, you the man! Read Full Story