Pizza with an ‘80's twist

OERNE – There’s a new pizza place coming to town, and it’s tossing in a bit of nostalgic spice to the recipe.

Micheal Hawes and his wife, Denise, are mixing 1980s nostalgia and brickoven pizza with their new eatery: Darkside Brick Oven Pizza Co. in town.

Hawes’ restaurant will showcase memorabilia from the ‘80s cinematic landscape: “Star Wars,” “Jaws” and “Back to the Future” to name a few fan -favorites.

The figures set for display at the pizzeria are “small pieces” from Hawes’ personal collection.

Since the age of seven, Hawes, 53, has collected replicas, props and other items from his favorite childhood films. He even commissioned and built some of the memorabilia himself.

Hawes said his collection grew so large that fellow fanatics of the block- busters have traveled from far and wide, trekking from around the country and internationally to view his set of treasures.

The collectibles and ‘80s restaurant theme won’t be the only attraction to patrons, said Hawes. He cares about the quality and taste of the food as well.

To Hawes, quality means getting a custom-made, wood-fired, brick-oven pizza for his nostalgic restaurant and traveling around the country taste testing ingredients.

“I care very much for the food quality and the recipes,” Hawe said. “We’re traveling all over the country taste testing and looking for the best cheeses, meats and vegetables.”

Hawes said he was flying to Arizona to taste Pizzeria Bianco’s pies.

In 2004, Vogue called Pizzeria Bianco “the best pizza in the world,” and the restaurant has since been awarded similar praise by other food critics and publications like USA Today and The New York Times.

Currently, the Darkside Brick Oven Pizza Co. is still under construction, and Hawes said the question of opening was a $1 million one, but he hopes that it will be open by the fall.

Hawes said he wants to open the restaurant to bring something positive to the community and provide a place that families and longtime fans could visit, have fun and preserve some sense of childhood.

“I’m just a kid at heart,” Hawes said.

” I care very much for the food quality and the recipes,” Hawe said. “We’re traveling all over the country taste testing and looking for the best cheeses, meats and vegetables.”

- Michael Hawes