The area around Kumeu and Huapai is traditionally known for the contribution of the Croatian community to winemaking, but there’s another great reason for food fans to make the 25-minute dash up the Western motorway; this time with an Italian accent.

The name Kevin Morris may not sound Italian, but go back two generations and his grandfather Dante was a master pizza maker. Looking at the way grandson Kevin has learnt the fine art of pizza making, it’s obviously a skill that’s embedded deeply in the family. And if your experience of what makes a good pizza are the over-processed and over-marketed offerings from the international chains, look forward to the best culinary re-education you’ll ever receive.

Pizza began as simple peasant fare in Naples, and Dante’s offerings are proudly true to the food’s humble southern Italian roots – so much so that Kevin is just one of around 300 chefs worldwide to have attained membership of the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana (VPN). After several trips to Italy to hone his skills and the installation of New Zealand only authentic wood-fired pizza oven, Kevin and wife Tanya are certified to offer pizzas with D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) status. That’s a guarantee of authenticity roughly akin to French champagne or German beer.

Most folk grab takeout from Dante’s warmly decorated space – it’s popular with mountain bikers coming back from Woodhill forest – but we decide to prop ourselves up at the slim bench and eat straight from the cardboard box. Following Tanya’s recommendation, we kick off with the Queen Margarita ($19), made simply with Italian crushed tomatoes, delicate buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil. It’s really a case of less is more, with the simple rustic flavours enhanced by a chewy sour dough base blistered and charred by the wood-fired oven. Apparently the oven temperature reaches 800º C and a pizza is cooked in just 90 seconds. The attention to detail is exemplary, and Kevin’s pizza base recipe actually changes with the changing humidity of the seasons.

I challenge any couple to head to Dante’s and just have one pizza. It’s simply not possible, so we’re impelled to order a second. The Portofino ($20) is another beauty, dotted with speck bacon, plump tiger prawns and parmesan cheese, and topped with peppery rocket leaves. Again, it’s not overwhelmed by too many toppings, and the prawns are beautifully tender after just 90 seconds of intense heat.

Short of buying a flight to Naples via Rome, this is as good as it gets for pizza lovers. The fact that you can stop off at the mighty Hallertau microbrewery on the way back to Auckland makes for a superb afternoon detour from Auckland.

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