Locals may dart in and out for wood-fired pizzas to go, but there’s something to be said for enjoying the capable service and cozy yet uncluttered atmosphere of the original Café Pesto, which opened in 1988, 4 years before the Hilo branch . More local produce and proteins appear on the menu now, but otherwise the pizzas, meal-size salads, hearty pastas, and “creative island cuisine” (such as zesty wok-fired shrimp and scallops in a red coconut curry) continue to impress year after year. The playful children’s menu ($8) also brims with healthful but enticing choices, including pasta and kalua turkey over rice.