‘Thank you, thank you, Jesus!’: Rejoice, Boise. This long-awaited pizzeria just opened.

When word hit the street that Casanova Pizzeria was about to reopen after a six-year absence, Boise responded with unbridled joy on the restaurant’s Facebook page.

“Omg!!!” wrote one commenter.

“I drive by every morning waiting and watching,” admitted another.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, Jesus!” gushed another. “This New Haven girl is looking very much forward to New Haven pizza!”

The wait has ended. Casanova Pizzeria recently opened at 2431 W. Fairview Ave., ending a years-long quest. The restaurant is only serving takeout for now, but full service is expected to launch within days.

For a decade, Casanova was a neighborhood institution on the Boise Bench. Pizzaiolo Dan Guild grew up in Connecticut, and he made the kind of pies he loved devouring as a teenager.

But after the restaurant lost its lease at 1204 S. Vista Ave., Guild was forced to close in 2015. (Red Bench Pizza now operates in that spot.) In 2017, Casanova finally posted on its website that it had given up searching for a new home.

But then Casanova rose from the ashes in late 2019, indicating it would be reborn after all. And although it’s taken a long time, patience will pay off for fans of East Coast-style, neo-Neapolitan pies. You can check out Casanova’s menu online. Guild’s clam pizzas are customer favorites, in particular.

Casanova Pizzeria updated its Facebook page over the weekend, advising Boiseans to “just be watchful of our hours. We’re operating with slightly reduced hours and days during our start-up process.”

For now, Casanova is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Saturdays.