While working at the fine-dining Honolulu restaurant, Senia, in 2018, C.K. Flannigan had his mind blown.

That was when Mimi Mendoza, the restaurant’s pastry chef, ordered a From Roy panettone from the Bay Area to share with colleagues, and insisted that Flannigan try it.

The exquisite pricey treat ($109) has built a reputation far and wide for its rich, buttery taste and its feathery, cotton candy-like ethereal texture. At a time when most off-the-shelf Italian panettone could be had for $20 to $30, Roy Shvartzapel elevated not only the price, but the standards for the specialty sweet bread. While a staple at Christmas and Easter, he dared to sell it year-round.

Flannigan, who’d spent his time on the savory and bread-making sides of a professional kitchen, was floored from the get-go by the quality of From Roy’s panettone.

It so transfixed him that he decided then and there to dedicate himself to making his own panettone that could stand with the best in the world. He actually ended up working with Shvartzapel for four years, and becoming head baker at Michelin three-starred Quince in San Francisco.

Last year, he took the leap to move back to his hometown of Tampa to start Prince Panettone.

He hand-shapes and bakes every single one. Made with a sourdough starter, each panettone takes between 48 to 72 hours to craft. The heat and humidity of summer plus the sometimes uncharacteristic frigid winters in Florida can add to the challenges of making this notoriously finicky bread, too. Thankfully, he and Shvartzapel still continue to trade tips and advice to support one another in their endeavors.

Flannigan’s panettone are available through his online shop for $100, which includes shipping. He drops new flavors timed to certain holidays or seasons, so follow the Prince Panettone Instagram page to get alerted to when they’re available.

For Valentine’s Day, I ordered his Triple Chocolate Raspberry. Flannigan also gifted me one of his Candied Lemon & White Chocolate pannetone, too, because he wanted me to try both flavors.

Strewn all over the top with crunchy pearl sugar, they are domed on top. They still sport the dowel through them, too, that is used to hang them upside-down right out of the oven to preserve their loftiness.

Made with plenty of butter and eggs, as well as Valrhona raspberry chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, white chocolate, and freeze-dried raspberries, the Triple Chocolate Raspberry is indulgent tasting with a very fudgy chocolate taste. The raspberries add a perky tartness to cut through the richness.

I’m not always the biggest fan of white chocolate. But wow, this Candied Lemon & White Chocolate panettone had me eating my words — plus slice after slice. It has the bright taste of lemon meringue pie in panettone form. Flannigan uses lemon white chocolate, lemon extract, and plenty of candied lemon pieces to amplify the zingy citrus taste.

Both panettones sported a fabulous fluffy, moist, and tender texture, too.

I’d say that Flannigan has succeeded in his goal. His panettone definitely rival that of From Roy’s.

More: From Roy’s Panettone