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Italian, page 2
Bucca Di Beppo. 1030 Auahi St. in the Ward Entertainment Center in Kakaako. 591-0800. Lunch and dinner daily. Parking in center lot. Prices: $$. Map. This large chain is indeed large, from the cavernous multi-roomed dining area to the ridiculously-portioned meatballs, pizzas, and other Americanized Italian dishes. The eclectic designs of Greco/Roman statues, paintings, and Vatican look-alikes almost qualify this restaurant for Disney status! These larger-than-life approaches make for a festive atmosphere, perfect for small or large parties, and is in perfect tune with the night-time activities right next door, at the Ward Theatres and Dave & Buster’s restaurant/entertainment complex. Be sure to split meals or order small portions!
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This happy plate from Bucca Di Beppo comes oozing with marinara, tomatoes, cheeses, herbs, meats, and stuffed shells of all kinds. |
Longhi’s. 1450 Ala Moana Blvd. at the Ala Moana S.C. 947-9899. Breakfast, Lunch, and dinner daily. Parking in center lot. Prices: $$$. Map. With beautiful views of Ala Moana Beach Park and brilliant sunsets, this open air restaurant has a distinct advantage. We like breakfast time, when the mood is relaxed, crowds are non-existent, and the early-morning magic still in the air. They open late, at 8am, but you can usually get in by 7:30 or so, where they will seat and serve you coffee or water while you wait for the kitchen to open. I love the crab benedict, which is full of giant chunks of sweet crab, and the hollandaise adds the right amount of rich, creamy moisture to the French bread underneath, which can get a bit hard. At night, there is almost a party atmosphere to the place, and the vibe can get a bit wanna-be-L.A.-ish. The prices are on the high side, but the quality of dishes is definitely on-target, with salads of Belgian endive and sugar-snap peas, entrees like fresh local fish, prawns amaretto, and filet mignon with béarnaise sauce, and luscious desserts like the hot chocolate souffle.
| Inside shot of bar area at very popular Romano's Macaroni Grill! |  |
Romano’s Macaroni Grill. Ala Moana S.C. 356-8300. Lunch and dinner daily. Parking in center lot. Prices: $$$. Map. This American chain restaurant is a great family-friendly place to dine. The décor is rustic Tuscan, with bold stone pillars, large wooden beams, wine cellars, and bright orange walls and flowers (even though they’re fake!) to spruce up the place a bit. Just about everything here is huge, from the dining area to the comfortable booths and most importantly, the food! There are a variety of meals that will satisfy everyone, such as brick-oven pizza’s, chicken scallopine, shrimp portofino, and Tuscan rib-eye, or you can create your own meals out of various building blocks, selecting from different types of pastas, sauces, meats, vegetables, and cheeses. Great place for the kids and casual afternoons. Can get quite busy during prime-time hours, both at lunch and dinner.
Bravo. 98-115 kaonohi St. at the Pearl Ridge S.C. in Pearl City. 487-5544. Lunch and dinner daily. Parking in center lot. Prices: $$. Map. Great place for a casual, economical dinner. This slightly Americanized restaurant has the best complementary garlic rolls in town. The ping-pong sized balls of bread have a soft, white inside and a golden-brown crust that is sprinkled with garlic, lightly salted, and wet to the touch with butter. You can build your own pasta creations from a host of different pastas and several different sauces, or choose from the various menu selections like lasagna, cannelloni, rotisserie chicken, and pizza.
Banana Leaf Pasta Co.1960 Kapiolani Blvd. at the McCully S.C. 946-3338. Lunch and dinner daily. Parking in center lot. Prices: $$. Map. The slightly more upscale Banana Leaf Italian Bistro, at the Market City Shopping Center, has now closed, leaving the slightly more casual, yet modern and comfortable Banana Leaf Pasta Co. to stand alone. The menu here tops out at around $15, with such offerings as lasagna, clam spaghettini, chicken fettuccini, several types of risotto, and a good selection of individual-sized pizza choices.
| Impressive mixed bruschetta sampler from Zia Caffe Kailua! |  |
Zia's Caffé. A Closer Look. 2 locations: 201 Hamakua Dr. in Kailua (map linked), 262-7168; 45-620 Kamehameha Hwy. in Kaneohe, 235-9427. Lunch and dinner daily; breakfast from 8am Friday-Sunday. Parking fronting Stores. Prices: $$. Map. These two casual haunts, both on the Windward side, have been serving moderately-priced Italian dishes since 1998. The Kailua location even serves a surprisingly wide and imaginative assortment of breakfast dishes, such as a risotto scramble, mixed skillets, frittata, bread pudding pancakes, and their eggs hana pa’a, a take on eggs benedict you gotta check out! The Kailua restaurant also features wine tastings on first Saturday’s of every month. Otherwise, menus are basically the same, with a great bruschetta sampler, a pupu-style balsamic or marsala steak, eggplant sorentino, chicken piccata, risotto, alfredo, linguine, arrabiata, lasagna, and much, much more. Both spots are humble venues that don’t collect a lot of hooplah, but for a solid, decent Italian meal, they are both worth a look.
