Anniversary Dinner

We celebrated yet another wedding anniversary! Hubby’s favorite food is pasta, so we headed to Arancino in Waikiki for a dinner date.

Carpaccio of Scallops ($16.00) topped with sea asparagus, tobiko, and champagne dressing.

Insalata Alla Caprese ($14.00) with mozzarella as soft as pillows.

Spaghetti with Tobiko and Calamari ($17.00) with a light garlic olive oil sauce. I loved this dish.

Spaghetti with Black Squid Ink ($15.00) with a mild, almost sweet garlic sauce.

And after dinner, we of course walked over to Crepe House for crepes filled with strawberries, whipped cream, and gelato!

May life continue to be good to us for many more years to come…!

MENU: View the menu on their website here.

Arancino di Mare
ground level of Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort
2552 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815
808.931.6273

Breakfast 7:00a-10:30a
Lunch 10:30a-2:30p
Dinner 5:00p-10:30p

Bella Mia Pizzaria

You can’t miss this brand new pizzeria in Moiliili that just opened a few weeks ago (I believe they are under the same ownership as the Bella Mia in Kaimuki). You’ll see the bright flags just before Los Chaparros Mexican restaurant when driving down South Beretania Street. A former house was converted into a home style pizzeria with a charming open air dining area. I drive by here all the time and could not ignore the flags waving in my face any longer so Hubby and I stopped in for dinner the other day.

We started off with Pizza Fries: exactly what it sounds like, french fries with tomato sauce, cheese, and pepperoni on top. Simple, but yummy. Hubby loves any kind of fries with toppings – gravy fries, chili cheese fries – and these pizza fries were no exception.

Bella Mia - Pizza Fries ($5.95)

Spaghetti with Sausage and Peppers ($10.95) – the marinara sauce was so yummy. I usually don’t expect much from pasta at a pizzeria but this pasta was a surprise hit.

Bella Mia - Spaghetti with Sausage and Peppers ($10.95)

10″ Just Cheese Pizza ($7.50) – piping hot! The crust is light and not as chewy as CPK crust, but we enjoyed it.

Bella Mia - 10" Cheese Pizza ($7.50)

The food is standard but good and freshly made. The prices are reasonable and service is good so what more can I ask for? I think it’s a great place to take your family or a group of friends and share everything family style. The only thing is the limited parking space, I think you just have to find street parking.

MENU: View the menu here.

Bella Mia Pizzaria
2222 S. Beretania Street
Honolulu, HI 96826
808.941.4400
Daily 11:00a-9:00p

Sabrina’s Ristorante Italiano

This month’s girls’ dinner was at Sabrina’s in Kaimuki at the request of the birthday girl.

I read online Yelp reviews which provided helpful tips warning first timers about the slow service at Sabrina’s. Yelpers recommended I avoid going there on a starving stomach (check – I snacked before I went) and go with good company to pass the time (check -  what better company than decade-long girlfriends!?) and how right they were. Also note that the restaurant is BYOB (no corkage fee) and parking is very limited (but not to worry – there’s a paid lot right across the street for a $5.00 flat fee).

The restaurant was tiny and very busy. Indeed the service was slow  and it was 2 hours before we got our entrees. The server strongly recommended we order family style because “there’s only one chef in the kitchen and the dishes come out one at a time” but once the entrees started coming, the lag between the dishes turned out to not be so bad.

The food: delicious! We shared an Insalata di Rucola ($9.50) with prosciutto and parmesan cheese with an olive oil balsamic dressing.

Sabrina's - Insalata di Rucola ($9.50)

My homemade Ravioli Pomodoro E Basilico ($17.75) stuffed with spinach and ricotta in a fresh tomato sauce.

Sabrina's - Ravioli ($17.75)

Sabrina’s Dream ($16.50) – orecchiette pasta in tomato pesto sauce.

Sabrina's - Sabrina's Dream ($16.50)

Bucatini All’Amatriciana ($18.50) – hollow spaghetti in a slightly spicy tomato sauce.

Sabrina's - Bucatini ($18.50)

Daily Special ($23.00) – squid ink linguine with seafood and a kick of chili peppers. This dish was so full of flavors of the ocean.

Sabrina's - Daily Special ($23.00)

There’s no arguing that the food here is fresh, homemade and delicious. It is some of the best Italian food in Honolulu for sure. But when factoring in the price and wait, I would probably choose another restaurant over Sabrina’s.

They have a little sign at each table that explains why their food takes so long (how they put care into each dish, etcetera, etcetera). They call it “slow food” which I found humorous because while the speed at which the food comes out is probably not what the founders of the slow food movement had in mind, Sabrina’s food certainly is slow food on so many different levels! But they seem to have a solid following of customers who are able to look past the slow service and come armed with a bottle of wine (or two or three) to enjoy the evening. As for me patience, sadly, is not one of my virtues. Something to work on…

MENU: View the menu here.

Sabrina’s Ristorante Italiano
3036 Waialae Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96816
808.739.0220
Tue-Sun 5:30-10:30p

Mediterraneo Italian Restaurant

This month’s girls night was at Mediterraneo. The birthday girl selected this restaurant because she had never been there before, and she LOVES pasta.

It’s a small restaurant with only a couple parking stalls in the back, so your best bet is probably to look for street parking. The inside is charming with its wooden tables and chairs, decorative plates and blue glass goblets. We went on a Saturday night, and by 6:30pm the place was full with people waiting outside.

Here’s their house bread served with a dipping sauce of balsamic vinegar, olive oil and parsley.

Mediterraneo - Bread

We started off with Insalata Contadina ($6.75), a salad of greens and chopped tomatoes seasoned with garlic, basil, olive oil, salt and pepper. I loved this dish – so simple and fresh.

Mediterraneo - Insalata Contadina ($6.75)

For the pastas you can choose between Fettucine, Tagliolini (slightly thinner than the Fettucine), Trenette (slightly wider than the Fettucine), or Penne. The birthday girl ordered Fettucine Strangola Preti ($15.50) with lots of chunks of homemade sausage and porcini mushrooms.

Mediterraneo - Strangola Preti ($15.50)

Here’s the classic Tagliolini Puttanesca ($14.50) with olives, capers and anchovies in a tomato sauce. My friend said it was the best Puttanesca she’s ever had.

Mediterraneo - Puttanesca ($14.50)

The Ravioli Funghi ($17.00) in a tomato basil sauce.

Mediterraneo - Ravioli Funghi ($17.00)

And I had the Tagliolini Erbe ($14.00), a fresh herb tomato sauce. It had TONS of fresh herbs in it. You can actually see the “branches” of rosemary and sage in the sauce. You have to really love fresh strong herbs like rosemary to enjoy this pasta, which I did.

Mediterraneo - Erbe ($14.00)

Our pastas were all very tasty and full of flavor, but we all agreed that the sauce to pasta ratio was way too high. In addition to my pasta being “oversauced”, it was very salty too, so I took the leftovers home to enjoy with a nice big piece of baguette.

OVERALL: GOOD
PRICE RANGE: Approx. $6.75-$15.00 for appetizers and salads, approx. $13.00-$23.00 for pastas and entrees. Click to view the menu here but I noticed they’ve changed the prices from what’s printed here. Prices on most items have increased by $0.50-$1.00.
MY BILL: $26.00 including my share of the birthday meal
RETURNING?: Maybe

Mediterraneo Italian Restaurant
1279 South King Street
Honolulu, HI 96814
808.593.1466
Mon-Sat 5:30p-9:30p
Closed on Sundays

Arancino on Beachwalk

Another coworker took me to lunch at Arancino on Beachwalk for my birthday. They have a lunch special for $13.00 that includes a salad and choice of pasta, but the best part is that local residents receive $2.00 off.

So we both ordered the lunch special and started off with their house Rosemary Focaccia and a yummy Caesar Salad garnished with a piece of anchovy.

Arancino - Rosemary Focaccia

Arancino - Caesar Salad

My coworker had the Spaghetti Pomodoro, a simple pasta dish with tomato and garlic.

Arancino - Spaghetti Pomodoro

I had the Penne Gorgonzola with a rich, creamy blue cheese sauce. The pasta was perfectly al dente.

Arancino - Penne Gorgonzola

For dessert, they gave me a complimentary Tiramisu ($9.00) for my birthday!

Arancino - Tiramisu ($9.00)

OVERALL: GOOD
PRICE RANGE: Click here to view the menu
MY BILL: N/A
RETURNING?: For sure

Arancino
255 Beachwalk
Honolulu, HI 96815
808.923.557
Lunch Daily 11:30a-2:30p
Dinner Daily 5:00p-10:00p

Marketplace Cafe at Nordstrom Ala Moana

I met up with my sister for lunch at Marketplace Cafe. This was yet another place I’ve heard so much about since its opening, but I refused to go until now because of the long lines. Thankfully, it was not too crowded when we went.

The setup is a little strange – it’s like half cafeteria, half restaurant and had I not been with my sister who dines here often, I would have had no clue on how to proceed through the line. There are no menu signs, so you just have to go down the line and view the samples: a basic offering of pizzas, pastas, sandwiches, salads, and a few specialty entrees. Then they give you a claim ticket for the hot items, while they give you the salads on the spot. Then there’s the desserts and drinks, and you pay at the register. Up to this point, it’s a pretty straightforward cafeteria.

But after we chose our seats, it sort of morphed into a restaurant: a server greeted us and read off our ticket. “You’re just waiting on your pizza and sandwich”, our server stated, as if that was not obvious. Then she brought us utensils, drink refills, and presented us with what I call a “tip plate” (in lieu of a tip jar) with “Thank you ” handwritten on her business card at the end. I tell you, it seems like a pretty good gig they’ve got going here, getting tipped for only doing half of what traditional restaurant servers do. Don’t get me wrong, the service and “cafeteria chic” ambience were great, but I just wondered if it was really necessary to have the servers there. I’d prefer it if they just made it 100% cafeteria with no servers and instead had lots of attendants to keep the tables clean.  

Anyhoo, we shared a Bleu Cheese, Pear and Candied Walnut Salad ($10.50).

Marketplace Cafe - Bleu Cheese and Pear Salad ($10.50)

I had the Pizza Margherita ($10.50) which was freshly baked with salty mozzarella and fresh basil.

Marketplace Cafe - Pizza Margherita ($10.50)

My sister had a Grilled Cheese Sandwich ($5.50) served with a cup of tomato soup, fresh fruit, and chips. This is not on their regular menu, but is available off their kids menu upon request. I think this is the best deal in the house.

Marketplace Cafe - Grilled Cheese Sandwich ($5.50)

I welcome Marketplace Cafe as an added dining option when I’m at Ala Moana Center. The food is good, the ambience stylish, the pricing reasonable, and most of all, the location is dynamite. Because it’s cafeteria style, the vibe is more laid back and inviting. This is sure to become one of my favorite stops for a mid-shopping break, or for a casual lunch with business associates.

OVERALL: GOOD
PRICE RANGE: Approx. $10-15 for most salads, pastas, sandwiches and entrees
MY BILL: N/A – It was my sister’s treat!
RETURNING: Definitely

Marketplace Cafe
Nordstrom at Ala Moana Center
1519 Kapiolani Blvd
Honolulu, HI 96814
808.953.6110
Mon-Sat 9:30a-8:00p
Sun 10:00a-6:00p

Arancino di Mare

Saturday night my husband and I were lucky enough to be invited to the Dave Koz/Honolulu Symphony Pops concert at the Waikiki Shell by my coworkers. Before the concert we met up with them and a group of their friends for dinner at Arancino di Mare located on the ground level of the Waikiki Beach Marriott. They have a second location on Beachwalk, which we often visit for lunch, but this was my first time to this location, and for dinner. The Waikiki Beach Marriott location is more charming, with outdoor and indoor seating and an open kitchen.

We started off with cocktails and some appetizers. Their version of Bruschetta Al Pomodoro ($10.00) is served on a soft pizza dough, very light and refreshing.

Arancino - Bruschetta al Pomodoro ($10.00)

The Beef Carpaccio  ($17.00) is one of the recommended house specialties - and for good reason. The thinly sliced raw filet mignon was so tender I could have mistaken it for ahi sashimi, and was perfectly matched with peppery arugula, parmesan cheese and a light olive oil dressing. I could eat 2 plates of this by myself!

Arancino - Beef Carpaccio ($17.00)

We also enjoyed the Carpaccio di Pesce, a marlin carpaccio ($10.00) which I thought was going to be raw marlin, but it was cooked, so that was just OK for me.

Arancino - Carpaccio di Pesce ($10.00) before "the flip"

Carpaccio di Pesce after our server flipped the dish to expose the cooked fish

There were seven of us so a lot of food, so here’s just a parade of photos:

Arancino - Penne all' Arrabbiata ($10.50), spicy tomato sauce

Arancino - Spaghetti Blue Crab & Zucchini ($21.00) in a cream sauce

Arancino - Fettuccine alla Crema ($19.00), asparagus and prosciutto in a rich cream sauce

Arancino - Penne al Gorgonzola ($12.00), a blue cheese lover's dream

Arancino - Saltimbocca di Pollo ($22.00), chicken breast with prosciutto, served with roasted potatoes

My favorites are the Beef Carpaccio and Penne all’ Arrabbiata, but all of their pastas are excellent. The spaghetti and penne are boiled to a perfect al dente, and each sauce was flavorful and perfectly seasoned. I’ve never been to Italy so I’m just guessing, but I feel like this is probably one of the more authentic Italian restaurants in Honolulu. And surprisingly for a restaurant in Waikiki, the prices are actually quite reasonable. When dining Italian, I think I’d rather make the drive into Waikiki for Arancino’s than, for example, Assagio’s or Verbano. I’ve added Arancino to my list of favorite pasta places alongside Taormina and Pasta Basta.

After dinner we walked over to the Waikiki Shell and enjoyed an amazing performance by the talented jazz saxophonist Dave Koz. Listening to good live music is always a treat, and the perfect ending to the night was a visit backstage to thank Dave Koz in person!

(Whew – what a long post. There were a lot of photos to upload. I’m hungry now.)

OVERALL: GOOD
PRICE RANGE: $8-$19 for salads and appetizers, $10.50-$35 for pasta and pizza. Click here to view the menu.
MY BILL: To be advised
RETURNING?: Yes

Arancino di Mare
Ground level of Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa
2552 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815
808.931.6237
Breakfast 7:00a-10:30a
Lunch 11:00a-2:30p
Dinner 5:00p-10:30p

California Pizza Kitchen Waikiki

My coworker and I took our boss to lunch at California Pizza Kitchen in Waikiki to celebrate his birthday. In case you’re wondering how many people are in my office and how many gash darn things we celebrate over lunch, it works out to 5 or 6 birthdays a year, plus Boss’s Day and Administrative Professionals’ Day. That’s not counting when it’s time for my birthday. Yes, that’s a lot of lunches, but I’ve really enjoyed exploring our Waikiki neighborhood, one lunch at a time.

My boss loves to eat salad, so we figured CPK’s selection of delicious salads would be perfect.

We shared a Chopped Salad ($8.99 for half size):

CPK - Chopped Salad ($8.99 half size)

My boss had Sweet & Spicy Italian Sausage Pizza ($12.99):

CPK - Sweet & Spicy Italian Sausage Pizza ($12.99)

I had Chicken Tequila Fettuccine ($13.49):

CPK - Chicken Tequila Fettuccine ($13.49)

… and my coworker had Marinara Linguini with Shrimp ($15.99):

CPK - Marinara Linquini with Shrimp ($15.99)

The Waikiki location is on the Mauka (mountain) side of Kalakaua Avenue, smack dab in the middle of Waikiki, and there’s both indoor seating and outdoor seating. You can observe all the tourists on Kalakaua Avenue from your table on the second floor balcony.

CPK is one of those restaurants that everyone’s eaten there before, so there’s really no need for me to review the food to tell you that their food is fresh and tasty. The amazing thing about CPK is that no matter which location you visit, the quality of the food and the level of service are consistent. This is no easy feat considering the size of this chain. Whatever corporate policies and methods they employ, it’s very effective and the result is an operation that’s as well run as the McDonalds franchises.

OVERALL: GOOD
PRICE RANGE: $4.99-$11.99 for appetizers and half salads, $10.99-$15.99 for full salads, pizzas and pastas. Click here to view the menu (sorry the image quality is not the best).
MY BILL: $32.00 (including my share of the birthday meal)
RETURNING?: Yes

California Pizza Kitchen Waikiki
2284 Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96815
808.924.2000
Mon-Sun 11:00a-11:00p

Angelo Pietro

My girlfriends and I celebrate our birthdays by treating the birthday girl to dinner at a restaurant of her choice. Dinner this month was at Angelo Pietro, selected by the birthday girl. She loves the Tarako (cod fish roe) Spaghetti there, which is also one of my favorites. I don’t know of any other restaurant in Honolulu that serves Tarako Spaghetti. If anyone knows where I can get it beside Pietro’s, please let me know! It’s fairly easy to make at home (just toss freshly boiled spaghetti with a mixture of butter and tarako and garnish with julienne nori) but I hardly make it because tarako is super expensive in Hawaii.

The menu at Pietro’s is an eclectic mix of Japanese inspired pastas and pizzas. Some of their signature items include Raw Potato Salad (you gotta try it once!), Takana (a Japanese pickle) and Bacon Spaghetti, and Natto Spaghetti. Originally from Japan, this restaurant has been around for a while in Honolulu. I used to come here often in college, but in my opinion the quality of food has sadly declined over the past several years. Nevertheless, the place was filled with guests on a Saturday night.

We ordered:

Tarako Spaghetti with Ika, and add-on of Sausage ($14.50) for the guest of honor:

Angelo Pietro - Tarako with Ika, add-on Sausage ($14.50)

Monthly Special: Baked Penne with Chicken and Bacon for my other friend:

Angelo Pietro - Baked Penne with Chicken and Bacon

Spaghetti Genovese ($10.95) for my other friend, who is a mommy-to-be. She also happens to be a vegetarian who recently started eating meat (for the baby I think) and claims she can never go back now.

Angelo Pietro - Genovese ($10.95)

I decided to try something different this time, Spaghetti with Spinach and Bacon with Garlic Oil Sauce ($9.25), which was not the best idea. There was way too much bacon in there and the spinach and bacon were obviously pre-sauteed and left sitting for a while, as is evident in my lukewarm dish filled with brown mushy spinach and coagulated bacon fat. As for the sauce, I could only taste the Dashinomoto (katsuo flavor to be exact) in the bland sauce, not the garlic oil I wanted to taste. Next time I’d better stick with my tried-and-true favorite, the Tarako Spaghetti.

Angelo Pietro - Spinach and Bacon ($9.25)

After dinner we relocated to Starbucks, where we chatted over coffee until late into the night. Celebrating 10 years of friendship and many more to come…!

OVERALL: OK
PRICE RANGE: $6.50-$10.50 for salads and appetizers, $7.50-$13.95 for pizzas and salads. Click here to view the menu.
MY BILL: $18.00 (including my share of the birthday meal)
RETURNING?: If the opportunity arises

Angelo Pietro Honolulu
1585 Kapiolani Blvd. #110
Honolulu, HI 96814
808.941.0555
Sun-Thu 11:00a-10:00p
Fri-Sat 11:00am-11:00p

Neighborhood Eats: Amina Pizzeria

There’s a building in my neighborhood that houses a random gathering of businesses: a pawn shop, pizzeria, beauty salon, pho restaurant, cigarette shop, and a suspicious looking neon sign that I swear is a brothel. Yes, the area is a little sketchy but nevertheless, I love my hood. I love that every convenience is within easy walking distance and I’m a big fan of walking to neighborhood businesses to support the local community.

Anyway, Amina Pizzeria is a newcomer occupying a tiny space in this building on Kalakaua Avenue. The tenant turnover of this space is so high that my husband and I thought we’d better check it out while we have the chance. I think the place is designed for mostly take out orders, but they do have 12 seats if you prefer to eat in, and there is a parking lot behind the building (entrance off Fern Street).

We ordered:

• Amina’s Combination Pizza ($18.95 for a 14″ pizza)
• Spaghetti with Mushrooms in Creamy Garlic Sauce ($8.95)
• Garden Green Salad ($5.25)

Amina Pizzeria - Amina's Combination Pizza

Amina Pizzeria - Spaghetti with Mushrooms in Creamy Garlic Sauce

Amina Pizzeria - Garden Green Salad

I’m actually sorry that I couldn’t write a better review because I really want to support local restaurants. The meal started out good with a large, fresh salad served with a yummy herb dressing. But I would skip the pastas next time - the spaghetti was dry like it’s been sitting for a while. The pizza has a thin crust and tasted fine. It’s probably a matter of preference, but I prefer a softer, chewier dough to the Amina crust which tasted a lot like pre-manufactured pizza crust you find in the refrigerated section in supermarkets. For almost an identical menu offering, I prefer La Pizza Rina on South King Street.

OVERALL: COULD BE BETTER
PRICE RANGE:$6.95-$8.95 for 9″ Pizzas, $12.95-$18.95 for 14″ Pizzas, $6.95-$10.95 for Pastas, $7.95-$8.95 for Calzones, $5.25-$7.25 Salads. Also available are Sub Sandwiches, French Bread Pizzas, and Garlic Rolls.
MY BILL: $40.00 for two
RETURNING?: After a while we’ll probably check it out again

Amina Pizzeria
(corner of Fern Street and Kalakaua Avenue, across from Martini Zoo)
1694-E Kalakaua Avenue
Honolulu, HI 96826
808.949.3548
Sat-Thu 10:30a-9:30p
Fri 3:30p-9:30p