Botanico Now Open - Waikiki's Urban Italian Retreat

Spaghetti Pescatore

Botanico, the 12th Hawai’i restaurant and newest concept from the Zetton Group has opened and is now serving lunch and dinner. Located in the Waikiki Shopping Plaza, the Italian eatery is meant to be warm and inviting; a sort of hideaway from the hustle and bustle of Waikiki. 

On the menu are pasta, fresh seafood, and a curated menu of Mediterranean favorites by Executive Chef Yuta Tamano. My favorites from the media preview dinner were the House Bolognese, Braised Beef Cheek, and the Moussaka with Pinsa Bread. Gluten-free spaghetti is also available on the menu. 

Charcuterie

Moussaka with Pinsa bread - Greek style eggplant gratin, beef ragu, bechamel sauce, potatoes

Beet & Cauliflower Hummus

Burrata & Tomato

Pan Seared Ahi & Mediterranean Vegetables

Vongole E Bottarga Conchiglie - clams, bottarga, garlic white wine sauce

Carbonara with Housemade Pancetta

House Bolognese

Braised Beef Cheek

Pork Milanese

Gorgeous dining area

Outside seating

Botanico is open daily from 11:30am to 11pm and provides 3 hours validated parking at Waikiki Shopping Plaza. Reservations are available via OpenTable and walk-ins are also welcome.

Botanico

Waikiki Shopping Plaza 1F

2250 Kalakaua Ave #101

Honolulu, HI 96815

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Lunch Specials at Appetito Craft Pizza and Wine Bar

Granchio Fettuccine

We were speechless when we arrived to Appettito in Waikiki and learned they did not
serve their delicious pizzas during lunch. For a split second we debated whether we
should just leave, but after the shock wore off we decided to stay and check out their
lunch sets.

The lunch sets feature an assortment of delicious sounding pastas and a daily
sandwich. Each special comes with a salad and soft drink, coffee, or tea. While we missed the pizzas a lot, the pasta dishes were definitely a welcomed consolation. 

Homemade Lasagna

Bacon and Eggplant Arrabiata

Shrimp Genovese Pasta

Daily Sandwich - Egg salad

Salad with set

Lunch is served from 11am to 1:30pm followed by Happy Hour from 3pm to 6pm. Hopefully, they begin to serve pizzas at lunch. Service was friendly and attentive. Validated parking is available at the Outrigger Waikīkī Paradise Hotel (formerly Ohana Waikiki East).

Appetito Craft Pizza and Wine Bar

150 Kaiulani Ave Honolulu, HI 96815

808-501-2001

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Catania Ristorante Italiano in Waimalu Shopping Center

Shrimp Vegetable

It was my first time at Catania Ristorante Italiano located in the Waimalu Shopping Center. Our dinner reservation was at 7pm, but I suggest if you are dining with a group, come earlier as they promptly close at 8:30pm on Friday and Saturday nights.

I ordered one of the house specialties - Chicken parmigiana and meatball which was plentiful and flavorful. All the pasta orders were huge servings and our group enjoyed our meal. Service was wonderful and it is BYOB.

Toss Green Salad

Fresh Clam Casino

Chicken Saltimbocca

Shrimp Anchovy Olio

Chicken Parmigiana & Meatballs

They are open for lunch and dinner dine in and take out and also offer a catering menu. Lunch is served Wednesday through Sunday; dinner is served Mondays and Wednesday through Sunday; and closed on Tuesdays. 

Catania Ristorante Italiano
Waimalu Shopping Center 
98-020 Kamehameha Hwy 
Aiea, HI 96701
(808) 528-4588

 

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Old Spaghetti Factory

The Old Spaghetti Factory (OSF) at Aloha Tower has recently been our family's go-to when we all gather for a special occasion. Parking is quite convenient to the restaurant, and they can accommodate large parties. The restaurant is spacious (important for the old folks who are in wheelchairs or use walkers) and the restrooms are accessible and clean. Everyone really enjoys their food, and the service is always friendly and professional.

The cotton candy Limeade is my son's favorite drink to order here. The other son likes the Italian soda (not pictured), especially since it comes in a keepsake glass (keepsake glass is only for dine-in customers).

It's hard to avoid getting full on the appetizers. You have been warned! The Sicilian garlic cheese bread is our favorite and we'll usually get at least 2 orders for our party of 18.

On this particular visit, the niece wanted to try the Olive Tapenade. You have to be a fan of olives to appreciate this appetizer. I'm not a huge fan of olives on its own, but when I combined it with the homemade marinara sauce from the garlic bread, it was a winner!!

Every entree comes with choice of soup or salad. We all opt for the salad with house pesto dressing. The pesto dressing is highly popular, and if you don't like a lot of dressing on your salad, I would suggest requesting the dressing on the side as they do tend to put a lot of it on the salad.

I used to order the Manager's Favorite (choice of two classic favorites) but lately I've been ordering the Pot Pourri which comes with 4 sauces: Mizithra Cheese & Browned Butter, Meat, Clam and Marinara Sauces.   

Every entree also comes with choice of ice cream for dessert. OSF is known for their Spumoni, which I always order, because it's not one of those flavors that you normally find on a menu or at an ice cream parlor. 

Hours: Monday - Thursday 11 am - 9 pm; Fridays and Saturdays 11 am - 10 pm.

Validated parking (discounted rate) is available at Aloha Tower Marketplace (across from the restaurant entrance).

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OLD SPAGHETTI FACTORY
3 ALOHA TOWER DRIVE
808-591-2513

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Delicious Italian Dishes at La Ciccia

Kinoko Pasta 

Wow, how did I not dine here before?! So thankful that my friend chose La Ciccia to celebrate his birthday dinner or I would still be missing out on some great pasta! Located on King Street, a few doors from Kaiten Sushi Ginza Onodera, La Ciccia is an Italian fusion restaurant serving lunch and dinner. Judging by the amount of people walking in for take-out, La Ciccia is very popular and also a great place for a group celebration. 

Clams Casino

Calamari

Lasagna

Kinoko Pasta

Shrimp and Scallop Scampi

With generous portions at reasonable prices and great service, it's definitely a win-win when you dine here. I love that they have all your traditional Italian favorites, but you can also opt for non-traditional like a mentaiko or natto pasta! 

La Ciccia

2700 S. King St.

Honolulu, HI

808-773-8688

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Fratelli Express

My decision to order take-out from Fratelli Express was influenced by an acquaintance's daughter's social media post.

Garlic Bread

Chicken Alfredo

Chicken Fratelli

The Chicken Fratelli came with peppers, capers, mushrooms, and peperoncino.

Chicken Parmigiana with Ravioli

Chicken Basilio

Chicken Saltimbocca

I ordered the Chicken Saltimbocca, which is my go-to at similar restaurants.  I enjoyed the linguine which I thought was seasoned well (entrees come with a choice of linguine or rice), and I liked the spinach and mushrooms too.  I just wished the chicken wasn't breaded.  Other than the breaded chicken, I thought overall the dish was fine.  

I really liked the Garlic Bread!

Compared to other similar spots, I thought the prices were lower, and the portion sizes were quite good for the price.   

Fratelli Express

94-216 Farrington Hwy

Waipahu, HI 96797

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Lunch Specials at Rigo SPANISH ITALIAN

I treated a long-time friend to lunch at Rigo SPANISH ITALIAN Restaurant in Kapahulu. It's been over a year since we both last dined here. We were happy to see that they still had a special lunch menu with select menu items. The menu selections on the Lunch Special menu had changed, which was great because it meant we would be trying something different from our last visit.

In an effort to add more greens and protein to my diet, I ordered the Chicken Rigo Caesar, which came with a side of garlic Parmesan bread. I just love how the bread is topped with bits of real garlic. This bread has a lot of butter on it!

I requested my salad with the dressing on the side, but it came with the dressing already mixed in. Since I didn't want to send it back and wait for another one to be made, I just ate what was presented. It was really good, but I felt it at too much dressing on it. I don't like my salads drenched in dressing. The chicken was very moist, considering it's chicken breast.

My friend ordered the Chicken Shoyu-Butter Spaghetti, which came with a side salad. 

I had a taste of the spaghetti and thought it was delicious. 

We ordered the chocolate souffle for dessert, which was rich, but amazing. It wasn't what we were expecting, but it grew on us and we ended up liking it a lot!

Closed on Tuesdays.

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RIGO SPANISH ITALIAN

885 KAPAHULU AVENUE

808-735-9760

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Lunch at Quiora at The Ritz-Carlton Residences, Waikiki Beach

Quiora at the Ritz Carlton Waikiki is one of my favorite outdoor restaurants.  I have enjoyed both breakfast and dinner there in the past and so was excited to experience their lunch menu.  

To start off lunch, Quiora has a great selection of beers, cocktails, wines and non-alcoholic beverages to choose from.  They also have a selection of blended cocktails which I thought was really fun for lunch.  

The lunch menu is great and has something for everyone: salads, sandwiches, burger and handmade pasta.  Everything was delicious and the service was excellent!  Lunch is served from 11:30am to 2:30pm and valet parking is free with validation.  

EGGPLANT PARM SAMMI

“HERE AND NOW” BURGER 

QUIORA SPAGHETTI AND MEATBALLS

COBB SALAD

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