Vino serves up tasty sampling of la dolce vita

By Helen Wu
Advertiser Restaurant Critic

The Ski Association of Hawaii dined recently at Vino restaurant, which offers a selection of wines with appetizers and dishes to complement the wine, in a relaxed, informal setting at Restaurant Row. Photos by Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser Vino Restaurant Row 500 Ala Moana, No. 6D-1 524-8466 (recording); to speak to someone, call sister restaurant Hiroshi's, 533-4476 Open Wednesdays and Thursdays 5:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays and Saturdays 5:30-10:30 p.m. Wine bar Walk-in only Free validated parking for 2-1/2 hours 1/2 Good

Vino is part of the Sansei restaurant group of chef D.K. Kodama, spun off from the original Vino at the Kapalua Resort on Maui. Wines take center stage here. Food, no matter how well prepared, serves to complement the drink. This is to be expected from an enterprise run by co-owner Chuck Furuya, the state's only master sommelier.

Although Furuya designs the wine lists for the other Sansei restaurants, the Vino venues are dedicated to showcasing his knowledge in an enoteca-style setting. (An enoteca is an Italian wine shop or cellar. Once, these stores served only wine but they evolved into cafés, serving light appetizers. Now these wine bars offer everything from small dishes to complete meals.)

Vino resembles an unpretentious but upscale café. Painted murals of the Italian countryside make a quaint backdrop for a pau-hana crowd coming mostly from the nearby legal epicenter of Punchbowl Street. Little remains of the former occupant — the banquet and overflow space for Sansei Sushi Bar & Seafood Restaurant. Arranged in the front and the back of the room, caramel-colored leather couches provide comfy lounging. Tables actually big enough for eating — and not just sipping — allow diners to get serious about enjoying wine and food.

And then there is Furuya, whose smiling presence gives the impression that he cares enough to be there and that he simply likes being in the place.

Small plates here don't mean small flavors, though the food never dominates the wines. A few dishes, such as the mini veal osso buco ($11.95), are not small at all and would have been considered entrée-sized before overzealous portions became the norm. I arrived in a group of four ready to taste and share. By the end of the evening, olive oil, cheeses, pastas, cured meats and potables had each of us feeling like we had engaged in a very mild bacchanalia.

The menu is limited, which was slightly disappointing to us at first. On further inspection though, these are dishes carefully planned to pair perfectly with the wines Furuya has selected. Menu items are extremely affordable, ranging from $4.95 for garlic cheese bread to seared foie gras prepared with a port wine reduction and fleur de sel, priced at $16.95.

Wines also are reasonable, given their quality and sometimes rarity. A changing selection of wines by the glass poured from a 20-spigot dispenser offers an excellent way to sample a number of different pours. With the exception of two sparklers, all wines are served in 2- or 5-ounce portions, costing $2.50 to $12.50 for each pour. Bottles cost anywhere from $24 to $95.

Another option is to taste by the flight — sampling two ounces each of several different grape varietals side by side. On my visit, two choices were offered: both showcased unusual, older Italian varietals well worth their price. From Mount Vesuvius, three white wines ($8.95) included a falanghina, a fiano and a greco. Three lusty reds ($10.50) consisted of a sangiovese blend, an aglianico and a montepulciano.

Dishes worthy of a "bravo!" included an eggplant napoleon ($7.50) and grilled "Ligurian" shrimp ($11.50). The eggplant was soft and rich with layers of roasted mushrooms, artichoke hearts and a Kalamata olive tapenade. A surprising burst from a purée of sun-dried tomatoes and chipotle peppers underneath sang out like an aria. Highlighting the delicate flavors of the plump and meaty shrimp were a roasted garlic butter sauce, slight acid from a tomato concassée and nutty-flavored grated ricotta salata cheese (a hard ricotta not often seen here).

Vino's eggplant napoleon is made from layers of roasted mushrooms, artichoke hearts and Kalamata-olive tapenade on soft, rich eggplant.

Minor aspects need fine tuning at Vino. Some details require slight adjustments. Crispy calamari ($6.95) was not so crisp because of an aioli sauce served on top rather than on the side. The cheese and salumi (assorted Italian cured meats) platter ($12.95) could present more exciting and varied cheeses. Bread, a necessity with this kind of food, is not on par with the quality of the food and wine, and doesn't arrive consistently at the table. The environment would also be more relaxing if it weren't for eclectic, mismatched music that doesn't always complement the surroundings.

Aside from rare dissonance, Vino is an unintimidating, down-to-earth place that is absolutely conducive to experimenting and having fun with wines. Diners can learn a lot from the sociable staff. Vino makes good wines and creative Italian cuisine accessible to everyone, oenophiles and neophytes alike, giving us all a taste of la dolce vita — the sweet life.

Reach Helen Wu at hwu@honoluluadvertiser.com.