Catering to vegetarians, carnivores alike

Molokai Sweet Potato Ravioli ($15)

Zia’s Caffe, located in Kaneohe, is known for serving delicious Italian cuisine in a comforting environment. There’s something for everyone on the menu, whether you’re craving house-made pasta, pizza or a refreshing salad.

Zia’s menu is vegetarian-friendly as well, according to executive chef Jesse Kila, who says that entrees like Molokai Sweet Potato Ravioli ($15) are extremely popular. This dish consists of sage brown butter, tomato, asparagus, mac nuts, micro-greens and pecorino cheese.

“We make the stuffing from the Molokai sweet potato ourselves,” he explains. “It’s one of our most popular items; we get 40-60 orders a week.”

Zia’s boasts a trattoria-style dining environment. FILE PHOTO

Another popular — and newer — item on Zia’s menu is Lamb Ragu ($22), which consists of Shimeji mushrooms, onions, house-made red sauce and pappardelle pasta topped off with ricotta and mint.

“I know not a lot of people have lamb out there, but our Lamb Ragu is a smoked lamb shoulder,” Kila says. “If people like lamb, that’s a good thing to go for on our menu.”

Zia’s Caffe is especially crowded every third weekend of the month, as the restaurant usually features a prime rib special. However, with the upcoming holidays — Zia’s will be closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day — Kila says there will be some adjustments, but customers can still look forward to that prime rib.

Lamb Ragu ($22)

“We’ll have prime rib on Thanksgiving Eve and Christmas Eve weekend,” he confirms. “We (usually) send out an email to everyone on our email list to let them know. If you’re not on our list, you can sign up and you’ll be in the know.”

Zia’s Caffe

45-620 Kamehameha Hwy., Kaneohe
235-9427
Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Sunday, 9 a.m.-9 p.m.