Special menus combine taste of Italy, Hawaii

Crab Crusted Catch of the Day (Note: All items part of Taste of Hawaii Four Course Menu)

Fresco Italian Restaurant, located in Hilton Hawaiian Village, specializes in cuisine that exemplifies the traditional tastes of Italy yet features influences from the Pacific.

A perfect example of this cross-cultural cuisine can be found in Fresco’s multi-course Taste of Hawaii menus, available until Dec. 20. The Taste of Hawaii Four Course Menu ($89) offers Caprese Salad and Crab and Asparagus Tomato Cream Sauce Linguine. The entree is Filetto di Manzo with Gorgonzola Fondue and Aragosta made with live Maine lobster with Crab Meat and Spinach Fondue. The meal is topped off with Tiramisu Hawaiano.

Argosta and Filleto di Manzo

“Each dish item’s on the course menu has something from Hawaii in them,” says executive chef Rodhel Ibay. “The caprese salad and the pasta has tomatoes from Ho Farms. We use vine-ripe, berry mix and currant tomatoes. Most of our other vegetables come from Aloun Farms. I’m always working closely with the producers to get what’s in season to offer the freshest.”

The Taste of Hawaii Three Course Menu ($65) has an entree choice of Crab Crusted Fresh Catch of the Day with Roasted Garlic Cream Sauce or Filet with Shrimp Peppercorn, along with Baby Romaine Caesar Salad and Tiramisu for dessert.

Caprese Salad

Fresco also offers three semi-private rooms that can host small to large parties. It offers customized special menus and can accommodate guests with special diet restrictions.