Pasta di Mare ($22)
Romano’s Macaroni Grill brings the extraordinary tastes of Italian home-style cooking to local residents without the need to jet halfway around the globe.
Situated conveniently within Ala Moana Center’s inviting Hookipa Terrace, the friendly, skilled culinary heart-of-the-house squad and service experts at Romano’s Macaroni Grill strive to provide a memorable dining adventure worthy of being dubbed a “wow” experience. The menu offers classic comfort food, and the cuisine speaks for itself — simple seasonings and familiar flavors create a perfect balance to satisfy any diner.
“We focus on crisp, very clean flavors. And balance is very important,” says executive chef Nawai Kekoolani. “We make sure to keep everything vibrant and fresh, while offering larger portions and excellent value for our guests.”
Tuscan Ribeye ($27)
The spacious restaurant also includes a full bar and relaxing lounge setting. Whether stopping in for pau hana drinks and pupus or enjoying a family dinner with loved ones, diners are destined to be impressed.
One of Romano’s Macaroni Grill’s tasty selections is Chicken Scaloppine ($18). This popular choice is composed of thinly sliced chicken, artichokes, mushrooms and capers, all sauteed in lemon butter sauce. Wild Mushroom Ravioli ($16) represents another hearty favorite and features porcini-stuffed pasta, caramelized onions and a savory Marsala cream sauce.
Seafood fanatics can net a bounty of flavor via Pasta di Mare ($22), which includes scallops, mussels and shrimp, and is tied together with a tomato-basil Pomodoro sauce accented with white wine and garlic.
Chicken Scaloppine ($18)
Tuscan Ribeye ($27) serves as a popular choice among local diners and offers a stellar 12-ounce cut of certified Angus beef. The succulent cut is topped with Tuscan butter and served with roasted potatoes and asparagus — a hard deal to beat, as Kekoolani notes that most steak houses serve comparable dishes a la carte sans sides.
“It’s hard to go wrong with the ribeye — the marbling on it is superb,” adds the chef, who previously served as regional corporate chef for Ruth’s Chris, Macaroni Grill’s sister restaurant. “The ribeye is seasoned with salt and pepper, cooked to perfection and topped off with a compound Tuscan butter. You can’t go wrong.”
Macaroni Grill also features a host of happy hour specials available daily from 3 to 6 p.m., and again from 8 to 10 p.m. The popular menu offers a slew of savings on both food and beverages, and sports fans also score, as the happy hour deals are extended during football games and other popular events.
“We want to provide that ‘wow’ factor. By the time diners leave, I want them to be thinking about coming back for their next dining experience,” says Kekoolani.
Romano’s Macaroni Grill
Ala Moana Center, Hookipa Terrace
1450 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu
356-8300
Daily, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Honolulu, HI 96814
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