Plates and pours are a cut above at Vino

Waterfront Plaza used to be called Restaurant Row, and when Vino Italian Tapas & Wine Bar was first established, there might have been some competition. There isn’t much now, except for Ruth’s Chris, as the food scene has migrated to Chinatown, Kakaako and, of course, Waikiki.

In all honesty, there might have been little competition to begin with, because Vino is without a doubt one of those places where food, beverage and atmosphere combine to provide a special experience.

The experience

Vino separated from the now-closed Hiroshi Eurasion Tapas and relocated to a smaller space in Building 6. Happy hour is offered only at the 10-seat bar, and it’s not unusual to see a line outside for the 5:30 p.m. opening. (Vino also just started a once-a-month patio option with beverage specials. Check vinohawaii.com for details.)

Once there, you are reminded immediately that “vino” means “wine” in Italian and that wine is the house specialty. Restaurateur Chuck Furuya, who writes a monthly wine column for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser’s Crave dining/food magazine, is a master sommelier dedicated to bringing top-quality wine to Hawaii, mostly from Italy and other Mediterranean regions.

His operation is set up around wine: Bottles are kept in a Cruvinet wine dispenser to ensure the reds and whites are served at the right temperature. He also serves his wine in Riedel glasses, the crystal of connoisseurs, which are specially cleaned in a separate dishwasher.

The intimate space and simple decor make for a cozy atmosphere. One of the more unique items is a set of glass containers filled with rocks from various wine-growing regions of Europe. With Furuya on hand nearly every night — except when he’s off on wine-and-food-tasting trips — the rocks make for interesting conversation pieces.

The food

While specials are offered every night, the 50 percent happy-hour discount on food is applied only to items on the regular menu. But don’t fret. You can still sample such delicacies as the pan-seared Hudson Valley foie gras ($20.95 regular price). Served with duck prosciutto, brioche, a quail egg and maple syrup, it hits all the taste buds.

Otherwise, the menu features Italian-style comfort food, with starters like grilled asparagus Milanese ($17.95 regular price) with a sunny-side-up egg, Parmesan and truffle oil, as well as pastas and main entrees from fish to chicken to veal and beef.

The kabocha pumpkin ravioli with jumbo pesto-marinated prawns ($15.95 regular) was delightful, the pumpkin rounded off perfectly with sage brown-butter sauce, and the huge prawns providing texture but not overpowering taste.

I also had a mini serving of veal osso buco ($16.95 regular), a richly flavored veal shank served with veggies and mashed potatoes. Chef Keith Endo runs a farm-to-table operation, and it was a delight to taste locally grown grape tomatoes, tiny in size but huge in tangy flavor. It was just the right combination.

At happy-hour prices this all came to less than $40. I managed to pack it all down, but with maybe one more dish, there would have easily been enough for two.

The drink

One might be intimidated to drink wine at a place like Vino, and the huge wine list won’t allay your concerns. If you’re just dipping your toe into the vat of grapes, so to speak, you can order tastes in 2-ounce glasses until you find one to your liking. Of course, Furuya will be happy to guide you in his enthusiastic way.

Vino also serves up enticing cocktails, offered at $2 off during happy hour. On Furuya’s recommendation, I had the Whyte Laydie martini ($9.50 regular), the day’s special. It came with a freshly whipped foam made from the morning’s egg delivery, mixed with lemon verbena and calamansi in Whyte Laydie gin from Montana. The crispness of the drink worked especially well with the veal.

The verdict

Hawaii is about as far from Italy as you can get, but Furuya brings the two together for a fantastic experience in food and drink at affordable happy-hour prices. Just be sure to get there on time.