Before opening their doors, restaurateurs would do well to borrow the high-concept pitch employed by the film industry. That is, a simple explainer.

A pitch for “Star Wars” might have read, “Jedi defend the galaxy from an evil Emperor and Darth Vader.”

An ill-defined menu of creative or fusion cuisine often leaves diners confused over what they’re going to be eating. Sadly, “creative” and “fusion” have become code words for trend-chasing and experimental cuisine, leaving risk-averse diners cold when they just want something tried and true that they can recognize.

Bethel Union opened with one of those trendy menus, but has since revamped to focus on a streamlined roster of casual Italian-American specialties that require no lengthy prose to explain or entice.

Instead, their current menu is enough to evoke simplicity, comfort and nostalgia, all suggesting welcome refuge from the calamity of daily politics and other stressors.

The restaurant space was formerly home to Brasserie Du Vin, and the amenities are the same: great bar, open-air courtyard, and a private room that accommodates parties of about 25 people.

By day, the vibe is chill, which makes Bethel Union an easy consideration for a business lunch. Evenings are livelier, especially when coinciding with programs at neighboring Hawaii Theatre Center. On event nights, crowds appear early and disappear at showtime to make way for a second round of diners. Small, shareable bites are perfect for theatergoers in search of quick and easy, and who may return afterward for main attractions and desserts.

The menu is essentially the same day and night, save for the addition of sandwiches at lunchtime, and the appearance of a cheese and charcuterie board ($22) and seared rib-eye steak ($27) for dinner. Keep that in mind because the steak, served with caper-smashed potatoes, a wild mushroom demi-glace and grilled asparagus, is an evening crowd-pleaser.

Day or night, a burrata caprese ($14) is a good place to start, the ball of mozzarella, stracciatella and cream served with crostini. Grilled asparagus ($8) is an option for health-minded diners. It’s sprinkled with extra-virgin olive oil and lemon zest, and unexpectedly packs the heat of chili peppers. Watch out for the addictive Union fries ($8), thick-cut rectangles sprinkled with parsley and feta and served with a light-tasting garlic aioli.

Cheese arancini ($12) comprises a mellow blend of roasted tomato risotto, fried mushrooms and mozzarella. Salads include a Caesar ($11) with a grilled chicken breast (add $6) option; and arugula ($13), tossed with onions, tomatoes and a honey balsamic dressing before being layered over strips of prosciutto, and finished with slices of apple.

For lunch there’s a crispy chicken sandwich ($12) that’s surprisingly light in spite of being deep-fried. It’s topped with melted provolone, caper aioli, roasted red peppers and standard ‘wich greens. There’s also a meatball sub ($13), but the classic large American- style meatballs are repeated elsewhere, so maybe you’ll want to simply have them as a marinara-coated appetizer ($13), or in an entree of spaghetti and meatballs ($16) tossed with a light, oven-roasted tomato sauce and basil.

In addition to the steak mentioned earlier, entrees of braised short ribs over hand-cut pappardelle ($21), and fresh catch, most recently mahimahi ($22), manage to impress. I especially liked the bright touch of lemon in the snow pea risotto that accompanied the fish, which cut some of the weight from the cheese-filled rice.

For dessert, consider yourself lucky if the tiramisu ($9) is still available when it comes your turn to order. Other welcome options include a dense chocolate custard ($8) that will make chocoholics swoon, and a slice of apple cake ($9) with the texture of a bread pudding.

Overall, I appreciated the return to sensible cuisine.

Nadine Kam’s restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@staradvertiser.com.