Pau Hana Patrol: Italian cuisine, cars make for fine blend at Viaggio

Viaggio is a pleasant little spot across the street from the Blaisdell Arena on Ward Avenue.

But isn’t that a fancy car dealership, you ask? Yes, it is, and that’s part of what makes it so special.

THE EXPERIENCE

Viaggio is ensconced on the third floor of Velocity Honolulu, which might best be described as a high-end lifestyle experience with ultra-luxury cars as the focus. At Velocity, you can get far more than the bottled water that you might get offered at fancy furniture or design stores. There’s boutique styling services for men and women, an audio equipment store and a cafe, among other services and products.

Of course the cars are the main draw, and it is kind of cool to scope out a Lamborghini or a Maserati before heading up to Viaggio via the escalator, catching a glimpse of the Ducati motorcycles along the way. Viaggio is on the same floor as the Bentleys, so you can get one last glimpse at fancy wheels before entering the restaurant.

Viaggio is an intimate space with a bar, small dining area, and a private room for groups, on the Diamond Head side of the building. Enjoy a view of Blaisdell Arena through the floor-to-ceiling windows, which also provide plenty of natural light.

Happy hour is from 4 to 6 p.m. daily in the bar area. That might be a bit of an awkward time if you’re going to a show at the Blaisdell at 7:30 or 8 p.m., but it does leave you with plenty of time to look at the cars. During the week, there’s no nearby street parking, but fortunately there is complementary valet parking, accessible from Kapiolani Boulevard.

THE FOOD

Viaggio has a small bar menu, and during happy hour all items are half-price. That makes for a good deal for a light meal, with a nice variety of dishes available.

I especially enjoyed the Kunoa Beef Sliders and Fries ($12.50 during happy hour), made with grass-fed beef from Hawaii’s Kunoa Cattle Company. It was surprising how good a little burger can taste with good beef; the fries were perfectly cooked as well.

For seafood lovers, there are steamed clams ($13), nicely prepared with local tomatoes, and Grilled Salmon Salad, featuring Maui onions, cucumber and tomatoes ($11.50).

We also had the Spinach and Bacon Dip ($9), a very tasty concoction served with focaccia for dipping.

All of these were tasty, simple dishes, reflecting the casual elegance of the spot. They certainly suggest that the full dinner menu, which features some delicious-sounding Italian dishes, would be well worth a taste or two.

THE DRINK

Draft beer, house wines and standard cocktails are all $4 for happy hour ($8 at other times), but Viaggio also offers a rotating cocktail special. During our visit it was the Rosemary Cucumber Spritzer, made with Tanqueray Malacca Gin ($7 during happy hour, otherwise $14). It’s a cool, refreshing drink that goes down easy.

Viaggio offers up some signature cocktails that look intriguing enough to try, even if they’re not at happy hour discount. Friendly bartender Petros Palaiochoritis put some elbow grease into his work preparing his Wild & Free ($16) for us, chipping a big cube of ice into a fist-sized ball, then mixing up Casa Noble Crystal tequila and luxardo maraschino liquor with grapefruit juice, sea salt and house-made sour mix. That one really cleared out my system from the nostrils down and whetted my appetite for more.

THE VERDICT

The fine Italian sports cars at Velocity Honolulu are out of reach for most of us, so we might as well make do with fine Italian food instead. Viaggio’s happy hour serves up an appetizing introduction to that — I’m eager to try their regular dinner menu sometime — while providing a nice light dinner or late afternoon snack.

As news comes that the Blaisdell complex is scheduled for renovation and/or reconstruction sometime in the not-too-distant future (one hopes), current views of the arena will go the way of so many other landmark structures in Hawaii. Why not have a nice meal and enjoy the view for nostalgia’s sake?

Be sure to check out the specialty cocktails, too.

VIAGGIO

Velocity, 888 Kapiolani Blvd.

592-8881, viaggiohonolulu.com

Happy hour: 4-6 p.m. daily

>> Antipasti, $13

>> Mozzarella Carozza, $10.50

>> Pizza Fondue w/Fresh Baked Focaccia, $11

>> Draft Beer, house wines, $4

>> Standard cocktails, $4

>> Specialty cocktail, $7