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Sapori Enoteca Birreria, a closer look
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Aloha!
2/24/10 - As promised, we did return once again to Chef Donato Loperfido's latest, and perhaps greatest creation, Sapori Enoteca/Birreria. Now, I'm not gonna lie to ya's - before arriving, I knew as much about a sapori, an enoteca, or a birreria as I know about the tax code - absolutely nothing! Same goes for spezzatino, tartufata, stracciatella, or montasio & speck. Local boy, you know. The situation rudely awakens me to the fact that despite having a food and restaurant site, there's actually more I don't know than know. But as always, in many ways, there's just as much fun in knowing as there is in not knowing, yes? Though with understanding and absolute control of a subject or matter, there comes a decisive confidence, a certain pride, a kind of boastful prestige afforded, how, on the other hand, does that all compare to the joys of discovery and the wonder of learning something for the very first time? Me, I milk the fun out of both approaches every time!
Not that I'm totally ignorant of Italian cuisine. It's just that with one look at the menu here, I could immediately sense that I wasn't exactly at home-base anymore. The very name of the restaurant itself had me searching for answers:
Sapori: tastes or flavors.
Enoteca: A genuine enoteca is place where people can try small pours of various wines at reasonable prices, with the option of buying select varieties in larger quantities afterwards. They were often called wine libraries because local wineries would often see the need to educate people in regards to the selections. Today, the term is used for a wide variety of cafes, bistro's, and restaurants that feature large wine stocks.
Birreria: A brew-pub. Beer, that is, not wine.
Tastes and flavors? Wine Bar? Brew-house? Sounds like a plan, Dan! Combine all of that with a sleek, yet casual atmosphere and a menu of exquisite Italian fusion dishes, all prepared in Spanish tapas-like (izakaya-like, too!) form, where small dishes are meant to be shared amongst friends and family, and me thinks you have the makings of something truly special!
Before seeing what makes Sapori Enoteca so special, however, and just in case you don't know, they are located in the Uraku Tower, which sits on Kapiolani Blvd., just Diamond Head of Piikoi. Their parking lot is also accessed from Kapiolani Blvd., just left of the Tower (and sign).
Car locked and parked, catch the elevator up one floor, where the scene immediately open's-up to a full bar:
First time here, we were amazed at how packed it was, even at about 9pm on a weekday. Judging by our next visit the following week, when we arrived at right around 5:45pm, it seems the restaurant starts slow, then picks-up at 8-8:30 or so, right when the crowd of mostly professional and well-to-do diners seem to hit their full stride. Here's a shot of their soon-to-be-packed dining room:
Chef Donato's appreciation of both grape and barley are highly apparent, with temperature-controlled wine cellars, a large and reasonably-priced wine list, and a long page of designer beers. No tap available, but this is one place you won't be dissapointed despite the fact, as some of these choices are found nowhere else on the island, not even at Fujioka's or Tamura's! You may know that one of my go-to types of beer is an IPA, or Indian Pale Ale, so named because extra hops were supposedly added in order to survive the long trip to India (a supposed fact often refuted by historians). Whatever the case, an India Pale Ale is strong and hoppy, with its almost bitter flavor being perhaps an acquired taste, and one I've acquired quite gladly!
Bottles here can reach past $15, but this Yellowtail IPA was one of their cheapest, at $6, while the Rising Sun IPA was a few bucks more (4/25/10 - oops, mistake! Not actually IPA's, as kindly corrected by Tony R, comments below page):
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The Yellowtail was a good, safe choice, as far as IPA's go, but the Rising Sun, now this was a beer to celebrate! With a citrus zing and a faint hint of spice, it was the combination of a stiff, razor-sharp hoppiness and a smooth, crisp, refreshing finish that left me speechless, almost like an Echigo IPA, if there could ever be such a thing.
Another hugely interesting beer was a double-hop Struise Mikkeler from Belgium. This one was not only big on flavor, but big on ABV - 9 percent, to be exact, about double that of typical beers, such as Budweiser! When our super-friendly server and Assistant Manager, Theresa, who is definitely well-versed in all things wine, beer, and food, asked how I liked it, I said, "I didn't know about the taste, but this thing sure was kicking my butt!"
In actuality, though, I loved the taste as well, coming super-malty, creamy, even, with a thick, lasting after-taste of fruits, nuts, and spice. Despite these traits, it was also well-balanced and not overly heavy, kinda like a 250 lb. linebacker doing the ballet.
General Manager/Wine Director Cynthia Fenner also knows a thing or two about libations, being a second-level sommelier acquired from Neiman Marcus, where she worked with Master Sommelier Roberto Viernes, one of only two Master Sommeliers on the island. She was extremely gracious with us eager students of wine, pairing several choices for us on our first visit. With Kumi and I both having an affinity for bolder wines - her, for fruity, deep reds and myself, for crisp, super-sweet whites, the large selection of old world French, Spanish, and Italian wines served here was especially unique to us, me in particular, as my preferences lie more with stronger New World wines than anything else. At least for now. Things could all change with one good dinner or bottle, after all!
After explaining our preferences, Cynthia presented us with one white and one red, an '08 Terredora di Paolo Falanghina (white) and an '07 Ceuso Scurati Nero D'Avola (red). Both completely baffled me. Both were vastly and interestingly different than anything I've had in my yet-provincial wine world. It's as if the sugars on the white were somehow tempered-down a bit, with a strong hint of crisp pear or apple alongside grape, while the red seemed to portray a slightly astringent taste that was piercing and assertive, but somehow, a little more on the dry side. But you know what? My newly-budding sense of wine psychology fell into tatter and shame tonight, as Kumi completely disagreed, saying both were more sweet than dry, and more importantly, the ultimate authority on the matter, Cynthia, concurred with my wife more than me! Oh, well. Such is life...
The one type of wine we could all agree with, however, was this one:
Simply awesome. And New World, by the way, a combination of three grapes from three different areas of California. 60 percent of this bottle comes from Zinfandel in Amador County, 30 percent Syrah from Paso Robles Vineyards, and 10 percent Cab from Napa. The result is an in-your-face, fruity-dark, mouth-filling punch with a surprisingly smooth, extremely well-rounded taste and finish, kinda like the linebacker and ballet dancer all over again! It's as close to a complete red wine as I can imagine, at least according to everything I love about a red! I'd love to linger a while longer on the subject, but with so much food coming, we better move on!
The one-page menu of dishes here at Sapori Enoteca changes whenever Chef Donato feels inspired, which can, at times, occur on a weekly basis! Our two visits, however, spaced-apart by about ten days, presented us with largely the same choices, save for a few exceptions. Not that anyone's complaining! A total of 17 separate dishes were found, all at surprisingly affordable prices ranging from $5 to $18 each. Anyone remember how pricey it was at Elua? Oie vey! Thank goodness for Sapori!
On the $5 side were these deep-fried morsels:
Looks and tastes almost exactly like the ones my dad used to make! He'd take a whole bag of frozen, baby fish (I believe they were sardines), each about the same size as the ones shown above, and prepare them, while still in the bag, with flour, salt, and black pepper. He'd shake 'n bake the entire thing and throw bunches at a time into the deep-fryer. Of course, dad knew nothing of the red bell pepper saffron aioli Chef Donato employs!
For a buck more, a trio of bruschetta pieces was another highly affordable dish, a must-try that typifies and highlights the sophistication and skills of Chef Donato perfectly. First, a caprese:
Then, a grilled eggplant topped with diced tomato and grated white cheese:
And finally, a sautee of mixed mushrooms:
All-together, now!
Each was fabulous, and much more refined than your typical Italian eatery around town, for sure. I think if I came here ten times, I'd still start with this trio every time!
But moving right along, here's a ceviche of snapper, scallops, mussels, and prawns:
With a light salad on the bottom of this already-tiny champagne glass and the further use of lilikoi, mango, and peppers, along with the necessary overtures of citrus, the amount of seafoods included inside was very, very small. The sweet pieces of ocean bounty were no doubt fresh, sweet, and absolutely delicious, but at $10, didn't carry much of a bang for the buck, unlike most other dishes we've experienced here.
More substantial was the platter of Salt Spring black mussels ($14), steamed in white wine, garlic, roasted fingerling potatoes, cured tomatoes, and extra virgin olive oil:
Smaller and more delicate than mussels we'd normally see at supermarkets, the meat was roughly the size of a Kumamoto oyster or large clam. The broth it swam in was aromatic and briny, not drenched in rich butters like you sometimes see - not that there's anything wrong with lots of butter!
After trying every Japanese and local version of raw oysters on the island, Kumi was very interested in trying an Italian version, shown here ($15):
Each oyster was separated from its shell and placed back on the half-shell for easy eating. The flavor was a simple brine, along with a cool cucumber sorbet combination that kinda reminded me of the seafood version of a prosciutto melon - very refreshing.
Next-up was a bit of a stretch for me. I mean, I've had them a few times, but quite honestly, have never had a version that sits really well with me. What is it?
You know the creepy crawlers you sprinkled salt on as an evil kid, watching them foam and seethe and torment to the bitter end? Yep, that's them, allright. I gotta say - these escargot pieces, marinating in some type of balsamic vinegar/wine reduction, were the most palatable I've found yet. I could tell the feral, un-tamed taste of the snails were being mitigated and mellowed through this particular style of preparation and cooking, more so than any other I've ever tried. It's just that, I dunno - eat a chicken, and you wanna taste chicken. Eat beef, and you wanna taste cow. Eat a banana, and you wanna taste banana. Eat snail, however, please, pretty please - don't let me taste any snail! At all! The slightest bit of that unmistakeably foul taste is like scratching the chalkboard for me! It's not like lamb or veal, where you actually want a skosh bit of gamines, just to heighten the senses, put some hair on your chest, and make you feel like you're taking a walk on the wild side!
With these pieces here at Sapori, there was only the slightest, wee-bit hint of wildness involved. Though at first confined only to an after-taste, with a barely detectable kind of odiferous sensation, it grew and grew with each passing bite, eventually reaching critical mass until it somehow coursed straight up through my nostrils and into the very core of my brain! No mas! I managed to put one bread-bottomed section away, but just barely!
Kumi and Big Al, by the way, loved them, and like I said, despite my perhaps overly-dramatic caricature of the situation, I could still tell they were done extremely well. Believe me, Chef Donato, it's me, not you. Some things, I'm just not meant to conquer, is all!
Back when Chef Donato's Pasta Basta was still in operation at Restaurant Row, they'd have a great hand-made, potato and cheese-filled gnocchi, each tiny piece individually wrapped, and selling for ridiculously low prices for such an amount of work. Here, they also carry a house-made gnocchi, with seven different cheeses, for $10. But tasting it is actually for next time. This time, we decided upon another starch, a risotto con funghi ($13):
Spectacular! Flecked with bits and pieces of oyster, shimeji, ali'i, and porcini mushrooms, the mixed grains were of irregular sizes, creating a more rustic, home-made feel to it all, while being full and carrying a perfectly chewy-starchy consistency. The deep, earthy, creamy liquid was full of meaty mushroom flavor, absolutely bursting with taste and energy. Though mostly starch, this ain't no side dish, but a complete meal!
And speaking of complete meals, there are yet a few dishes here that stray from the tapas format. Instead of just a single entree or appetizer, their roast pork loin chop ($18) comes with a starch of roasted potatoes and veggie of broccolini:
This dish was described as being stuffed with Montasio cheese and speck, a kind of Italian ham, but I didn't see either here. No worries, though, as these unbelievably moist, tender pieces were pre-cut, pupu-style, the white meat absolutely delicious, especially when smothered in the red wine tartufata, a kind of truffle sauce:
Our next meaty choice was a charred ribeye ($18), also served with a veggie side of haricot verts, but no starch:
That pork was pretty darn incredible, but this ribeye was perhaps my favorite protein tonight. Topped with a Cabrales blue cheese glacage, I gotta say, I completely forgot everything but the char-grilled goodness of the steak, which was seasoned itself with the perfect amount of savory flavors. While the pork was perfect with its complementary tartufata sauce, this one didn't need much of anything else!
And finally, a spezzatino, or stewed dish, of three different meats and borlotti beans, served with a gratinee of roasted garlic, herbs, and bread crumbs:
Wow, talk about rich! This super-hearty, super-masculine dish is not for the faint of heart! Ordered on our first visit along with just three other small dishes, Kumi and I should have been able to finish it, as we were both still hungry by the time it arrived on our table. When it came down to it, though, Kumi ate no more than a few bites while I managed about half the plate. Not that we didn't like it; it was actually very good, but if it wasn't pure boneless beef short rib, pure pork meat, or pure Italian sausage, it was an equally weighty portion of borlotti beans, all-together drenched in a dark, reduced tomato and meat sauce allowed to thicken to almost a paste. Delicious upon sampling, but for a whole meal, I think I'd need lots and lots of white rice or hot bread and no breakfast or lunch that day!
Perhaps we should have ordered this upon our return, when Big Al and Da Gooch accompanied us. Split into four, it would have made a tasty and enjoyable course. Here's a shot of that boneless short rib, which was fall-apart fabulous, followed by the pork, equally as great, and house-made sausage:
Phew! All pau! Out of all Chef Donato's past accomplishments, I think this enoteca/birreria format has the most chances of succeeding here in the islands, riding right on the coat-tails of the izakaya and tapas establishments that have already gained such a foothold here. The food is top-knotch and excellent, the atmosphere classy but casual, and what can I say about the large selection of wine and beer available? Though service is super-friendly and warm, they can get a bit busy and short-handed at times, the only possible draw-back I see here. The place sure is off to a great start, and I wish them nothing more than continued success.
Make sure to say hello to Cynthia and Theresa - they are both a wealth of knowledge and experience regarding fine food and wine, and are each fun and personable at the same time.
Our next couple of Closer Looks will be much quicker, both from a couple of established, neighborhood-type Chinese restaurants on the island....
Until then, take care, and Aloha till next time!
Aku
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Comments:
Tony R (4/25/10) Ballast Point Yellowtail Pale Ale is not an IPA. It is not even a Pale Ale except in name. It is a German style Kolsch. But Sapori carries Ballast Point Big Eye IPA (their bitter IPA). And Whole Foods and Tamura's carries Ballast Point Sculpin IPA (Their floral IPA.)
Aku (4/28/10) Thanks for the heads-up! Sorry, with everything going-on that night, I guess I mistakenly blurred the lines and just labeled them as IPA's! Not sure why I went there! IPA's are definitely my favorite beers, so maybe wishful thinking? As far as not being a pale ale, that's a difference my amateur beer palate may not be able to tell quite as easily as a full-blown IPA; I don't even know exactly what a Kolsch is! Anyways, thanks again for the correction, I'll definitely go in and make some changes - are you a bartender, specialist, or someone who just loves his beer? And BTW, I sent you this very e-mail response, but it was returned to me as an invalid address. Feel free to write through this site instead.
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