The newspaper ad run by the Vintage Cave Cafe last month was big and bold: 50% OFF--Italian Gourmet Fair!
It got my attention. We were entertaining a good friend and we made reservations to try out the three "Speciale" offerings that had to be fairly...incredible-- from $29 to $44 and $64 (after a 50% discount). There are two seatings, one from 5:30 to 7:45 pm, the other from 8:00-10:30 p.m. We had eaten there once before, but not at these new promo prices.
The Vintage Cave Cafe is located on the ground floor of the Ala Moana Shopping Center in between the Shirokiya restaurants and the Old Navy store. An unlikely place to find a cavernous (9000 sq. ft) fine dining room reminiscent of classic nouveau Italian or Spanish art, walls of brick, Las Vegas style mega murals and glittering chandeliers. The spacious and somewhat intimidating decor can be intimidating to the first time diner, with stone sculptures and paintings lining "cathedral like" dining room and alcoves with leather trimmed chairs and a large display of wines. A youthful service staff is more casual, but eager and well meaning, and there is a pianist-vocalist and accompanist situated mid-dining room playing modern jazz music.
The menus offer what I thought were excellent choices:
Speciale-A for $58.00 less 50%: Antipasto Caprese di Amera Tomato, Soup: Onion Soup with Grana Padano Cheese, Main: Jidori Chicken Or Milano style Veal Cutlet, and Dolce: Panna Cotta with lilikoi sauce.
Speciale-B for $88 less 50%: WagyuBeef Carpaccio Tonnato Sauce, Soup: Onion Soup as above; Pasta: Gamberi Rossi (Shrimp in linguine with special sauce; Main: Rack of Lamb with peppercorn sauce; or Sautéed Local Fish (6 oz) and Vintage Cave Tiramisu.
Speciale -C: Chicken Pate bruschetta with blueberry sauce, Antipasto: Smoked salmon salad with Ossetra Caviar;
Lobster Lemon Cream soup; Pasta: fettuccine with truffle cream sauce; Main: Wagyu Striploin Tagliata with mushroom marsala sauce, Or VCCafe Signature Cartoccio-Style Braised Beef ragout in wine and balsamic vinegar.
Cake Cart-choice of desserts on a dessert cart.
The food was in my opinion a great value; well prepared and full of flavors as described. The prices at 50% off do not betray the quality and serving sizes, which are hard to match in any fine dining restaurant in Honolulu. Remember however that these discounts run only until OCT. 31, 2018!!!
The servers though young are gaining terrific experience in fine dining service. There is only one objection we made -- that the music and singing was not very relaxing for dining and the loud volume made casual conversation difficult.
Bottom line: highly recommend this deal while it lasts until end of October this year. The Speciale - A at $28.00 plus tax and tip is just as hearty as either B or C; I would return to try either of them. Lunch is by special request for larger groups, and access to parking is plentiful.More