Mangia! To celebrate summer, Arancino Ristorante Italiano just launched a limited-time menu comprising an assortment of appetizers, pastas and pizza. The summer menu is available at both Arancino di Mare and Arancino on Beachwalk.
If you’re looking for light appetizers, go for the insalata con gamberi, avocado e pompelmo ($23) or carpaccio di polpo ($23). The salad comprises mixed greens with shrimp, avocado, red onions, grapefruit and housemade grapefruit dressing. It’s light and refreshing with extra flavor from the shrimp. The carpaccio, meanwhile, features thinly sliced octopus with celery ribbons, olives, a garlic crunch and lemon garlic olive oil dressing.
Those craving a more simple but still tasty salad can opt for the insalata mista ($19) with mixed greens, local cherry tomatoes, red onions, papaya and a housemade organic carrot dressing.
The summer menu features a slew of new pastas. Many feature seafood, including spaghetti ai frutti di mare ($40) — scallops, shrimp, mussels, clams, calamari, lemon zest and lightly spicy garlic olive oil sauce — spaghetti al nero di sepia ($32) with calamari and spicy garlic squid ink sauce; spaghetti alla puttanesca e polpo ($30) with octopus, anchovy, olives, capers and spicy tomato sauce; and paccheri alle cozze ($32) with mussels and spicy pomodoro sauce.
The spaghetti ai frutti di mare is an ideal option if you want a little of everything, as it’s essentially a seafood sampler (the scallops are my favorite part). If you like spice, go for the paccheri alle cozze — the eatery doesn’t skimp on the mussels, and the pomodoro definitely brings some heat.
If seafood’s not your thing, not to worry. Other new pasta specials include gnocchi alla sorrentina ($30); tagliatelle con prosciutto e asparagi ($30); and spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino con prosciutto e rucola ($30). The gnocchi was one of my favorite dishes from this new menu; it comprises mozzarella di bufala, cherry tomatoes and a light pomodoro sauce. While gnocchi can be heavy, the bright tomatoes and light sauce prevent this dish from being overly indulgent.
The fresh tagliatelle with prosciutto di parma and asparagus is ideal for any diner who prefers cream sauce pastas. The parmigiano Reggiano cream sauce deliciously cheesy.
The eatery’s pizza con nduja piccante ($32) brings some heat to the summer line-up. This ‘za is topped with Nduja (a spicy paste), tomato sauce, spicy salame, fresh mozzarella and chili chiffonade.
Arancino rounds out its summer feast with two main entrees — branzino ($41) and tagliata di manzo ($49). The branzino alla griglia features a 5-ounce grilled seabass with seasonal vegetables and a garlic herb olive oil sauce. The seabass is flaky and moist with a crispy skin, and you’ll want to dredge everything in that garlic olive oil sauce.
Meanwhile, the 8-ounce USDA Prime rib-eye is grilled and sliced, and accompanied by broccoli, cauliflower and French fries. While steak was flavorful — it was one of the first dishes to disappear during our media tasting — those accompanying fries will be hard to stop picking at.
CONTACT
Arancino di Mare
Waikīkī Beach Marriott Resort & Spa
2552 Kalākaua Ave., Honolulu
808-931-6273
arancino.com
Instagram: @arancinodimare
Open daily, 5-9 p.m.
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
