Solimene's - Pizza, Pasta, Panini and More
Cheryl King
December 2005

We've missed not having a good, inexpensive little Italian restaurant to frequent on days when we have forgotten to thaw something for dinner or just don't want to cook after a busy day. Thus, when I read a brief blurb that a subscriber to Konaweb had posted stating that a little restaurant with "great, home-cooked Italian food" had recently opened in the Waimea/Kamuela area, we were anxious to try it.

Our chance came sooner than I had expected on a Saturday evening after a trip around the island led us through Waimea. I suggested to my husband that we try to find the restaurant I had heard about for future reference - on evenings when we are in Waimea to attend the Keck Astronomy Lecture Series or other events. We found Solimene's in the shopping center that is officially known as the Waimea Shopping Center, although locals are just as apt to name it after the KTA store that is in it.

Lonnie and I parked in front of the restaurant and made a quick dash to the door to check out the menu. It looked good, so good, in fact, that Lonnie suggested we forego the leftovers that awaited us at home and hang around until the restaurant opened at 5:30pm. We returned a few minutes after it opened to find that two of the tables were already taken. Ten minutes later, every table in the restaurant was filled, and a line started to form outside. We started to think that perhaps we were on to something!

We seated ourselves in the very front of the restaurant at the only table that was pulled apart from others like it to provide a table for two people. As we waited for our server to arrive, we looked around the room and listened to Italian music. The small square space achieved a certain charm and warmth with its lattice wood ceiling, hanging fans, brushed yellow walls adorned with scenes of Italy, and tile floor. The rear wall of the restaurant facing the shopping center parking lot is made primarily of glass and keeps the room from having a closed-in feeling. It also allows diners to see the summit of Mauna Kea and the domes of the observatories on a clear day.

We soon discovered that Solimene's is a true Mom and Pop Italian restaurant with owner Robin Aiona doing the cooking assisted by son Max in the kitchen. Her husband/co-owner Max and his sister Maxine work behind the take-out counter or on the floor as servers. Robin is from a Long Island Italian family, the Solimenes, and the restaurant features dishes using recipes that were passed down from her grandmother. Robin explained that although the food might indeed be described as American or New York style Italian cooking, many products imported from Italy are used in the recipes to give them that authentic Italian taste. Di Cecco pasta, Italian cheeses, and other products imported from Italy such as Prosciutto di Parma are featured.

Solimene's menu features a large selection of pizza, pasta and Panini as well as a few meat or other entrees. This review does not have the space to mention them all, but the variety of choices should please just about everyone. The pizza selections include all the traditional variations one would expect such as Margherita, Pepperoni and Supreme as well as those with Hawaiian, Greek, or Californian influences. Personal, Medium, and Large sizes are available.

Solimene's homemade marinara sauce with its rich, slightly chunky tomato and fresh basil taste is used in the spaghetti and several other meat or pasta dishes. Lonnie ordered the Chicken Parmesan ($11.95) which consisted of two layers of Parmesan breaded chicken cutlets covered with marinara sauce and a blend of mozzarella and provolone cheese on top. It was accompanied by garlic bread, spaghetti with marinara sauce, and the Vegetable del Giorno, a small dish of perfectly sauteed slices of herbed zucchini and cherry tomatoes.

I ordered the Stuffed Shells Al Forno ($11.95). The shells were stuffed with Italian Sausage, spinach and blended cheeses, covered with generous amounts of Marinara sauce and mozzarella, and baked to a golden perfection. Both dishes were very good and satisfying.

On a subsequent visit, en route to a West Hawaii Astronomy Club meeting, we shared an order of Bruschetta ($5.95) - four pieces of very thin, crisp crostini topped with the traditional mixture of fresh tomatoes, fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil. We each opted for the side salad of greens, grated carrot, olives and cucumber topped with the house dressing - a very good thick red wine vinaigrette. It was just the right size to accompany the generous entrees.

Mine was the Garlic-Herbed Chicken Con Broccoli ($12.95)- a marinated, grilled chicken breast with a faint taste of rosemary served with fresh broccoli over orecchiette in a garlic cream sauce. It was good, but being partial to red sauce, I kept asking Lonnie for bites of his Manicotti Al Forno ($11.95) which were filled with a rich blend of ground beef, spinach, and special cheeses and covered with Marinara and melted mozzarella. The pasta dishes are served with two pieces of Garlic Bread and a side Garden Fresh Salad can be ordered to accompany it for only $2.50.

Dessert lovers can choose from several kinds of ice cream, including a chocolate hazelnut ($2.75) that had an intriguing taste and that I will definitely order again. Other dessert options are a low sugar New York Cheesecake ($3.95), a Caramel Cheesecake ($4.25) and Tiramisu ($3.95).

Only one thing was missing from our dinner - wine! Although it does not yet have a liquor license, Solimene's owners hope to have one by February. Unfortunately, diners are not invited to bring their own bottle. In the meantime, diners can choose from a variety of teas, citrus drinks, and Italian or other sodas.

Lunch goers who don't want as heavy a meal can opt for a personal pizza ($6.95), a cup ($2.95) or bowl ($4.95) of the homemade "Zuppe del Giorno," a hot Hero Sandwich ($7.95) such as meatball parmigiana, or a Panini ($8.95). The Sicilian veggie panini, with its provolone, fontina cheese, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts, red onion, mushrooms fresh basil and olive tapenade, sounded especially good to me as did the Pollo panini with its sliced chicken breast, fontina cheese, roasted red peppers, red onion, olives and pesto. A variety of salads is also available.

Much as we liked Solimene's, it does have a few drawbacks which need to be mentioned so that the diner can plan accordingly. First, it does not take reservations. Because of its immense popularity, one really must show up at 5:30pm or shortly thereafter to be assured of a dinner table. Allow approximately an hour for the first round of dinner guests to start leaving.

Once the restaurant is full and people start lining up outside to wait, there is no mechanism in place to take names. It is first come, first served in the line outside the door. People who leave the line to wander around the shopping center must leave someone in their party in line to claim a table when one opens up.

The wrought iron tables are modular in nature and each will seat two people, however, because of the limited space in the restaurant, they are normally pushed together to provide seating for four. Only one table is obviously set up for two people and it is directly in front of the take-out window in the front of the restaurant. This is no problem until take-out customers come in and are standing nearby. To avoid this minor annoyance, it would be preferable for two people to head for a table set up for four and either separate it slightly or better yet, if the restaurant fills to capacity, invite a couple waiting in line outside to join you.

In spite of the restaurant being so full of customers, service was good and the food came within a reasonable length of time. Additional servers have been hired to deal with Solimene's high volume of business and it is to be hoped that they will soon be as knowledgeable about the food as the family members who waited on us during our initial visit.

Solimene's is a welcome addition to the Waimea dining scene. It provides generous servings of hearty, family-style American Italian cooking at reasonable prices. We predict that the instant popularity it has enjoyed since its grand opening on September 30th is unlikely to wane and that customers will want to make repeat visits to this new arrival.

Solimene's
65-1158 Mamalahoa Highway
Waimea Shopping Center
Kamuela, Hawaii
Tel: 887-1313
Hours: Tue-Sat Lunch 10:30am-3pm, Dinner 5:30pm-9pm; Sun 10:30am-3pm; Closed Mondays