Paesano

It's not easy to find good Italian food on the Island, but when you do find Paesano in the Manoa area, you're in for a delicious meal. The small restaurant sits in a strip mall currently (12/2022) under construction. Once you enter you're transported to a completely different place, with a hospitable host, clean tables, comfortable lighting, and a bustling small crowd. If you can, make reservations, we tried but the phones can go unattended when the restaurant is busy, didn't find an online system. We enjoyed our meals here so much that we came back a second time on our trip to Oahu. The chicken parm (small portion size) was delicious and in a good portion size for this full grown adult, especially after enjoying the several pieces of the freshly baked bread. While I wished for a little better selection of wines, the offerings were fine. Make the room to try the tiramisu, because after all, you're likely on vacation and the scales can wait. I will miss Paesano, now that's not easy for me to say, considering Italian is not always my first choice in cuisine.

Little gem in an unexpected place. Service was great, large menu with plentiful variations on Italian favorites. Clean and classic layout, with fully dressed tables and everything tidy, as you'd expect at a slightly higher end Italian location. Odd location in a strip mall, but you'd never guess it once inside.