Downtown Oasis: Spada
April 6th, 2008 by MelissaI’ve always had a good relationship with my staffers. One of my first was Cindy Leong—now Cindy Goo—when we worked together at ProComm in the early 1990s. She was smart, honest, and enthusiastic about her work. She cared so much about her job, in fact, that she would still call me for weeks after she left to remind me to do things! (Or was it just that Chinese bossiness? Ha)
She’s now expecting her second child, so we decided to get together for lunch. Spada, located at the base of the First Hawaiian Bank building, seemed like a pretty good choice since Cindy had not tried it yet. (Also because Hukilau was closed.) There is nice al fresco seating next to the outside waterfall, and ample indoor seating.
Most entrées are in the $12-$16 range and you can have as much focaccia with olive oil and balsamic vinegar as you want. Cindy opted for the penne with a meat sauce, and I had the spaghetti with vongole (clams in a cream sauce).
Yummmm! Both were excellent choices. I know people like to be healthy, but I tried their salads before and those were just so-so. These pastas were both full of flavor and not overwhelming. The serving size was just right, too, so you can eat and talk and still get back to work on time. I think we went through two baskets of bread, one that we picked on before the meal, and one that we used to mop up the leftover sauces. Seriously, it was that good…not just because Cindy is eating for two!
Spada Restaurant & BarFirst Hawaiian Tower
999 Bishop St
Honolulu, HI 96813
538-3332
Tags: Spada, Spada restaurant & bar
April 7th, 2008 at 12:59 am
Hey Melissa…this place is right across the street from my office, yet I hardly get over there. Your photos and review make we want to go back again. BTW, Spada is opening up another restaurant at The Wyland Waikiki hotel. Should be opening shortly.
April 7th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Hopefully we can go to Hukilau next time!
April 7th, 2008 at 1:07 pm
Hi Melissa. I ate here a few times and had good meals served up quick and hot. My last visit was a mess and I haven’t gone back since. Lasagna which was cold in the center, a waiter that was much more interested in the pretty girl filling our a job application than a paying customer and s-l-o-w service. It sent back the food to be warmed up and got attitude. It was the only times I actually didn’t leave a tip. That was a couple months ago. I’ll go back again sometime. I’m reasonably sure that waiter was fired and is gone.
April 7th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
Ya know, all it takes is just ONE time!! At any place. I can totally relate, though. There are tons of other places to eat around town. mmmm watch my next blog.