Sabrina Collo and Stefano Cianfrini honeymooned in Hawai'i in 1993. They loved it so much, they moved here and opened a restaurant in 2000. Since then, their modest dining room has developed a loyal following while remaining under the radar.

The couple hails from Rome, and Cianfrini was a chef at his family's restaurant in the Abruzzo region, but the food is from all over Italy. With their skeleton crew, it's like eating at a friend's house. On a recent weeknight, three big parties filled the room, the lively diners eating family style (like Buca di Beppo but, what a novelty, with real Italian food).

In the small room, the ceilings are high, and you sit on quasi-country wood chairs amid pictures of Italian scenery and Sophia Loren (and Al Pacino?!).

Like a home kitchen, things can be a little haphazard — what's called arugula salad on the menu is really mixed greens under a parachute of prosciutto, which is delicious nevertheless — and servers can get distracted by conversation with customers.

But if you don't have a Type A personality, there is plenty to appreciate at Sabrina's. Beef carpaccio (there also is a salmon version) is an excellent film of meat over salad — spritz it with lemon for the perfect beginning to dinner.

Fans extol the pastas — there's an extensive list divided into house-made and uh, nonhouse-made. Choose your favorite — and Sabrina's version is bound to meet expectations. House-made linguine, black with squid ink, is topped with a Sicilian tomato sauce brightened with garlic, parsley and a hint of chili — it could be cooked down more to concentrate flavors and be less wet, but it's the only time I've seen this classic on a Honolulu menu, and I'll take it. Penne in a white wine sauce with bits of Italian sausage, porcini and Parmesan looks blandly monochromatic but is vivid with flavor. Gnocchi is on the dense side but tastes good in the strangely creamy butter-and-sage sauce (you also can get it with meat sauce, pesto or vodka cream).

There are four kinds of risotto, the artichoke version a nice gooey, cheesy plate. The seafood risotto is almost a paella with clams, mussels, shrimp, calamari and scallops, with a bit of tomato sauce.

Entrees — or secondi piatti — are where you find the meat and fish dishes. On a recent night, the white wine-garlic-and-Parmesan sauce of the agnello fricassea was a savory, bread-soppable blend, but the thin slices of long-cooked lamb made me think of mutton. Likewise, the veal piccatina in a bright lemon sauce seemed more like full-grown beef. Bonus: As with many of the entrees, both these dishes come with a side of smashed potatoes and a tousle of marinated, sauteed zucchini, eggplant and mushrooms.

If your idea of Italian food is still Auntie Pasto's, anything at Sabrina's will turn you on to a new culinary world. Collo and Cianfrini's mom-and-pop shop delivers good home-style Italian cooking in a casual setting. Bring some rosso and bianco with you — it's BYOB — and it's your own private dinner party.

RESTAURANT NEWS

Opened: Honolulu finally gets a fast-food salad joint. Cubicle warriors are already standing in line at Salad Creations (1102 Bishop St. at Hotel, 585-9549). Part of a Florida-based franchise, you stand at the counter and create your own salad — like a Stone Cold Creamery with vegetables. Price starts at $6.99, and "throw ins" include bacon bits, egg, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries and gorgonzola. For the indecisive, there also are composed salads such as "Chinese Chopstick," wraps and soups.

New hours: Because of popular demand, Hank's Haute Dogs (324 Coral St., between Auahi and Ala Moana, 532-4265) will now be open from noon to 6 p.m. Sundays (but will close Mondays). To kick off the new hours, owner Henry Adaniya invited chef Dale Levitski to create a preparation for the eatery's new "Kobe" dog made with Australian wagyu beef at the storefront on Sunday. Levitski helmed Adaniya's famed Chicago restaurant Trio, which closed last year.

Nobu Waikiki now serves lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Mondays-Fridays.

Events: Chef Mavro's George Mavrothalassitis will hold "Cooking in the Country with Chef Mavro" Sept. 21-23 at Waianuhea, a luxury inn on the Big Island's lush Hamakua Coast. The weekend seminar includes a cooking class, a gourmet lunch, a farmers market visit and picnic, and Sunset Wine Hour every night. Rates, including three nights' accommodations, start at $1,700 for two. For reservations: 808-775-1118 or info@waianuhea.com.

To mark the start of autumn, Vino chef Keith Endo will cook a special four-course dinner Sept. 22. Three of the courses will be paired with a wine. Cost: $45 per person, not including tax and tip. To book: 533-4476.

Alan Wong combines the Pineapple Room's eighth anniversary with a fundraiser for Wai'anae's Ma'o Organic Farm at "Feast for the Senses," a stand-up pupu party at the Pineapple Room from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Sept. 23. Food and flowers will complement each other at the event, held in conjunction with "Neo Tropica," two floral design shows put on by renowned designer Hitomi Gilliam of Canada. In addition, Stanton Ho of Chocolate a la Carte in Valencia, Calif., will create sugar and chocolate sculptures. Price: $125 per person. For tickets, call 945-6573.

Reach Lesa Griffith at lgriffith@honoluluadvertiser.com.