Donato Loperfido could have continued to present his half of Elua's menu after taking over the restaurant when his co-pilot in the endeavor, Philippe Padovani, left for a cooking gig in Mauritius.

I look back at his old menu, dated April 2008, when few diners had to worry whether they'd have a job tomorrow and many wined and dined on nothing more than credit, and wonder how many people today can still afford to splurge on $45 steak and $38 lamb.

Right.

Loperfido was thinking along the same lines when he came up with a new restaurant concept for the Elua site, Sapori Enoteca/Birreria, that involves a menu of small, but not-too-small, plates, and a whole lot of wine and beer pairings, with a good quantity of dishes clustered at a $10 or $12 price point, and no plate over $20.

As any sushi fan knows, little plates do add up, and it's quite easy to spend just as much as you would dining in more traditional three- to five-course style. But Sapori's way is a lot more fun for those who like variety. Even so, don't go overboard on your first visit. Yes, everything on the menu looks delicious, but set a date to come back and try other options at a later date. Otherwise, if you're looking at too many plates in front of you, the mind can be overwhelmed and start shutting down, losing some of its capacity to completely enjoy the experience.

Padovani's departure doesn't leave Loperfido as the only chef on the premises. Having Scott Nelson, formerly of Du Vin, in the kitchen has freed Loperfido to put in more face time in the front of the house.

Otherwise, fans of Elua will find the room has not changed its masculine presence. Lightening up the decor could make it more palatable to women, who might be more receptive to the idea of small plates than men. But guys need not worry about leaving hungry. There is bound to be a dish or two designed to be filling, like, when I was there, a spezzatino, or stew of beef short ribs, Italian sausage, pork and borlotti beans, served with a gratin of roasted garlic, herbs and bread crumbs, for $18.

There might be temptation to call the dishes tapas because of the small-plate concept, but that would be a mistake. For the most part, the portions are the same size as at other restaurants. Sapori just liberates diners from the need to order individual appetizers, entrees, etc., in favor of family-style sharing. Much of the fare can be considered Italian-style comfort food, with gourmet flourishes. You can also create your own wine flights to accompany selections, starting at about $2.75 for a 2-ounce pour.

Start with the classic springtime Milanese dish of grilled asparagus ($10) topped with a sunny-side-up egg, Montasio cheese and speck, crisped like bacon.

Move onto a carpaccio of beef ($10) layered with Hamakua mushrooms fricassee and shaved Parmesan, with the deep, woodsy fragrance of truffle sauce emanating from the dish.

If raw beef isn't your thing, you might opt instead for a salad ($9) of local field greens, diced roasted beets and goat cheese, sitting atop golden cakes of fried polenta. A light coating of sweet pomegranate molasses made it taste as if this dressing might also work with breakfast pancakes.

For those with sensitive taste buds, one of the most delicate dishes was a cartoccio ($16) of fish and mussels, wrapped in parchment and baked with tomatoes, new potatoes and fennel. Described as “;a kiss from the chef,”; olive oil was poured into the dish upon opening the parchment at the table. This dish would have been ideal in a traditional meal setting for one but was harder to enjoy family style. Because of the inexperience of the wait staff, no spoons were offered for scooping out the morsels nor extra bread for dipping into the broth.

Service is earnest, though, to the point of annoyance. There might be exceptions, but I doubt many diners appreciate being checked on every 15 minutes, or a waiter appearing to take orders every five minutes while you're trying to settle in with friends.

One other dish worth trying is the house-made pappardelle with Tuscan-style wild boar ragout ($12). Use your discretion with the charred rib eye. I mean, it was delicious but seemed pricey for a portion of about eight thin slices for $18. It was also topped with a blue cheese glaze, making it hard to discern the beef flavor, and toward the end of the evening, I was too tired to hunt for it.

House-made gnocchi with seven sinful cheeses ($10) looked good on paper, but the sweetness of the potato gnocchi was distracting and the cheese sauce wasn't as wicked as promised.

Finish with a chef's selection of cheeses and charcuterie, from $12 to $18, or desserts such as ginger creme brulee with seasonal fruit ($7), lemongrass and Tahitian vanilla panna cotta with lilikoi-marinated fruit ($7), or a pear tart tatin ($8). If your dessert must be chocolate, it's served here as a mousse cake in the form of a pope's hat ($8), a one-time novelty.

Dishes mentioned here might not necessarily be on the menu when you visit. Loperfido intends to keep rotating dishes in and out, about five at a time, on a weekly basis as a way of discerning what customers like and don't like, as well as to keep the menu interesting for those in the kitchen, as well as the dining room.

Note: Reservations are being taken for a special night of opera, from 6 p.m. Sunday. Loperfido is planning a three-course menu served with a glass of wine for $45.

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Nadine Kam's restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Bulletin. E-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).