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Centrolina, Chef Amy Brandwein's and Pastry Chef Caitlin Dysart's Italian Restaurant and Market in Palmer Alley - City Center


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I can't find an existing thread. If there is one, please merge.

I did not go here, but my wife did, for lunch. Here's what she said 'And I had an absolutely AMAZEBALLS lunch today. AMAZEBALLS. Did you see the picture I texted you? It was horribly expensive for lunch though. But daaaaaamn!'

You have to understand, she's in publications and just doesn't talk like this. Apparently, it was a really good lunch. :)

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Thanks for starting this -- I'd been meaning to write about a dinner Sunday before last, and the slight additional effort of creating a thread had deterred me.  (Lazy, I know.)  We'd had reasonably high hopes for the new Centrolina in City Centre -- interesting-sounding menu, throwing its hat into a ring that already has a number of excellent Italian restaurants.  Unfortunately, it's not one of them.

 
We almost didn't order the buratta because the bf isn't the biggest fan of eggplant caponata, but ironically the caponata was probably the best thing we ate all night -- perfectly balanced sweet-sour-savory.  The burrata itself was the worst burrata I've ever eaten.  I usually love burrata, whether it's the excellent simplicity of the 2 Amys', whatever composed combination Fiola Mare is doing, or just a run-of-the-mill version like shows up on so many menus these days.  This one was served too cold, basically unseasoned, with an unpleasantly sour center that was almost mealy in texture.  We didn't finish it, which I'm not sure I've ever done with cheese.  
 
The carota (roasted, fried & pickled carrots, lemon, yogurt, turmeric) was much better (not a high bar, admittedly).  A creative idea, pretty plating, and carrots obviously went well with the yogurt (vaguely Middle Eastern).  I'd have liked if the fried carrots were crispier and more salted so that they stood out more against the roasted ones.
 
I went with the squid ink reginette with black cod (I think) and scallops, mushrooms, and butter sauce.  I'd assumed that the sauce would be a mix of chunks of seafood and mushrooms, so was totally surprised when what appeared was three large stuff pasta pieces with buttery mushrooms on top.  The pasta itself was too dense (almost gluey) at its folded edges (although it may have been entirely fine in a single layer), and the seafood puree interior was underseasoned.  Disappointing.  (Two weird notes on the pasta: (1) I'd asked when we were deciding what to order whether it was possible to do half-portions of pasta, and the waitress responded confusingly that the chef really didn't like it but it was probably doable if we want to share a few pastas.  Either allow it or don't, but we were left entirely unsure whether we would be being difficult if we did want half-portions.  (2) Google claims reginette is a lasagna-esque flat pasta, but these were definitely stuffed.)
 
The whole grilled branzino was the best overall dish, presented head- and tail-on but deboned (convenient), stuffed with rosemary, on a bed of grilled scallions with a grilled lemon to spritz.  Enjoyable but not as good as the whole branzino at Nostos or Fiola Mare.  Minor annoyance: it was served on a plate that was too small, with the tail hanging over the side.  I had to ask for another plate on which to put the tail/head to give me room to actually cut up the fish and scallions.  
 
We ended up with the pignoli tart served with a lightly creamy ice cream (creme fraiche, if I recall).  I liked the tart -- essentially a pine nut variation on pecan pie -- but found the balsamic drizzle underneath to be overpowering.  
 
Service was a bit odd.  The waitress was very nice and seemed to mean well, but also seemed sort of awkward and easily flustered.  White wines by the glass were served much too cold.  I think they've done a lovely job with the space, making it feel very airy despite the fact that it probably gets very little sunlight, tucked away in Palmer Alley.  Oh, and fair warning -- Google Maps thinks that the address is located a block west of where it actually is.  
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For those who might not know, Centrolina is featuring talented chef Amy Brandwein. The last meal I had at the hands of Amy was with Matt at Alba Osteria, and it was fantastic. I haven't been to Centrolina yet, but I'm going to go ahead and initialiize it in Italic in the Dining Guide - call it an educated guess.

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Had lunch today.  The pork ragu was just ok, and at times unpleasant.  While the pasta and tomato sauce were good, the suckling pig in the ragu was not good.  The shredded meat was fine, without much pork-y flavor, but there were large (very large) chunks of fat and/or skin that I had to remove in order to eat it.

My friend had the tomato soup (which was a very small portion) and the burrata, which was very mealy (as noted in a review above) and not unctuous.  Service was strange - overly chummy, with periods of over attentiveness (no you don't have to ask if we need anything to drink on the same trip to the table when you drop off our glasses of wine and the water).

At $100 for two starters, a pasta, two glasses of wine, and two weak cappuccinos, including tip, it was a pricey, disappointing lunch.

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Had lunch today.  The pork ragu was just ok, and at times unpleasant.  While the pasta and tomato sauce were good, the suckling pig in the ragu was not good.  The shredded meat was fine, without much pork-y flavor, but there were large (very large) chunks of fat and/or skin that I had to remove in order to eat it.

My friend had the tomato soup (which was a very small portion) and the burrata, which was very mealy (as noted in a review above) and not unctuous.  Service was strange - overly chummy, with periods of over attentiveness (no you don't have to ask if we need anything to drink on the same trip to the table when you drop off our glasses of wine and the water).

At $100 for two starters, a pasta, two glasses of wine, and two weak cappuccinos, including tip, it was a pricey, disappointing lunch.

I can't get used to this alley being here; nonetheless, I love the area, and hope that DC can have about twenty more like it in the future. After the parking gods smiled upon me, I strolled into the bar at Centrolina and immediately wanted to relax with a beer - a DC Brau Peppercorn Saison ($7). About all I can say is, "Damn, I wish I liked this brewery more because it has become ubiquitous, and there's almost no escaping it." Anyway, I switched to a Bertani Bertarose ($11) to have with my meal, and I'm glad I did. A friend pointed out that this may have been 3 Stars Brewery, and it may well have been.

The Polpo ($14) was just fantastic - I've had Amy's polpo before, and knew that I was going to like this dish, but it exceeded my already-high expectations, primarily because it came with something I'd never tasted before: Cotechinata - a roulade of pig skin which was cut, texturally, by potato confit - there's something about the starch in the potato that neutralizes any perception of fattiness (think about how a loaded, stuffed baked potato can absorb butter, sour cream, cheese, and bacon fairly effortlessly). Anyway, it's an appetizer portion, also came with a celery salad, and was done right - for every ten octopus dishes I've eaten, it seems like about one has been executed really well (same with squid), and this was that one.

Casunsei ($23) was a wonderful bowl of ravioli, stuffed with shredded beef, swiss chard, speck, golden raisin, lemon, and butter sauce - ah, yes, it's those last three ingredients that took this dish from good to great, and you shouldn't hesitate to get it. It's not a huge portion, but that really didn't matter, because I also got a ridiculously large side order of Barbabietole ($9), salt-roasted red beets - this was such a big portion that I couldn't finish it, and I told Amy (later on, in a text message) that I thought the dish was too large for one, so it might be a bit smaller now. Or, if not, get it for two.

This was my introduction to Centrolina, but was also about the fifth restaurant where I've enjoyed Amy's cooking, and she keeps getting better. There was nothing about this meal that I wouldn't recommend, and the only reason I wouldn't get things a second time is because there's so much else to try here. Centrolina is officially, and strongly, initiated in Italic in the Dining Guide. I don't quite understand why people are packing Fig & Olive when it seems like the food is prepared in, and shipped down from, New York, perhaps in vacuum-packed plastic bags, but who am I to judge the dining habits of DC 20-somethings.

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Had lunch today.  The pork ragu was just ok, and at times unpleasant.  While the pasta and tomato sauce were good, the suckling pig in the ragu was not good.  The shredded meat was fine, without much pork-y flavor, but there were large (very large) chunks of fat and/or skin that I had to remove in order to eat it.

My friend had the tomato soup (which was a very small portion) and the burrata, which was very mealy (as noted in a review above) and not unctuous.  Service was strange - overly chummy, with periods of over attentiveness (no you don't have to ask if we need anything to drink on the same trip to the table when you drop off our glasses of wine and the water).

At $100 for two starters, a pasta, two glasses of wine, and two weak cappuccinos, including tip, it was a pricey, disappointing lunch.

I got the Gnocchi instead of the pork ragu, but my lunch experience yesterday was similar to yours. The gnocchis were the anti-Frank Ruta version; very plump and soft, texturally and visually looking more like golf balls made of ricotta cheese than what I have become used to when it comes to this pasta.  This would all be fine if the flavors were there, but sadly this dish tasted more like something you would get at a red sauce Italian joint in Old Town, very tomatoey and gooey from the ample amount of melted mozzarella.

Or maybe I was just grumpy from my appetizer of Grilled Mortadella, which didn't work on a number of levels for me.  It read well on the menu, but looked nothing like the picture they posted on their Twitter account (https://twitter.com/CentrolinaDC/status/592127665357901824).  It was two cold cut slices of mortadella like you would get at the deli counter at the Italian Store that had been grilled a bit, making them somewhat rubbery and tough, over top of some greens lightly dressed with balsamic and pine nuts.  The flavors were OK, but at $10 this dish is absurdly overpriced and could use some more conceptualizing if it is to stay on the menu.

Also, and this is a bit of a minor quibble but might wind up being significant as we enter the Winter months, but I question the choice of treated concrete floors in a space like this. I walked in from the rain yesterday in my wingtips and felt myself sliding as soon as my foot left the rug at the entrance.  I would imagine that they will have to get creative when there is snow on the ground outside, I would imagine that it will get quite slick inside on a busy dinner service if rugs aren't put down.

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We had a nice Easter brunch at Centrolina on Sunday.  We had nine people and an almost two year old.  First they gave us their private room off to the side, which was really nice when you have an almost two year old in your party.  Second, our server was really nice, he was from WV and we all bonded.   Third the food was all really good. There were a few things that we had to remind the runners we were missing, but those then came (sides of sausage, more coffee).  The restaurant was really busy, I know it is a busy time for them.  I had the buckwheat pancakes, which were really good, not as sour as some others.  They had a nice topping of blueberries and came with maple syrup which is key for buckwheat pancakes.  I had a taste of the fettucine carbonara which was really good too.  They let us sit and socialize for a bit after the meal with no problem.  The really nice thing about being in City Center was when the kiddo got tired of sitting, my brother could take him out to the promenade.

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Had dinner here last night with a dear friend/former colleague.  We both really enjoyed our meal, with one slight problem (at the end here).

My friend had a Manhattan before I arrived that he really liked.  I ordered a sparkling rose (can't figure out how to get the accent on the e there) which was lovely.

Appetizer for me was the cauliflower with olives - just what I wanted - and friend had the squash/fig/cheese appetizer. I tasted it and it was delicious.

Entree for me was the gnocchi in a pork and veal ragu that was not a red sauce but milk-based - on the menu, it lists "milk" which was the giveaway.  The gnocchi were pillow-y and the ragu was a perfect compliment. Friend had sea scallops with lentils - he enjoyed his meal as well.

Dessert was lemon polenta cake for me, honey crisp apple thing for friend - both fine, not life changing.

Server told us that menu changes daily so these items may not be there for long or even again.

Now the issue - we both ordered decaf with our desserts.  Very good coffee.  And then I was up most of the night.  I'm not particularly sensitive to caffeine anymore (thanks to my child) so I know this was definitely caffeinated coffee.

Besides that, we really enjoyed the evening and the food.

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My Mom and I went to Centrolina Saturday night.  My thought process was that a nicer restaurant would likely be a little less packed and that this was a decent walk from the mall.  But man, it was still packed with pink hat wearers- a pleasant site to behold.  I had made a quick reservation on Opentable, but we were graciously given seats at the bar from some ladies who were departing.  Sean, the bartender was did an excellent job despite being completely overwhelmed by people, and was happy to let us eat at the bar- probably for some crowd control.  We had wine- I had a blend and my Mom and chardonnay, which were fine, not inspiring or uninspiring.  (We joked the Dc restaurants were going to run out of white wine.) And we snacked on bread as we awaited our food.  We got the beet salad and octopus as starters, as we were starving and had only eaten granola bars all day.  The beet salad had citrus and watermelon radish with a delicious vinaigrette, yogurt mix.  The octopus was also good, although I can't remember all the accompaniments.  We had two phenomenal pastas- a duck ragu with wide papparadelle noodles, and a mushroom pasta with very thin noodles, that was very rich and creamy.  Both had really good pasta, and the sauces were both sop up with bread worthy.  If my waistline weren't a thing I thought about on a frequent basis, I would eat that mushroom pasta once a week.  It was delicious.  We had the smore dessert on the recommendation of Sean, and it was a good recommendation- a nice little smore cake with chocolate sauce, that looked so cute, and was delicious, we again were scraping the bowl.  The service given how busy it was, really was excellent.  Sean was the type of bartender I would go back just to sit there and enjoy a night.  The company was phenomenal, we made a lot of friends amongst our neighbors, as well.  I wish that type of spirit was always present when we were out to dinner, it was lovely.

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1 hour ago, Gadarene said:

The contrast between the (several) good and (several) bad reviews in this thread is really striking to me.  Not knowing which experience I'd have myself, I'm not inclined to go.

My immediate impression is that it might be the atmosphere that hurts people's impressions of Centrolina: It's *very* utilitarian feeling - almost sterile. 

If you mimic my order from Oct, 2015, and Amy is in the kitchen, I can't imagine you not loving the food.

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21 minutes ago, DonRocks said:

My immediate impression is that it might be the atmosphere that hurts people's impressions of Centrolina: It's *very* utilitarian feeling - almost sterile. 

If you mimic my order from Oct, 2015, and Amy is in the kitchen, I can't imagine you not loving the food.

Far enough about mimicking your order, Don, but it wasn't the atmosphere that drove the detailed criticisms in the below posts.

On 7/10/2015 at 8:10 AM, jca76 said:

Thanks for starting this -- I'd been meaning to write about a dinner Sunday before last, and the slight additional effort of creating a thread had deterred me.  (Lazy, I know.)  We'd had reasonably high hopes for the new Centrolina in City Centre -- interesting-sounding menu, throwing its hat into a ring that already has a number of excellent Italian restaurants.  Unfortunately, it's not one of them.

We almost didn't order the buratta because the bf isn't the biggest fan of eggplant caponata, but ironically the caponata was probably the best thing we ate all night -- perfectly balanced sweet-sour-savory.  The burrata itself was the worst burrata I've ever eaten.  I usually love burrata, whether it's the excellent simplicity of the 2 Amys', whatever composed combination Fiola Mare is doing, or just a run-of-the-mill version like shows up on so many menus these days.  This one was served too cold, basically unseasoned, with an unpleasantly sour center that was almost mealy in texture.  We didn't finish it, which I'm not sure I've ever done with cheese.  
 
The carota (roasted, fried & pickled carrots, lemon, yogurt, turmeric) was much better (not a high bar, admittedly).  A creative idea, pretty plating, and carrots obviously went well with the yogurt (vaguely Middle Eastern).  I'd have liked if the fried carrots were crispier and more salted so that they stood out more against the roasted ones.

I went with the squid ink reginette with black cod (I think) and scallops, mushrooms, and butter sauce.  I'd assumed that the sauce would be a mix of chunks of seafood and mushrooms, so was totally surprised when what appeared was three large stuff pasta pieces with buttery mushrooms on top.  The pasta itself was too dense (almost gluey) at its folded edges (although it may have been entirely fine in a single layer), and the seafood puree interior was underseasoned.  Disappointing.  (Two weird notes on the pasta: (1) I'd asked when we were deciding what to order whether it was possible to do half-portions of pasta, and the waitress responded confusingly that the chef really didn't like it but it was probably doable if we want to share a few pastas.  Either allow it or don't, but we were left entirely unsure whether we would be being difficult if we did want half-portions.  (2) Google claims reginette is a lasagna-esque flat pasta, but these were definitely stuffed.)

The whole grilled branzino was the best overall dish, presented head- and tail-on but deboned (convenient), stuffed with rosemary, on a bed of grilled scallions with a grilled lemon to spritz.  Enjoyable but not as good as the whole branzino at Nostos or Fiola Mare.  Minor annoyance: it was served on a plate that was too small, with the tail hanging over the side.  I had to ask for another plate on which to put the tail/head to give me room to actually cut up the fish and scallions.  

We ended up with the pignoli tart served with a lightly creamy ice cream (creme fraiche, if I recall).  I liked the tart -- essentially a pine nut variation on pecan pie -- but found the balsamic drizzle underneath to be overpowering.  

Service was a bit odd.  The waitress was very nice and seemed to mean well, but also seemed sort of awkward and easily flustered.  White wines by the glass were served much too cold.  I think they've done a lovely job with the space, making it feel very airy despite the fact that it probably gets very little sunlight, tucked away in Palmer Alley.  Oh, and fair warning -- Google Maps thinks that the address is located a block west of where it actually is.  
On 10/19/2015 at 11:16 AM, Rieux said:

Had lunch today.  The pork ragu was just ok, and at times unpleasant.  While the pasta and tomato sauce were good, the suckling pig in the ragu was not good.  The shredded meat was fine, without much pork-y flavor, but there were large (very large) chunks of fat and/or skin that I had to remove in order to eat it.

My friend had the tomato soup (which was a very small portion) and the burrata, which was very mealy (as noted in a review above) and not unctuous.  Service was strange - overly chummy, with periods of over attentiveness (no you don't have to ask if we need anything to drink on the same trip to the table when you drop off our glasses of wine and the water).

At $100 for two starters, a pasta, two glasses of wine, and two weak cappuccinos, including tip, it was a pricey, disappointing lunch.

On 10/29/2015 at 11:56 AM, DPop said:

I got the Gnocchi instead of the pork ragu, but my lunch experience yesterday was similar to yours. The gnocchis were the anti-Frank Ruta version; very plump and soft, texturally and visually looking more like golf balls made of ricotta cheese than what I have become used to when it comes to this pasta.  This would all be fine if the flavors were there, but sadly this dish tasted more like something you would get at a red sauce Italian joint in Old Town, very tomatoey and gooey from the ample amount of melted mozzarella.

Or maybe I was just grumpy from my appetizer of Grilled Mortadella, which didn't work on a number of levels for me.  It read well on the menu, but looked nothing like the picture they posted on their Twitter account (https://twitter.com/CentrolinaDC/status/592127665357901824).  It was two cold cut slices of mortadella like you would get at the deli counter at the Italian Store that had been grilled a bit, making them somewhat rubbery and tough, over top of some greens lightly dressed with balsamic and pine nuts.  The flavors were OK, but at $10 this dish is absurdly overpriced and could use some more conceptualizing if it is to stay on the menu.

Also, and this is a bit of a minor quibble but might wind up being significant as we enter the Winter months, but I question the choice of treated concrete floors in a space like this. I walked in from the rain yesterday in my wingtips and felt myself sliding as soon as my foot left the rug at the entrance.  I would imagine that they will have to get creative when there is snow on the ground outside, I would imagine that it will get quite slick inside on a busy dinner service if rugs aren't put down.

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1 hour ago, Gadarene said:

The contrast between the (several) good and (several) bad reviews in this thread is really striking to me.  Not knowing which experience I'd have myself, I'm not inclined to go.

I've been 3 times for lunch in the last year and a half, ordering something different each time, and none of those experiences has come close to what Don described in his review. Now, I don't know if Amy was in the kitchen any of those times, but the food has never struck me as anything that a skilled cook couldn't execute well with or without the Chef present. Maybe a dinner is in order here, but that's a tough sell for me when we have so many great options available to us now in this city, and in my opinion, a much better restaurant in the same category just a couple blocks away (Casa Luca).

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1 hour ago, Gadarene said:

Far enough about mimicking your order, Don, but it wasn't the atmosphere that drove the detailed criticisms in the below posts.

Well, this is the (hugely) important reason why a single, recognizable person - no matter who it is - cannot be relied upon for "The Definitive Answer" in situations such as this, and is *exactly* why we have so many checks and balances on this website.

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This is my first visit to Centrolina.  On March 24, 2017, I enjoyed a beautiful, beautiful dinner with extraordinary wine pairings selected by Assistant GM and Beverage Director Elizabeth Parker!! 

Begin with a gorgeous sparkling rosé!

17492768_10210978441248830_1468122020834489634_o.jpg.78c196e83a6c041c4d62947941e13dda.jpg

 

 

 

 

POLPETTINE, shiitake faux meatballs, creamy polenta & basil 

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BASSANO, white asparagus & caper lemon gribiche

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NERI , squid ink, tuna crudo, nonnata di pesce

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ANATRA, long island duck breast, virginia shiitake, herb crespelle & kumquat

17546916_10210978450129052_3991514137873132630_o.jpg.0fe186fd6d13b07cbdf951edf4b5a7b3.jpg

 

 

 

BOCCONE DOLCE, blood orange, anise meringue, olive oil crema

17545319_10210978450609064_1596903550833764290_o.jpg.6d5e75c7675620bc210305b14d9fa168.jpg

 

 

 

 

CityCenterDC "City in Bloom"

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Digital art...Butterflies!

17505258_10210978622733367_8670540022764113757_o.jpg.be51aa58b8c10c4b426cb0280871ee80.jpg

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March 31, 2017 was my second visit to Centrolina.  To my surprise and disappointment Chef/Owner and her kitchen (sous chef had the night off)  failed to execute two signature dishes:  POLPO and ANATRA.  Dinner was then composed of 4 brilliant wines (2 were consumed unpaired because of 2 completely failed dishes), 2 delicious half pasta dishes and a magnificent dessert by a talented Executive Pastry Chef.  Afterwards, I headed to Etto for a proper dinner!

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We took the family of 4 last night, and had a simple dinner that was a bit too simple.  Two cocktails, two entrees, a pasta in red sauce for my daughter, and a side dish came to $150 all-inclusive.  Of course, not sure if you could buy a t-shirt in CityCenter for less, so it's hard to say it was expensive given the surroundings.  I actually really like the feel of the place, if I was set for life I would love eating there as a neighborhood amenity, but as a destination it fell a bit short for me.

We had the NERI, and judging by dslee's photo upthread, we didn't get as much tuna crudo with our dish.  I did like the pasta.

The ribeye (boneless) was a bit of a miss for me.  Priced the same ($38) as Buck's prime dry-age New York strip (maybe it is unfair to compare these two totally different locations), but it was really lean for a ribeye and consequently I didn't taste anything imparted from the wood-fired oven.  The carrots were really nice, though.

My daughter enjoyed her pasta, but she still likes my marinara the best!  Yet another unfair comparison.  

Side of beet greens was nice.  

Service was warm and the portions were generous.  I left wondering if I could truly make all of this at home, or whether it was just so sublime that I am not well-informed enough about pasta to appreciate it. 

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Yes, apparently, my good graces can be purchased by cookie plate.

While I was underwhelmed with my lunch selection today (Branzino, $26) I was impressed that the waiter asked if I liked it (no, I replied, a bit bland). and he gave our table a cookie plate. 

Let me rave about this cookie plate. All of them were very good, yet the slightly salted chocolate chip cookie was amazing.

In fairness, 3 of the 5 diners were very happy with their selection (salmon, scallops, two different pastas), but we didn't share. Also, it is easy to avoid nuts and dairy here.

One other downside: LOUD! I'd go again but not for work; with someone I was very comfortable snuggling up with and sharing with.

 

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I enjoyed a first visit to Centrolina on Friday.  After visiting several art museums downtown and having some time to kill before hitting Woolly Mammoth, the bar was a great place to kill a couple hours. And afternoon drinks turned into early evening dinner. 

The fried clams were solid.  Perhaps a bit too much batter and a couple were borderline rubber band but overall very solid.  The shishito pepper aioli was peppery but not hot.

The artichoke salad was a stand out.  Crisp and fresh, perfect on a warm day.

We finished up splitting an order of the scallop pasta with calamari and morel mushrooms, a very good dish.  Apparently the pasta dough is made from pureed scallops.  The squid was perfectly cooked and the morels were nice, although not overly mushroomy or morely.  And lots of butter went into the sauce...the kind of dish where you wipe the bowl clean with some bread.

I found the bar area to be a very pleasant place to perch oneself.  I was there late afternoon to early evening, before the dinner rush...which I always think is a great time to hit a restaurant when drinking alone.  My one critique is the menu could use a couple more bar snack type dishes.  Chef was definitely in, chatting with some regulars and then working the pass. 

Centrolina Clams DR.jpg

Centrolina Salad DR.jpg

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10 hours ago, KMango said:

I'll be heading there in the near future and welcome any highlights.

Pasta. Let me know when you're going, and I'll examine the current menu.

I'd be all over this:

CASUNSEI pinched ravioli, braised beef, swiss chard, raisin butter, lemon zest 24

It has been four years, but it was great when I last had it. (Also, I still remember the octopus I had in that meal.)

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On 10/18/2019 at 7:37 PM, KMango said:

Any recent reports?  I'll be heading there in the near future and welcome any highlights.

If anything I feel like Centrolina get's slightly better every time I go.  I've yet to try any of the "mains" just because I tend to fill up on apps and then a pasta.  Photos from last time I went - in particular I was a huge fan of the squid  ink tuna sausage pasta:

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For only the second time since early March, we went out and enjoyed a civilized dinner last weekend. We've had such good experiences this year with Piccolina, and also with a carryout meal at Centrolina, that we decided it had earned our business and then some.

Centrolina is now set up the way all fine-dining restaurants will one day be set up: You pay in advance, just like you would if you were going to an opera (and you're always free to transfer your reservation to someone else). Many people were dining outdoors, but the dining room was as safe and well-spaced as it could be - no diners were within fifteen feet of each other - and we took a booth near the kitchen, and enjoyed a pre-paid Tasting Menu ($68) - note that they only serve this Fri-Sat nights, and it changes each week, so this is already outdated:

PalmerAlley.jpg Menu.jpg

We enjoyed a bottle of 2018 Angelo Negro Arneis ($56) which was on the by-the-glass lists (there are two lists), under the section titled "Skin Contact 'Orange' & Natural" - Amy Brandwein's kitchen does really good work with seafood, so I knew I wanted something white, dry, and acidic - this worked with the entire menu, although we did get a half-pour (you can get half-pours) of red with the duck course.

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The amuse-bouche was my dish of the night. Swordfish Carpaccio with slices of wild cherry was as good as it could possibly be. Absurdly thin, I remember thinking what a brilliant way this was to start the meal, because despite its ample appearance, this was really just a couple of nibbles, and it was an elegant way to begin without costing the restaurant a lot of money. Look how pretty this is:

Carpaccio.jpg

The first course was the Capesante ("scallop" in Italian :)) - a single scallop, halved, with garlic scape and creamed corn, and it was as good as it looks. Imagine just how well this wine paired with these first two items (when I dine well, I dine slowly, and these early courses were savored with the respect they deserved: This is not food you cook at home).

Scallops.jpg

Next was the first heavier course, the Uovo ("egg" in Italian) - a single, large farmer's raviolo (I'm actually not sure what a "farmer's raviolo" is - perhaps it's this next ingredient inside?), runny egg, and basil pesto. This was a course, the likes of which I haven't seen in forever, and my only quibble is that the force of both the pesto and cheese tended to dominate the delicacy of the pasta and egg. That was, of course, by design, but I wish the pesto and cheese had been undertones instead of the primary focus of the dish (I am nitpicking here, and it's *so* refreshing to have complex dishes such as this, that are worth nitpicking).

Uovo.jpg

After the raviolo came a Bread Plate (which I originally thought would have been nice to have with the raviolo, but the kitchen had other plans).

Bread.jpg

The reason we didn't get the bread earlier was because the kitchen brought out an extra little dish: Maccheroni ("macaroni" in Italian (*)), a simple plate of al dente macaroni with a simple pomodoro ("tomato" in Italian) sauce. Easily the homiest dish of the night, and much appreciated even though it pushed us both into the "stuffed" end of the hunger spectrum..

Macaroni.jpg

With the Anatra ("duck" in Italian), spiced duck breast, fennel gratin, and red wine grappa, we ordered half-pours of the 2017 Alessandra Veggio Nebbiolo (Langhe, $7.50 per half-pour). Centrolina's wonderful wine director, Alissa Wilmina Diaz, recommended this, but also gave us a taste of their Sangiovese first, which was my initial choice (she was right; I was wrong - this course called for a more assertive red). This was another in a string of very good dishes that were (this might sound trite) both simple and complex, the scalloped layers of fennel being an absolute joy to attack, and the duck having a correct ratio of fat-to-lean, and with a nice sear on the skin.

Duck.jpg

Back to the Arneis with the dessert course: Torta ("cake" in Italian) di Formaggio ("cheese" in Italian), cheesecake with amaretti and yellow peach, which was gone so quickly that I scarcely remember "why" it was so good; only *that* it was so good.

Cheesecake.jpg

In all, a really pleasant, much-appreciated couple of hours spent at Amy Brandwein's baby. We didn't see her working the line, but we "felt" her presence during the meal, and sure enough, she stopped by the table just before we left to say hello, so she was there the entire evening. $68 for this meal, with this level of service, was money well-spent.

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I made plans to go to Centrolina this weekend.  Will be ordering a la carte.  Saw this on the website

Quote

As with everything in nature, things have to change & evolve. To prioritize the health and safety of our guests and staff, our dining experience involves 6-foot spacing at all times, disposable dinnerware upon request, an hour and forty-five minute limit for each seating, and pre-ordering to limit interactions.

How am I supposed to pre-order?  

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47 minutes ago, Ericandblueboy said:

I made plans to go to Centrolina this weekend.  Will be ordering a la carte.  Saw this on the website

How am I supposed to pre-order?  

I pre-ordered the tasting menu online, but ordered (and paid for) the wines when I was at the restaurant. There's a $35 cancellation fee if you don't cancel within 24 hours, and I suspect that's what "pre-ordering" means when it comes to à la carte (simply leaving your credit card number).

I suggest going to this link, clicking through, and doing whatever you need to do - selecting "Standard Seating," unless you want to roast on the patio.

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We had dinner outside over the weekend.  It was warm but mostly shaded as the tables were set in an alley between two buildings. 

The linguine and clam pasta is no longer on the menu but there was a clam (VONGOLE) and lamb sausage appetizer on the menu.  Unfortunately an order only had 4 clams.  That did not satisfy our appetite (due to the number of clams, they were otherwise very tasty).  Because it was warm, we ordered the NICOISE salad with seared rare tuna, and AFFETATI MISTI with veal & rabbit terrine, mortadella, prosiutto, and salami which came with some fried bread.   I would definitely get the salad again.  The complimentary bread basket included some decent focaccia.

Our pastas included  FETTUCCINE , the white bolognese sauce tasted like good southern white sausage gravy, and MACCHERONI with a red sauce lamb ragu.  Both pastas had great texture.  We also had a side of CAVOLO - charred napa cabbage with calabrian chile, agave nectar, and chives rubbed in.  So half of head of napa cabbage was grilled and served whole.  I don't know if this is an Italian spin on kim chi or what but they eventually brought out a steak knife so I can actually cut the napa cabbage.  It tasted a little spicy but otherwise kind of bland.

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5 hours ago, Ericandblueboy said:

MACCHERONI with a red sauce lamb ragu.  Both pastas had great texture.

(*) Most importantly, I now know how (say those three words ten times fast) to spell macaroni in Italian - I didn't have any idea.

I also think that both pastas (the pastas themselves) I had were texturally brilliant.

Finally, up above is the first asterisk spanning multiple posts that I've ever written.

It delights me endlessly that people are sitting in front of their screens, saying "now know how now know how now know how now know how ...." The first few times are easy, but it invariably ends up sounding like "hell no."

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A wonderful week weather-wise after Isaias blew through earlier int he week.  It was still warm outside but not stroke-inducing so the patio at Centrolina was much more enjoyable.

I started with a fritto misto of calamari and cod.  The breading was light and crispy - more like tempura than authentic Italian but very good nonetheless.  The manzo ( marinated charred flank steak, baby carrots, potato crosta, salsa verde), while cooked beautifully in the wood oven to medium rare, tasted only of smoke and not much else.  It was also a bit chewy (at $28, maybe that's to be expected).  The piselli (wilted pea shoots, peas, carmelized onion, guanciale) made eating greens pleasurable - I suspect lots of animal fat enhanced the flavor of the peas.

IMG_4941.jpg

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Thanks to the positive reviews by Don & Eric, @MichaelBDC and I had dinner at Centrolina to celebrate two years of marriage bliss last week. It was a hot evening so we opted to dine inside. Tables were well spaced and servers were careful when interacting with us, which greatly mitigated COVID-19 concerns, though they can't really be fully eliminated. All around, dinner was lovely and the experience was much needed after a couple stressful months for us that included a new job for us and the addition of a puppy. 

Food was just as good as described above. We split an order of the fegato (chicken liver mousse) to start, and while pretty basic, was a very satisfying version of chicken liver mousse. For the mains, I had a pici pasta with braised goat while @MichaelBDC had the maccheroni putanesca. We both agreed that the braised goat was the winner even though both pastas were fantastic. We also had a side of the piselli, which was fine. Much thanks to Don for highlighting the Arneis, which was the perfect wine for the evening.

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My husband and I celebrated our anniversary here last night. Montmartre used to be one of our preferred spots, but it is gone, so we had to venture elsewhere. We had not been here before and loved Centrolina. We sat outside. The food was fantastic, and I think we disappointed our server by not asking enough questions about the menu.

The highlight of the entire meal was probably the chicken consomme with pasta scraps and Parmigiano. I got a spoonful but regretted not getting a bowl for myself. It was excellent. To start, I ordered the chef's crab cake, the torta, which seemed to be similar to a tortilla Espanola.

For the next course, they ran out of the fettuccine just before we ordered, so I got tortelloni instead, stuffed with duck breast and braised cabbage. It was rich and fantastic. My husband had the charred lamb steak with potato crosta, baby carrots, and salsa verde. I had some and it was fabulous. The combination of items was great. There is a little left to add to our dinner tonight. He also got the verde salad, with Caesar dressing and fried egg. I could not imagine how they got the egg that perfect. I also wished I'd ordered this for myself, though I managed to make it memorable by spilling some fried egg on my new dress while trying to share😑.

He ordered the chocolate involtino for dessert, which I had a bit of and enjoyed. I had limoncello, which I love when I can find it.

We are most definitely planning on returning, though I have no idea when🙁.

 

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