Jamie M.
Yelp
I've lived in Los Gatos for a few years now and this was my first time visiting Centonove. My partner was having a bad day -- we were lucky to snag a reservation at the last minute so he could drown his sorrows in some yummy pizza.
The decor is modern and uncomplicated - brick walls, white tablecloths, a monochrome color scheme. It's nice, but a little too cramped for my liking, especially when the restaurant is full.
Our server was warm and friendly, but he was quite busy and it took some time for him to come around and take our order. It all worked out just fine because our food came out a short time later. So, yay for that- I was hungry!
My partner ordered a margherita pizza, and it was everything he hoped it would be. When I asked him how it was, he said it was "very good." Following up, I asked him how it compared to the pizza he makes at home and the pizza at La Pizza y La Pasta. While he decided it was on par with Eataly's offerings, it wasn't as good as the pizza he makes himself. When asked about the difference between the two, he said he preferred his crust because it is "lighter." Avoiding gluten and dairy, I did not get to try it. But that the pizza was good was evident from the smile on his face and the cleared plate.
When you have to avoid gluten and dairy, like me, but your partner would happily limit his diet exclusively to pizza and pasta, a proper Italian restaurant can present a challenging dining experience. And I'll be honest, I feel lame going into a place known for its pizza -- a dish with cheese and pizza dough as central components - trying to avoid both of those things. So, I was incredibly grateful when I ordered the salmon and asked to substitute the risotto for the potatoes that the server asked me "the creamy potatoes?" When I hesitated and asked him if they have potatoes without cream or cheese, he asked me if I had a dairy allergy, which I really appreciated, and then he confirmed that they could substitute regular roasted potatoes instead of the creamy ones. Huge shout out to the server for patiently answering my questions and making sure I got something I could eat. I would have been SO sad if I had received cheese and cream laden potatoes that I could not eat. The salmon was perfectly cooked, with the crispiest salmon skin (in a good way) that I've ever had. The potatoes and roasted carrots were also tasty.
We had a lovely evening here, and I'd absolutely recommend a visit.