Rick R.
Yelp
When people ask me about favorite places for Italian food, I seem to always forget Centro Café. It's not mainstream. It's just a super solid place in Riverwest. You wouldn't expect anything, but when you taste your food, you ask yourself why you don't go there more often. That's what happened to me Saturday.
After hitting up some RW bars with my friend, she suggested we get dinner here. She already knew what she wanted without opening the menu. I had my eye on the special of the day, posted on the chalk board: shrimp, bay scallops, kale, tomato, shallots, red wine Alfredo sauce over linguine with fresh shredded parmesan ($20).
My friend took over and ordered the Grilled Asparagus Wraps ($9.50) and a Caesar Salad ($6) for apps. Both were great, but the grilled asparagus wraps were amazing! The asparagus was perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned, had a delicious charred flavor, and were wrapped in prosciutto. I will admit a few bites were saltier than I expected from the prosciutto, but a great dish overall! The Caesar salad was also on point with three very basic ingredients, romaine, parmesan, and croutons.
My friend ordered the Arancia ($16.50) with chicken, olives, capers, artichokes, a tangy orange tomato sauce, and Parmesan over cavatappi pasta. I tried some and we both liked it, but she expected something else. Turned out she was thinking of the Pollo dish and ordered the wrong one. The Foundation Mai Tai strikes again!
The special I ordered was awesome! The shrimp, scallops and pasta were all perfectly cooked and the red wine Alfredo sauce was delicious! My friend agreed I had the better entrée, and I let her continue to share it with me because I was already getting full.
Our server was great and we had fun chatting with the elderly couple next to us, who had some serious energy and were very fun!
I've dined at Centro Café a couple of times before, but it's been a couple of years. I enjoy dining at the counter and watching the cook work the ranges and skillets. The heavier lifting is done in the kitchen in back.
The tables are close together a la Pasta Tree, but if you're fun and you sit next to fun people, it doesn't matter.
I need to get back soon to try the bison and prosciutto meatballs and the duck breast risotto! Maybe I'll try to get there this weekend!