Centrolina at 10

By: Donna D’Angelo

Tucked into the center of ‘CityCenterDC’, Centrolina Mercato e Osteria lately celebrated its tenth anniversary—a powerful milestone for the flagship restaurant of six-time James Beard Award semifinalist Chef Amy Brandwein. Identified for contemporary interpretations of regional Italian delicacies, Centrolina is outlined by its seasonality, simplicity, and devotion to premium Mid-Atlantic seafood.

Seafood performs a starring function throughout the Centrolina menu. Diners can start with elegant crudos, discover pasta like squid ink chitarra at lunch, and return for dinner for wealthy dishes resembling pappardelle with shiso, ricotta, scallop, and bottarga. The grilled fish of the day, ready with seasonal sides and a fragile contact, is a longtime favourite. Every dish displays Brandwein’s means to remodel pristine elements into refined, approachable plates.

Through the holidays, Centrolina’s Feast of the Seven Fishes is a seasonal spotlight, with an all-new seafood menu crafted annually to honor Italian American custom by way of a chef-driven, up to date lens.

The restaurant can be residence to a sturdy Italian market, a necessary a part of Brandwein’s unique imaginative and prescient and a singular providing within the D.C. eating panorama. Whereas she knew the ins and outs of working a restaurant, getting into retail introduced a brand new set of challenges—from managing stock and pricing to scaling fish and sourcing specialty imports. However for Brandwein, it was price it: the market turned a technique to lengthen her culinary ethos past the plate.

The house is stocked with the identical high-quality fish featured on the menu, alongside pantry gadgets that talk to the umami-rich flavors present in her cooking. Standout finds embody Colatura di Alici, an anchovy-based Italian fish sauce aged in oak barrels, and Nonnata di Pesce, spicy marinated neonatal fish, which provides depth to her salmon tartare. Company also can browse for Italian spicy soy sauce, imported peppers, and different hard-to-find regional specialties.

Centrolina continues to evolve. Along with collaborative chef dinners, Brandwein hosts Stela, an intimate eight-course tasting menu in her personal chef salon. Stela permits her to experiment past conventional Italian fare, usually constructing menus round private themes, elements, or reminiscences. A current instance: homage to her Michigan childhood, that includes lake perch impressed by summers spent fishing together with her stepmother. It’s held most Fridays at 7 PM, the expertise consists of restricted seating and an non-compulsory wine pairing.

Now ten years in, Centrolina stays a cornerstone of the D.C. culinary scene—anchored by a considerate seafood program, a dedication to ingredient-driven cooking, and a chef who continues to push boundaries whereas honoring her Italian roots.