| rev:text
| - THE VEGETARIAN ANGLE:
Dinner for four at 6:30pm on a First Friday could have been trouble, but there was no waiting, no rushed service, and no diminished quality from the kitchen.
We were seated in the corner bench area in what I'd call a "studio restaurant" -- 12 or so seats, 5 bar stools, and in-your-face adjacent, bustling kitchen made for a lively and somehow uncramped 2-hour meal.
Chef Osburn's menu had us perplexed by the varied and extensive offerings coming out of that tiny kitchen. We spent 15 minutes discussing the menu and sipping
APP: The white bean trio finds a way to present cannellini in three distinguished ways, but the puree with truffle oil lingers after the plate is taken away and breaks the three-way tie. The bread is deceivingly ordinarily looking, has a dusting of seasoning and absorbs olive oil very well. [memorable ingredient: TRUFFLE OIL]
SALAD: With Mom I shared the grape, apple, arugula salad that's served with blood oranges, smoked paprika cashews, and the most appropriately light application of blue cheese dressing I've ever had. The oranges gushed, the apples snapped and crunched, the cashews were not overly smoked, and the arugula was crisp, not limp. [memorable ingredient: perfectly purple BLOOD ORANGE fillets]
MAIN: The gnocchi with season vegetables (artichokes, butternut squash, shitake mushrooms, leeks) reminded me that the fare at Centurion is decidedly French-Italian. The sherry reduction with a touch of cream draws a sweetness across the top of rich squash, nutty mushrooms, and lemony artichokes...very lemony. The gnocchi themselves were plump with a satisfying tooth-feel without being mushy or gummy or too potato-forward. The dish -- like the others -- came out piping out, and with any pasta+cream dish, was best in the first 5-10 minutes. [memorable ingredient: SHERRY]
DESSERT: The table shared two: the espresso cup and the flourless chocolate cake. The centerpiece item of the first was a dark chocolate demitasse cup -- yes, an espresso cup made from chocolate -- filled with an espresso mousse and toped with molten caramel. The dense chocolate cup was a fun transport for the airy mousse. (Idea: A graham cracker baked lid might have made this an interesting s'mores update.) The flourless cake was also dense but not brick-dense, and the accompanying berry and apple-lemon purees made each bite a bit different. [memorable ingredient: APPLE-LEMON puree]
SERVICE: During dinner the delightful server showed acumen in food knowledge and was attentive to everything from water to wine to cutlery to change for the parking meter. When we arrived, the restaurant was serving about five guests. When we left Centurion's small dining area and front patio were full.
A strong meal for sure. I'll be back to try Sunday brunch soon.
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