I held off on reviewing until I had a chance to try Cento a third time.
First, the good:
- The setting is awesome. Might be the best designed restaurant setting in Madison.
- The drinks are quite good. It's definitely worth checking out the cocktail menu
- Staff is friendly but not exceptional yet
The not so good; I've tried a few things off the menu over 3 visits (Bacon dates, gnocchi, beef tartare, burrata, beets, porchetta pizza, bucatini carbonara, pork chop, cauliflower) so I think the following thoughts are pretty accurate. In general, the food doesn't measure up to the ambiance or price.
- Gnocchi was overworked/gummy. They were described as "pillows" and they definitely didn't come out that way. I mentioned this in passing to our waitress when she asked how everything was and I got the impression that she didn't really put much credence in my feedback.
- Food was underseasoned across the board. Pizza crust had very little flavor and the bucatini carbonara lacked salt - not sure how that's even possible given the fact that the ingredients include parmigiano and pork cheek (guanciale).
- Pork chop was overcooked (we wanted to try the beef or lamb but both were sold out when we went )
I really hope the food continues to improve and I'm not ready to give up on Cento yet. I still love the setting and will update this review if my next meal justifies it.