Centouno in Oakland, CA – update, lunch		CLOSED Nov 2014
Review date: June 2014
(previous review appended below)

There has been a delectable explosion of high-quality Italian trattorias which have recently opened and compete with Centouno: Lungomare/Oakland, Desco/Oakland and Trabocco/Alameda. All claim an authentic Italian pedigree, but each specializes in a slightly different region/dishes. Although all four are "authentic" in style and execution, they use a lot of California ingredients with an added dash of CA sensibilities. All have chef-owners who concentrate on just one or two restaurants (only Desco's owner has two; the others are all one-offs).

We have eaten twice at Lungomare (June 2013 and February 2014), twice at Desco (May 2014), and twice at Trabocco (April 2014); but only once at Centouno. So we felt it deserved another chance.

Our dinner at Centouno was in April 2014. We liked it, although we rated the food as uneven. Chef Fabio Dalle Vacche did show better than he had at Borgo Italia/Oakland, with reasonably sized and priced portions. Carlos enjoyed his pasta carbonara, but I was less impressed by an overcooked salmon with a ridiculous mango salsa.

We loved the space, however, and the staff is delightful – young, cheerful, and delightfully enthusiastic about the food. Our dinner overall wasn't much better than we've gotten at Lungomare/Oakland, but the décor and staff at Centouno are infinitely more charming.

I'm disappointed that Centouno posts only sample menus on the web. We were pleased to see the lunch menu we were given was longer and much more interesting than the one on the web (which is a good reason why the whole 'sample menu/web' idea should be dropped). There was a section of sandwiches, but also a full entrée section, along with pastas and a good variety of starters and salads.

The starter that has received the most praise is the Torta Fritta con Salumi. A specialty of Parma, Italy, instead of yeasted bread, there are hot fresh puffy flatbread squares. Think delicate thin-crusted pita but in little squares. This simple bread is utterly addicting; we ordered a second plate of them after quickly wiping out the first basket. The salami was thickly sliced, which wasn't ideal but was tasty stuff. There was also a generous heap of peppery prosciutto, similar to but not as salty as the Columbus prosciutto we bought from Browns Valley Market/Napa back in February 2014. I loved the salami, Carlos adored the prosciutto.

I also ordered the Artichoke bigne, where six balls of chopped, creamy artichoke hearts are breadcrumbed and fried, retaining a soft creamy center, and served with a very spicy aioli. Carlos is not normally fond of aioli or artichokes, but this dish was a hit with both of us. The aioli was perfect for dipping the salami slices in as well as the artichoke bigne. 

These two starters are great together, but very hearty. With a salad or soup this would be enough for two people to share. As part of a full meal, plan on sharing these two starters with 3-4 people.

Note that if you are ordering an extra basket of the Torta Fritta (fried bread), it's $4 for a basket or 60 cents for individual ones. One basket holds seven tortas. There is also an assortment of cheeses with or without tortas, although the menu doesn't list what they're offering that day.

Either lunch is handled differently than dinner, or the menu focus has changed. On our first visit, my dinner entrée came with starch and vegetable sides. But here at lunch, the pork osso buco entrée is à la carte. Carlos chose the tagliatelle Bolognese as an accompaniment, which we were warned was a lot of food! However, we figured we could just bring leftovers home, which we did.

The osso buco is outstanding. Complete with marrow bone (and some tiny-bowled espresso spoons to scoop it out), the pork is fall-off-the-bone tender, with a golden brown, savory gravy that was barely salty. We ate the marrow and a couple of small pieces of pork, then packed up the rest to enjoy at home. It made a wonderful lunch with rice the next day.

The Bolognese wasn't quite as good as the ones at Trabocco and Metro Lafayette that Carlos has enjoyed recently. But it was tasty and like the Carbonara of our first Centouno visit, bigger than the skimpy servings of the old Borgo Italia. 

I ordered the Melanzane alla Parmigiana, more commonly known as Eggplant Parmesan. Centouno makes a version lighter on the cheese and heavier on the eggplant than our usual American version. The eggplant is breaded, which gives it a nice chew and thickens the tomato ragú. But I didn't care for the ragú itself; it was plain canned tomatoes but didn't have the fuller flavor of whatever brand Trabocco uses. They were unrelentingly tart and salty, not sweet and full-flavored as the best brands are.

In reading the wine list I saw Centouno offers the Stella Cidre – I'm sure you've seen the many TV commercials for this new hard cider from the makers of Stella Artois beer. We ordered a glass to share, and liked it very much. It has a little more residual sweetness than the Tilted Shed Barrel-Aged which we enjoyed at Backyard/Forestville last week, with less sour tanginess and a little more of a "beer flavor" to it. In fact, Carlos loved it so much, we were disappointed to find the nearby BevMo didn't carry it!

We came out of Centouno with enough leftovers for lunch (I only ate half my eggplant). The dishes we chose this time were much better than our first visit, and we agreed that Centouno deserves to be counted on a level with Trabocco and Desco. It isn't quite as good as those last two, but it is close. To have the option of picking and choosing which one of three very good trattorias we want to eat at, all within an easy drive and relatively easy parking, is an amazing change from just one year ago!

Lungomare is good, but it falls to last place. Its food is erratic, while Trabocco is more charming and displays the personal passion of owner/chef Naccarelli. Lungomare can't match that, with its owner Chris Pastena's attention divided between four different restaurants. 

As we start the summer months, Carlos and I are looking forward to exploring more of the new restaurants that have opened up recently. We seldom travel in summer, preferring to stay close to home to avoid the tourist season. But it's going to be hard to work in new restaurants, with the many good ones we've discovered in Oakland, like Centouno. Those two starters alone are worth returning for!

Two people, lunch: (with leftovers) two starters, two entrées, one pasta (secondi), one side, one hard cider, one beverage, with tip was $125.

Centouno
101 Broadway, Oakland, CA
http://www.centouno101.com/  
Review date: April 2014

Back in 2012, one of the most anticipated restaurant openings in Oakland was Borgo Italia, an expensively produced "genuine Italian trattoria". Much was expected from Borgo's owners – Paul Ferrari of A.G. Ferrari fame – and the two chefs they brought over from Italy, chef Fabio Dalle Vacche and pastry chef Franco Camboli. 

This was the type of restaurant that could easily have gone into Danville over in Contra Costa county, or on Sonoma Square, or anywhere in San Francisco. For it to open in Oakland's Old Oakland district, in a space that once housed the little-known "B" restaurant, was considered both a PR and gastronomic coup. At that time, Old Oakland was barely on anyone's culinary map except as the neighborhood where the limping remains of Ratto's Delicatessen was hanging on by its figurative fingernails.

Sadly, Borgo fell apart quickly, even before its first year anniversary. Ferrari was sidelined by ill health. The celebrated pastry chef was forced to return to Italy over visa issues. The enthusiastic anticipation began giving way to reviews about skimpy portions, uneven execution, and serious over-salting. 

This was our summary of Borgo Italia's food from our Oct 2012 dinner. We found the menu not just short, but uninteresting overall, with plain-Jane seasoning on simplistic dishes. We loved their desserts, the good-looking (if cramped) dining room, and the wonderful Italian waitstaff, but little else:

...We like Borgo overall. We love their whipped cream desserts, and the fun waitstaff. We'd like to see them succeed in the toughest business in the most difficult city and neighborhood when it comes to location.

But we aren't certain that they are the right restaurant in the right place at the right time. And that makes us sad, because the sausage dish showed there is some good food to be had. But "good" doesn't always translate to "interesting" or even "good value." I'm happy for the Italians they don't care about how much salt they use…but we do. I use more salt than anyone in my family, but Borgo had more salt in that one meal than I use total in a week. 

…Hence our wondering what prompted Ferrari to pour what I imagine must be a six-figure sum into this place. What did he eat from chef Fabio Dalle Vacche that made him willing to bankroll a restaurant? We just don't know. Nothing we ate would prompt us to invest, even if we had a spare million or two. 

...This is a culture clash that is going to have to be settled if Borgo is to succeed. Sometimes an uncompromising passion is admirable. Usually that's from a distance – a long, long distance. Authentic or not, the customer is always going to have the last word. You might be able to get them in the door once, but success comes only when you can get people to return. 

At this point, the only reason to return is for coffee and pastry. And that's sad, because it would only take a few tweaks to get Borgo more palatable to local diners.

When Borgo closed, the handsome space didn't stay empty long. Donato Scotti, well-respected restaurateur who owns Donato Enoteca in Redwood City, snapped it up for an Italian restaurant called Desco, where we've gone several times and liked it very much. 

But that left Fabio Dalle Vacche, former chef-partner of Borgo, out of a job. He received the backing to open his own restaurant, called Centouno, which took over the old Silk Road restaurant space at the end of Broadway, across the street from Jack London Square. Unlike Desco, which was able to open up within a few weeks, Centouno had to do a massive remodeling, turning a dark moody contemporary bar into a warm, inviting, European country dining room. 

There's no fad-oriented, hard-edged pseudo-sophistication here any longer. This is now classic Christopher Peacock territory. Desco's a handsome little restaurant, but Centouno combines a comforting warmth with a casual elegance that leaves every other Oakland restaurant in the dirt. Carlos loved the feel of the dining room, saying he would come back here just because it was such an inviting space. It helped that we were in one of the very comfortable booths which sit opposite the bar, against the windows. 

It wasn't noisy although it could well be on a weekend. But this was a Monday and there were only a few people in the front dining room, with one large party in the back. The waitstaff is all young and chipper; although not the best trained they are cheerful and eager to please. The pair of waitresses worked as a team, which was nice to see.

We found surprising differences between Valle's work at Borgo versus what he's doing here in Centouno, his own restaurant. The menu is much bigger, although on closer inspection there is nothing different or exciting on it. It's an attractive menu, but it plays everything safe. There is none of the creativity of Perbacco/SF or passionate largesse of Cotogna/SF. Every dish at Centouno is easily visualized, firmly planted on familiar culinary territory.

Carlos chose the Pappa al Pomodoro, a simple soup of canned tomatoes and bread. Despite its basic list of ingredients, it works because the tomatoes are very flavorful. It's thinned down with a light broth (maybe vegetable; we didn't ask) and then thickened with diced fresh bread cubes. This is not a bisque; there's no cream used to dilute the flavor. There's three small thin crostini, plain toasted bread, on the side. Carlos really liked it – he's a committed 'dunker' who always wants milk with his chocolate chip cookies so he can make them properly soggy – but I'd be willing to order it as well. The daily special was a vegetarian minestrone, but neither of us is fond of that soup. This was satisfying in a homey, comforting way.

I ordered the Caesar salad, which wasn't primo quality – the romaine was bigger leaves, chopped – but although the dressing was mild and the finely grated Grana Padano was a light sprinkling, the balance was very good and I found the salad very satisfying. 

So far both of our first courses were well above anything Borgo had produced for us – not just in flavor, but in quantity. The servings at Centouno aren't large, merely average; which makes them about 30% larger than Borgo's portions. The quality is not as high, but I doubt most people would notice.

For his entrée Carlos decided on the Carbonara. The restaurant version is different than the saucier version I make at home, but he's happy with either. It was spaghetti rather than linguine, but as has been the case at all the restaurants where the chefs are European rather than Californian, the al dente is properly executed. Centouno did a very good job on the carbonara, and Carlos said he would be happy to order this again.

I chose the fish special, which was a simple grilled salmon filet with mashed potatoes and sautéed vegetables. I was fighting off a cold, so wasn't in the mood for anything heavy. The salmon was good, not exceptional – very plain although with a fresh mango salsa atop seemingly more Mexican than Italian. The cauliflower and broccoli had been parcooked and then quickly pan-browned, too fast to develop any sweetness but enough to soften the raw crunchy edge we find uninteresting. We're never happy paying for what are essentially crudités ready for a ranch dressing dip. I was satisfied, but have to say I wouldn't bother ordering such a dish again. It was barely above Olive Garden in concept. Centouno's salmon and its relish paled when compared to the much more interesting butternut squash-cranberry chutney Montrio/Monterey produced for its salmon, when we were in Monterey last week.

Carlos added a side dish of button mushrooms, thin-sliced and sautéed with white wine and garlic. If there was either of the two in this dish, the amounts were very small. Still, it was tasty and we found it an excellent addition to both our entrées.

We decided to try dessert. Carlos chose the profiteroles, described as puff pastry, whipped cream, and chocolate mousse. It's a generous portion of three puffs, stuffed with whipped cream, and oddly covered in airy chocolate mousse. We infinitely preferred this to the usual glop of sweet dark chocolate sauce. The pastry is not remarkable, but we're whipped cream fans, and liked this version. Again: good, not great.

I tried the Crema Catalana, an Italian version of the standard crème brulee. The glaze was thin and surprisingly tasty, but the custard was too gluey with cornstarch. This was a substandard version. Neither dessert was impressive, although adequate to end a meal.

Centouno has a much more substantial menu than did Borgo. There are no flatbreads or pizzas, and much more variety, making this a good choice for groups of almost any size to find something they will like. We agreed Centouno was good enough to warrant a return visit to explore further. 

After consideration, we would rank Centouno well under Perbacco, Desco and Ca'Momi. The menu is more an updated Cal-Italian bistro's Top Thirty Hits, than anything truly creative or inspired. We rank it comparable to Lungomare, Chris Pastena's upscale Italian in Jack London Square, across the street from Centouno. However, we so much better like Centouno's interior and staff, we would give the edge to Centouno over Lungomare.

Oakland's dining scene is improving so rapidly, it's amazing to all of us. Less than three years ago we didn't have the Afro-Caribbean Miss Ollie's, the Spanish tapas of Duende and Venga, the regional Mexican of Cosecha and Nido. Borgo Italia may not have lasted long, but in looking back the publicity it garnered helped speed the arrival of more sophisticated restaurants in neighborhoods long ignored. 

These are more casual and approachable places than the tired upscale attempts to create an Oakland version of Chez Panisse, such as Bay Wolf and Oliveto. The Uptown, Temescal and now Old Oakland and Jingletown neighborhoods have finally joined Piedmont Avenue, Grand Ave/Lake Merritt, and Jack London Square as hot new restaurant destinations, an expansion we've been happy to see.

It wasn't long ago that Centouno would have been heralded with great fanfare as "proof" that Oakland's restaurants are the equal of any city (meaning, of course, San Francisco, the penultimate Gold Standard of Bay Area dining). Instead, Centouno sneaked in and remains pretty much under everybody's radar, with only a few Chowhounders posting comments and no reviews yet by any well-known food bloggers or food critics to create any buzz about it.

Will Centouno survive? We don't know. It's good food, and certainly shows that Chef Valle possesses a breadth of talent which wasn't taken advantage of at the austerely restrained Borgo Italia. But still...there doesn't seem to be a lot of passion under that gorgeous interior, so we can't help but wonder. 

It's good, but greatness eludes it, at least on this meal. Three years ago, we would have given Centouno a higher rating…but now it's got serious competition in Oakland, and more is coming. Chef Vacche needs to step up his game, especially as it seems he's got the credentials to do it.

We'll plan on going back, and will report further.

Two people, dinner: two starters, two entrées, one side, two desserts, two beverages, with tip $126.