hey! i hope each of you enjoyed your thanksgiving week (if you celebrate) and spent time with those you love most eating something absolutely delightful. thanksgiving looked different for me this year for a variety of reasons but primarily because i have been at the hospital around the clock with my dad, who underwent a stem cell transplant (expect a full rundown in the coming weeks about all of the many layers). one of the limitations is not being able to have any food that is not prepared at the hospital or by me in our hotel suite due to his nonexistent immune system. with him barely having tastebuds and being limited on what sits well on his stomach, there wasn’t the traditional thanksgiving dinner (filled with many of my favorite soul food dishes). maybe it is because i am craving a great meal out, missing my friends and feeling grateful to the many members of my chosen family that offered to have a thanksgiving spread delivered (before they knew about the restrictions), i found myself thinking about this phenomenal italian restaurant alan and i went to last month. let me introduce you to: cento.

alan had been RAVING about cento for months. we had been trying to go together but life was a little too chaotic AND for awhile, they were closed on mondays so we struggled a bit. let me tell you this – the wait was absolutely worth it. there was not a single thing we consumed that i would not give at least a 9.5 out of 10. let me walk you through our dining experience:

the hamachi? melted like literal butter. the endive caesar? simple and flavor packed, especially with the hint of tarragon. one of the reasons alan is in my top five favorite people to dine with is because we have such similar palettes. it is an added bonus that the conversation is consistently captivating. that being said, we frequently get to sample more of the menu because we can share various dishes (like the two above). for our main courses, we both committed to pasta dishes.

alan couldn’t get enough of his spicy pomodoro. he was surprised i didn’t order it because of my deep love for all things spicy however, i just couldn’t pass up a ricotta gnocchi with a 28-month parmesan and cream. i had zero regrets. because their menu is constantly changing, alan’s pasta above is not currently available however, my bolognese is so run to get your bowl!

we were between a few different options for dessert. one of the only areas where alan and i differ is there is no such thing as too much chocolate for him. that certainly is not the case for me. one that spoke to us both was the date cake and our server highly recommended it.

the date cake is something i literally dream about. who doesn’t love caramel, pecan and crème fraiche ice cream? alan had been to cento at least a dozen times and had never tried it. from now on, it is a MUST.

with me being a planner, there were bonus points given for being able to make a reservation, valet parking and being seated upon arrival (even though alan hadn’t arrived yet). i am already anxiously awaiting my next visit and cannot speak highly enough about the quality of service, the ambiance (would be a great space for a private event), the attention to detail with every dish and how heavenly the entire meal was from start to finish. if you find yourself in la, make a reservation at cento.

xoxo,

k. tap