Bring your own.
That bad, huh?
I honestly donât know, but I donât believe he charges corkage, so why wouldnât you bring something very good and share with Chef Avner? Thatâs what we did and had a blast.
3 Likes
Oh darn. I would love that but itâs not that kind of lunch. 
Just a quick break from spending the day at Good Samaritan with my aunt, then back.
2 Likes
Excellent lunch at Cento Pasta Bar in DTLA.
House Red or White Wine
We had red. It tasted like a cabernet or blend - fruit, tannins, hint of cinnamon, nice compliment to the bolognese.
Bread, Burrata, Olive Oil, Crunchy Salt
Chef Avner served the bread with a âTear it with your fingers. The knife is for the cheese.â Yes, Chef. @Bookwich described it best âCrusty and light and chewy. A beautiful example of a baguette. It was served on a pool of fruity olive oil, with a sprinkle of finishing salt on the milky, delicate, superb burrata. Excellent sourcing of ingredients.â Indeed.
Gnocchi Bolognese
Excellent! light, not dense, flour gnocchi, cooked fresh & served hot with the perfect amount of luscious beef gravy. I topped it with a small dollop of the light, creamy burrata. This dish was my first Best Bite of 2020. 
Gnocchi, Sausage, Swiss Chard & Fennel
Iâm not a fennel lover, but this dish was so good. My cousin took one bite, her eyes rolled-up and she said âThis reminds me of Italyâ.
Beet Spaghetti, Goat Cheese, Poppy Seeds, Chives
Such a pretty dish, described by another diner as very good if you like beets. I do, just maybe not sweet pasta. I only had a bite and canât completely assess. My vegetarian sister loved it. 
I would like to try it again.
We werenât sure what to expect when we walked in. It was moody & kindaâ dark, with boxes of wine piled up against the walls, eclectic art, a bit shambly, definitely not gussied up. A few downtown denizens quietly eating and a loud potty-mouthed rapper on the sound system, later replaced by The Weekend. No menus, just Chef Avner informing us of the days offerings. He was distracted and gruff when we arrived and I thought âUh oh⌠I got us into thisâ. But I trust FTCers and had faith the food would save the day. It did. While sipping wine and watching him cook it all made sense and the surroundings became Cento Pasta Barâs charm.
We were the last customers of the day - Chef was cool. He loosened up and even came outside to chat with us while we waited for a Lyft back to the hospital. It was kind of a rollercoaster day and the meal, the conversation and unpretentious setting was just the salve we needed.
Happy Lunchtime Pasta Eating!
14 Likes
What a great review. I felt like i was there
2 Likes
Awww⌠thanks @aaqjr!
Iâm so glad you liked the food! Itâs kind of an interesting space, lol, but I really like it. Iâm sorry Chef Avner was grouchy, heâs always been really kind and friendly, maybe a bad day for some reason. 
Best wishes to your sister.
2 Likes
Thanks @TheCookie. 
Glad you enjoyed your visit. I really like Chef Avnerâs Bolognese so Iâd be eager to try it with his Gnocchi next time.
1 Like
Yes, same here, heâs been so delightful
1 Like
Thanks @Bookwich!
Chef was really cool. He wasnât grouchy or rude just not happy to see us, at first. 
He mightâve been tired or it mightâve been slow and he was hoping to close early, idk. Itâs hard to predict moods. It was just an initial awkwardness. But he got in the game and was really nice to us and sweet to my cousin who he could hear was going thru a lot with her sick mom. He cooked a great meal, the wine flowed and he came outside with us to continue the conversation. So, yes, Chef Avner is a mench. Iâll be back.
Itâs interesting to find the least L.A.ish restaurants like Cento, Woodspoon, etc. are now in DTLA.
3 Likes
Hi @Chowseeker1999 -
Iâm starting to get over my gnocchi aversion which I always equated with dense, starchy, heavy. L.A. pasta chefs are mastering it and itâs a whole other thing now. 
1 Like
you meant light and fluffy like a cloud!
1 Like
Thatâs exactly what I mean now.
1 Like