CityCenterDC diners will have another option as of June 1, when Centrolina opens to the public. The Italian market/restaurant concept from chef Amy Brandwein will initially debut for lunch in the osteria, and shopping in the mercato; dinner service will follow.
The market portion will begin to roll out first, beginning on Tuesday, May 26. Though small, it’ll be the closest the mixed-use development has to a grocery. Shoppers can stop in for pantry items like dried pastas and olive oils, cheeses and salumi, fresh local produce, seafood, and meats. Brandwein also plans for ready-made items like pasta sauces, as well as grab-and-go breakfast pastries, paninis at lunch, a coffee bar, and fried-to-order bomboloni (Italian doughnuts). The adjoining restaurant will serve a concise menu of antipasti, pastas, and wood-roasted dishes such as whole branzino with market vegetables or oregano-garlic chicken.
Reservations are currently being taken for lunch in the osteria for those who want a first taste. Otherwise stop by the mercato beginning at 8 AM on the 26th.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
