The wine bar trend continues....

So I knew the moment I sat down at the bar at Centro Vinoteca last night that it was going to be a good night. After patiently waiting several minutes, the bartender took my order (prosecco) and starting pouring two glasses. He pushed one my way and instructed me to deliver it to his friend's table behind me and placed the other in my hand saying, "This one's on the house." MUSIC TO MY EARS, people!! It should also be noted that this was the largest, most robust glass of prosecco I've ever had in my life.

Once the other half of my party arrived, we sat down in cozy little section near the bustling bar and immediately turned to the piccholini menu to satisfy our little bellies. After much deliberation we went with the truffled deviled eggs, mushrooms stuffed with pork and pancetta, little meatballs in a light broth with rosemary and the red and yellow roasted peppers rolled around goat cheese.

I can confidently say that I've never tasted a deviled egg quite like this one - the filling was light and decadent yet the truffle flavor was pervasive enough that to make this not your everyday cocktail party fare. The mushrooms were not my favorite as they were a bit watery and the pancetta kept falling out of the cap. The peppers were a nice, light summer bar snack and the goat cheese was perfectly creamy. Finally, the meatballs were satiating yet not completely satisfying.

Since we overloaded on the mini plates, my long-lost friend/dining partner decided to share the pici pasta - a long, textured, egg-less fettucine-sized noodle with sweet and spicy sausage ragu. This was definitely the highlight of the meal - the flavors were bold enough to make a statement and to keep my taste buds wanting more. Fortunately for my waistline, we shared the dish so overeating wouldn't be an issue.


Definitely check out Anne Burrell's cozy contemporary wine bar. With the mixture of PYTs and old men, it will satisfy any scene requirements and appetites.