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“Centrico”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	Latin/Mexican	Tribeca	Moderate	Good

plashed with blood orange juice; juicy shrimp in a bath of lemon juice turned up with jalapeño and softened with mango; sweet scallops in a puddle of coconut milk, fired up with Serrano chiles and tart lime juice; and chewy conch pumped up with habanero, cilantro, and orange juice. These are a pleasure to devour.

Our entrees were uniformly good, and some were excellent. Birra en Estilo Jalisco ($19)—short ribs braised Jalisco style in an ancho chile broth, were phenomenally flavorful and ridiculously soft, the meat so tender it was not just falling off the bone—it was leaping off. Conchinita Pibil—slow roasted suckling pig ($17) marinated in achiote, garlic and bitter orange—was served pulled into meltingly tender strands. Both of these dishes come with those same tiny little corn tortillas from the fish tacos, and some chopped onion, Mexican oregano and juicy wedges of lime for a make your own tiny taco experience. I like this idea, but again, the tortillas are so small it’s hard to fit much more than one little hunk of meat in there. And you need to get some rice and beans in there cause his rice and beans are killer.

The conversation stopper that night was the Pescado Michi ($19)—the pan-seared market fish of the day, which was halibut. (I’d substitute the halibut into those fish tacos). Sanchez gives it a nice golden sear that caps the moist, flaky flesh, and serves it with a sauce that is insanely basic but just so wildly good—lime juice, oil, cilantro and serrano chiles. Drizzle some on top, and it wakes up the whole fish, it’s like fireworks. You will want to pour it on everything you eat for days to come.

I like Centrico and think it is just what the neighborhood needs. No, it’s not the best Mexican food in the city. (La Palapa and Suenos—those two places rock in my humble opinion.) But Centrico is pretty good, and in some places quite impressive. Right now the place feels a little unfinished, and a little green, in terms of design and service, but it’s only been a few weeks. It will get there. But even as it is right now, it works as a fun, convivial setting where you can and should gather among friends and take advantage of that margarita machine.

Centrico is located at 211 West Broadway, at Franklin Street, 212-431-0700.

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Posted: July 24, 2005

Other restaurants in Tribeca :
+ Lunchbox Food Company--Closed   + 66: THIS RESTAURANT IS CLOSED   + Ola-- Closed   + Bouley   + Dominic   + Landmarc   + Pace-- Closed   + EN Japanese Brasserie   + Centrico   + Cercle Rouge   + The Harrison   + Turks & Frogs Tribeca   + Devin Tavern   + Dani-- Closed Now   + Bacaro/Smith & Mills   + The Harrison   + Matsugen, By Guest Reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Forge   + Macao Trading Company   + Harbour   + Review text tbd...   + Mehtaphor   + Brushstroke   + Jung Sik   

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