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“Centro Vinoteca”

Occasion:	Cuisine:	Area:	Cost:	Rating:
Night Out	Italian	West Village	Moderate	Great

. A new dish for fall combined tender just-charred grilled sepia with a wedge of roasted acorn squash and a salad of dandelion greens, apples, and pumpkin seeds ($15). While the flavors of this dish really capture the season (it’s supposedly fall), and the flavors worked together so nicely, I found it a bit awkward to eat. The acorn squash is served in its skin, and I think it might work better if the chunks were cut up and tossed in with the salad. But there was nothing awkward about the roasted beet salad, a pretty collection of beets, Thumbelina carrots, and pickled radishes that colored the plate in rose, orange, pink and yellow.

At this point in our dinner, Jamie posed a question that most of us have heard at some point. “Who’s on your list?” she asked. “What list?” I responded, pulling a slice of pillowy homemade foccacia from a bread plate and dabbing it in some grassy green olive oil. “You know, your list! Your freebie list? Of famous men you can sleep with!” “Oh right, my list of famous men I can sleep with. Of course!” I said. I guess I had missed out on the other half of the table’s conversation while concentrating on the escarole salad. “I don’t know, that’s a tough one. Who’s on yours?” I asked the table at large. The names ranged from Vince Vaughn, Ed Norton and George Clooney, to the guy from Unfaithful, Ed Burns, and some tennis player I had never heard of named Feliciano Lopez. My list included Mr. Clooney, as well as Clive Owen and Mark Ruffalo. For the record, I think Craig looks a little like Clive, and I’ve always loved Mark Ruffalo (he’s so cute), and who wouldn’t have George Clooney? I was also considering Patrick Wilson from Little Children, but I’m not much for blonds. But truth be told, I probably could be convinced. (Note that when I asked Craig who was on his list he took the Fifth. Smart man. Though I know his list includes Eva Mendes and Jennifer Connelly.)

By the time we had debated our lists, our second courses were landing, and in this respect the table disappointed me- four of my friends ordered the same thing: the pici. This is generally a no-no, but since it was Alison’s birthday I didn’t make a fuss. I mean, it’s great, but four of them? Well, at least I got a good taste of it. The pici, which is handmade spaghetti that’s sort of ropy (but perfectly cooked) ... [more, click below]

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Posted: October 15, 2007

Other restaurants in West Village :
+ Jefferson-- Closed   + La Palapa Rockola   + Sumile   + Babbo   + Tasca   + AOC Bedford   + Home   + The Spotted Pig   + Barbuto   + Numero 26   + Mas   + August   + Alta   + Cru   + Blue Mill Tavern-- Closed   + Employees Only   + Lassi   + Metropol--Closed   + Turks and Frogs   + Bellavitae   + Yumcha-- CLOSED   + Gusto: SEE EARLIER REVIEW; THIS CHEF HAS LEFT GUSTO   + Perry Street   + Home   + Ditch Plains   + The Little Owl   + Cafe Condesa   + Cafe Cluny   + Gusto   + The Waverly Inn   + Morandi   + P*ONG   + Perilla   + Soto   + Market Table   + Centro Vinoteca   + Barfry   + Dell'Anima   + Bar Blanc   + Smith's   + Commerce   + Elettaria   + Bar Q   + Cabrito   + 10 Downing   + Minetta Tavern   + Braeburn   + Scuderia, by guest reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Bar Blanc Bistro by Guest Reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Joseph Leonard   + Bar Henry, by Guest Reviewer Kathleen Squires   + Kin Shop   + Monument Lane   + Wong   + Bin on Bleecker, by Dara Pollak   + Ristorante Rafele   + Cole's Greenwich Village by Guest Reviewer Claire Jaffe   

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