One night in Des Moines, I ended up dining at Centro down the street from the Suites of 800 Locust Hotel and Spa where I was staying.

The prices were amazing  with a three course Prezzo Fisso at $25, the food not so (compared to New York). The food was tasty, but nothing out of the ordinary.

I started with a sweet (uncooked) local corn salad with roasted red pepper, scallions, basil, parsley and feta cheese.  A nice melange of flavors, but missing something.  A splash of champagne vinegar? Lemon Juice? Salt? Something.

I ordered the wood-grilled Niman Ranch pork chop medium. It arrived well done. The second version was cooked to perfection with the pork juicy and tender. (Having eaten only soy foods all week, I relished each and every bite of meat!).

The dish was more hearty than I’m used to, as it was accompanied by roasted potatoes and sweet corn panna (a polenta) atop some wilted green. I would have preferred more veggies and less starch.

My tablemates foods were nicely prepared but again a tad heavy for my liking. I liked the crispy crust and moist interior of the Parmesan-crusted Alaskan halibut accompanied by a huge scoop of buttermilk mashed potatoes and some fresh veggies.

I found the herb-crusted pan-seared filet of beef in the garlic butter sauce moist and tender. That was also accompanied by the a huge scoop of buttermilk mashed potatoes and some fresh veggies.

Worth a visit, if you’re looking for hearty comfort food.

Centro
1011 Locust St
Des Moines, IA 50309-2811
515.244.7033
www.centrodesmoines.com

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