Café Centro is a brasserie in the lobby of the MetLife Building in midtown NYC. I had the pleasure of dining here last night with one of my best friends, introducing her to one of my favorite gems of NYC.
When you are seated, you are served a baguette wrapped in a bow with butter, a garlic butter spread, and Provencal Olives. The olive lover I am ordered seconds.
For dinner, we shared an entree of Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes – 2 crab cakes served with a watercress and fennel salad ($29) and Moules Frites cooked in White Wine, garlic, and fresh thyme ($19). Not following the old rule of pairing white wine with seafood, I ordered Bordeaux, which was amazing.
As we were drinking our wine, the aroma of garlic, butter and white wine filled the air. By the way, we were sitting 40 feet away from the glass-enclosed kitchen. I knew it was my dish that was being prepared. Surely enough a few minutes later, we were served the Moules Frites in its usual presentation – cast iron skillet and frites in a stainless steel cup.
The dessert was delectable, a new addition to the menu, but still not on the menu – Goat Chevre Cheesecake with (brandied) figs. I was told by the waiter that the dessert chef has recently joined the restaurant and prepared this dessert, which landed him the position. I was going to get my usual Crème brûlée, but the cheesecake sounded amazing, especially since I am a big fan of chevre. I only doubted it because I am not a cheesecake fan. But it was SO WORTH IT! I don’t even know how many times we said “Mmmm” or said “this is soooo good.” Try it for yourself. =)
As usual, the service was great, experience was fabulous, and the food was scrumptious. I’ve been a patron of Café Centro for over 10 years, and highly recommend this restaurant. They’ve never let me down.
Café Centro
200 Park Ave
New York, NY 10166
