The original Centro, on Wells St., was a wildly popular Chicago hotspot in the 1990s, where the city’s jet set would go to see, be seen, and eat well doing it. After a 12 year absence, the Rosebud Restaurant Group has revived Centro to become the newest addition to the River North neighborhood. The new Centro opened on May 20th at 6 West Hubbard Street.
I recently had the pleasure of attending their “soft opening” and can definitely report back that Centro is on the path to doing everything right. Patrons of the original will recognize the communal copper serving dishes in which Chef Joe’s hearty portions arrive. The food, as expected from a Rosebud restaurant, is superb. The bartenders (or mixologists, if you prefer) are highly talented. What truly stood out to me, however, was the quality of the service.
In creating this new Centro, the management team has obviously scoured the hospitality industry for some of the best servers in town. Every person with whom I interacted was professional, friendly, knowledgeable, and very good at their job. For me, no matter how good the food might be at a restaurant, if the service is poor then I will never go back. Centro is definitely a place to visit and visit again, for both food and experience.
According to Rosebud founder and patriarch Alex Dana, the spirit of the “old” Centro will live on in the “new” Centro including the many celebrity photographs and paintings that adorn the walls. “Our focus will be the food and the sharing of an authentic dining experience,” Chef Farina said. “Centro is a place with an easy-going supper-club vibe, where people can gather, entertain, and socialize over a great meal. We want to provide an impeccable and lively dining event for our guests.”
In addition to the superb menu crafted by Joe Farina, one of Chicago’s most prolific Italian-American chefs, Centro will also fill another neighborhood void: lunch will be served daily, with breakfast and brunch to be introduced in the near future. In addition, a late-night bar menu will be available until 1:30 a.m. Centro will also feature a “Salami Society” program, offering various artisanal salamis from around the world.
Reservations are highly recommended during lunch and dinner and may be made by calling the restaurant directly at 312.988.7775. Visit the website, keep up on events by following Rosebud Restaurants on Twitter, or check out the restaurant’s Facebook page.
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