Il Centro: no red-checkered tablecloths here

 On Thursday the club ventured to Osterio Il Centro in the south Plaza area. This place comes highly recommended and for good reason: it's delicious. I've wanted to try it since I first drove by and saw this quote painted on their window: "Garlic is the catsup of intellectuals." (Flattery will get you everywhere.)

It's exactly what it's presented to be: a casual nice dining place. It's pricier than most dinner club restaurants (entrees in the $15-$20 range), but well worth it if you're looking for a special night out. It's small with dark wood and bright art. The waitstaff wears long black aprons and ties, so you know it's legit.

Josh started us out with a delicious appetizer sampler platter, with goat cheese, pesto, bruschetta and lots of bread. We all had wine--I had a malbec which was delicious.

The menu noted their eggplant parmigiana as a customer favorite, so I thought I'd test out just what these customers liked so much. (Usually when I order anything eggplant at a restaurant, it's delicious.) It stood up to the status. The eggplant was lightly breaded, topped with lots of cheese, and served with fettuccini with tomato sauce. There was enough for a large supper and leftovers for lunch.

Il Centro is not the type of family-style Italian joint you'd see in a Martin Scorsese movie. I recommend it for a quiet, special dinner for a couple or group of four. My rating: 4/5 stars.