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pickled red onion, capers, chive flowers, lemon zest and olive oil. Of course, some things never change, such as the saltimbocca or the meatballs in tomato sauce over angel-hair pasta (great-grandmother’s recipe). “One dish we’ve had on the menu since the beginning is our eggplant appetizer,” notes Teresa. “It’s thinly sliced and pan fried, then rolled with ricotta, bread crumbs and tomato sauce.” At the pasta-driven Centro Cafe in Riverwest, head chef A.J. Dixon makes a point of accommodating dietary restrictions, offering guests a good choice of gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian options. “We get our lasagna and fusilli from Madison’s RP’s Pasta Company,” she notes. “I have gone through a lot of different products to find one that tastes good, and you wouldn’t know theirs are gluten free unless someone told you.” Centro’s larder also contains such locally sourced ingredients as beef from
“WE TRY TO COME UP WITH SOMETHING NEW EVERY WEEK.” – DAVE MOHORKO, VIA DOWNER Richway Acres and sausage from Scardinia Specialties. Centro’s most popular dishes include homemade gnudi, butternut squash lasagna and flatbread pizza done with duck sausage, fontina, mushrooms and arugula. Chef Dave Mohorko isn’t afraid to step beyond the roster of plates you’d expect to see in an Italian eatery at Via Downer. He’s served up blackened salmon with Cajun seasonings and a West African peanut soup. “We try to come up with something new every week,” says Mohorko. “For example, I’ve done an osso buco with berbere, the Ethiopian spice mix that includes dried chili pepper, cardamom, paprika, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon.” Additional entrees include Tuscan chicken, beef spiedini and fettuccine with sun-dried tomatoes, goat cheese, spinach and basil. Whether it’s pizza, pasta, a simple caprese salad or something more substantial, get out and grab yourself a little of la dolce vita. It’s not hard to do in this town. n Milwaukee Magazine | DINING EXTRA 2013 |
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