Centro Review Golf Southwest October 2014

12 G O L F

DINING

Centro Woodfired Pizzeria

By Jean Luc Mirpoix

W

S O U T H W E S T — O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4

Centro General Manager Jim Twitchell and Owner Mark Baruffi

hile Cedar City, Utah is known for its scenic vistas and world class Shakespeare Festival, it is not known for outstanding eateries. However, in the midst of this desert of culinary desolation, shines a single glimmering gem; Centro Woodfired Pizzeria.

Based upon a fusion of Napolitano style woodfired pizza and New York style cooking techniques, Centro’s method of cooking has been classified by the New York Times as American New Wave cuisine. Centro Woodfired Pizzeria is one of the most reviewed restaurants in Cedar City, with write-ups in the Los Angeles Times, and Salt Lake Tribune, and an average of 4.8 out of 5 stars on Yelp.com, Urbanspoon.com, and Tripadvisor.com.

The secret to Centro’s success lies in using the highest quality ingredients, old style woodfired pizza oven, and comfortable and tastefully appointed décor. Owner Mark Baruffi and General Manager Jim Twitchell worked tirelessly to bring a destination eatery to downtown Cedar City, that would offer a much more upscale dining experience than a typical traditional pizzeria.

“We wanted to include a better product, and the experience of the woodfired pizza oven, sort of a dinner and a show experience, as well as something different than what people expect of from a pizza restaurant,” said Baruffi.

And while the food is fantastic, it is not your typical pizza fare, and may not be what children are expecting when they hear the word pizza.

That being said, Centro is suitable for the entire family, and some of the staunchest patrons come with their children.

For those unfamiliar with the concept of woodfired pizza, the experience is a lighter, thinner crust on the bottom with a billowing airy outer crust. Because it is cooked in a brick oven, upon a stone, next to an open fire, certain black spots, or leopard spots, will be present on the crust. These dark spots are normal and part of the woodfired pizza experience. Additionally, many factors can effect how the pizza cooks, from humidity, to am-

13 bient temperature, to how hot the wood burns. These factors make each visit a unique experience and provide a variation of flavor and texture with each pie.

Walking into Centro, one is struck by the homey rustic décor, reminiscent of a midtown loft apartment. Smooth jazz and light classic rock play softly from the speakers, and antique Edison style light bulbs offer a warm orange glow.

In the center of the main dining room is a large pizza preparation area, so you can watch the artisan pizza makers hand craft your meal, before placing it in the glowing hearth of the woodfired pizza oven.

Before we dive into the amazing food, I want to make sure to mention one of the most important aspects of the dining experience – the service. Each server at Centro is attentive without being overbearing. They are polite, courteous, helpful, and chipper. Hardly does your ice clink in your beverage and they are at your table with a fresh refill. Our particular server for this visit was Amanda, and she was of the most stellar caliber we have experienced in quite a long while. Each server we observed was equally as attentive.

To start our dining experience, we opted for a plate of Centro’s Arugula and Prosciutto salad. The fresh and flavorful arugula was topped with paper thin shaved prosciutto and a well aged Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. The prosciutto was lightly salty and lightly smoky and added a good counterbalance to the slightly sour and tangy lemon basil dressing. This salad serves two to three people easily.

Also in the insalata arena was the newest salad, a red grape and Gorgonzola individual sized offering. This red grape and pan fried pancetta salad is served on a bed of fresh crisp romaine leaves and hearts and drizzled with a buttermilk based dressing, heavy with clumps of flavorful Gorgonzola cheese. This lighter cousin to bleu cheese is less salty and less odorous then its French relative.

For an appetizer, we sampled the bruschetta, a crusty garlic baguette topped with chopped tomato, garlic, and basil, and drizzled with a balsamic reduction. The tomato was amazingly fresh and offered that fresh and crisp natural flavor of these delightful love apples that is so sought after in Italian cuisine.

The light fresh chopped garlic was an accent to the basil and tomato without strangling the other ingredients. The Balsamic reduction provided the flavor of a Modena sunrise; a most excellent way to segue into the main course.

Centro offers a wide variety of toppings for their pizza, and have paired specific ingredients based upon how they mingle together, into several The Red Grape and Gorgonzola or the tangy Arugula and Prosciutto salads will surely get your taste buds prepped for the piping hot pizza to follow.

recommended specialties. You may request your pizza with whichever toppings you desire, but these specific pairings are offered to make ordering easy and best showcase the fresh, high quality ingredients and flavor pairings.

In addition to their regular offerings, Centro runs regular specials, often providing a venue for locally sourced meat and produce, and these limited run treats can sometimes steal the show from their regular menu items.

On our visit, we sampled one pizza from the regular menu and one from the

The rich fresh garden taste of the bruschetta offers just the right balance of sweet basil and tangy garlic enhanced with the zest of a balsamic reduction.

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S O U T H W E specials board, to get as wide an assortment as possible. Each Centro pizza is S a 12-inch pie, sliced into 6 generous slices, and can comfortably feed two and T

may be stretched to feed three.

Our first offering was a fig and prosciutto pizza with Fontina cheese from the specials menu. As the pie was delivered by our ever attentive server, Amanda, the sight of the fresh fig slices gently baked into the fluffy yet thin crust was the first to catch our eye. The sweetness of the figs offered the ideal counterpoint to the shredded thin prosciutto, which lent smokiness to the entrée. All of this rested on a bed of melted and gooey Fontina cheese, giving it almost a creamy fondue texture. Each bite left long strings of amazingly flavorful melted goodness on our chins.

The next pizza was the Sopressetta, from the regular menu. Centro spares no expense by using Creminelli Sopressetta, the highest quality Italian saCentro’s pizzas are 12-inches in diameter and can comfortably feed two to three people. The Sopressetta (top) features delicious Italian salami.

The Fig and Prosciutto offers creamy Fontina Cheese.

lami, for this pizza. The tanginess of the meat on a bed of aged mozzarella and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheeses are bathed in a light and airy tomato sauce. The sauce lent its gentle acids to the crispy Sopressetta for an ideal flavor experience.

As we dined, we sampled a glass of their Iron Gate Winery Tempest wine, a blended red, from the neighboring winery. This excellent wine was the perfect companion. The Tempest is medium dry, smoky with hints of cabernet and mild Earth notes, and provides a full-bodied and deep flavor profile. Centro offers an impressive wine list, as well as a wide variety of local and national micro-brewed beers as well as your standard imported and domestic bottles and drafts.

For desert, we ventured into the exotic. Centro offers only two deserts, and being adventurous, we sampled both. The first was a bit unsual – vanilla gelato with sea salt, olive oil, and a balsamic reduction. Now, before you turn up your nose at such an odd pairing, I have to say it was not only one of the most interesting deserts I have ever tasted, but it was magnificently delicious. The creamy custardy gelato exploding with fresh vanilla beans provided a sweet base for the tangy balsamic reduction. The sea salt enhanced the sweetness of the gelato and balsamic vinegar, and the olive oil bound all of the flavors together with a neutral earthiness. While the gelato is also available with more traditional caramel, chocolate, or raspberry sauce, I highly suggest you give this unusual continued on page 14 variation a try.

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14 CENTRO

G O continued from page 13 L F The last desert is their Nutella Piegato, their pizza S O U T H W E S T — O c t o b e r 2 0 1 4

dough filled with rich hazelnut and cocoa cream, folded like a calzone and baked in their woodfired oven, and drizzled with even more Nutella. Long a staple of European dining tables, Nutella is finding a strong following here in the States. It is a delicious topping by itself, but something miraculous occurs when it is heated. The woody deliciousness of the hazelnuts, blended with the gooey and rich chocolate flavor, e x p l o d e f ro m within and overwhelm the taste buds. This rich desert was the perfect finish to our amazing dining experience.

Overall, no detail was overlooked. From the chilled glass bottles of water, to the handsome décor, to the excellent and cheerful service, to the amazing food, fresh ingredients, and pleasant atmosphere, Centro made us feel comfortable and Centro offers an impressive selection of imported and domestic beers and fine wines, including this local offering from Iron Gate Winery, located right in Cedar City.

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V The gelato with sea salt, olive oil, and balsamic reduction was a dream on the tongue. The Nutella Piegato offered an amazingly rich encore to the delicious hot crispy pizza. at home. They offer both indoor and outdoor dining at high tops or regular tables, and even provide a dining bar with a view of the street.

Cedar City, Utah has much to offer to the traveller looking for beautiful scenery, as it is the gateway to Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, and Cedar Breaks National Monument. It also is known as Festival City for the various festivals and events that are ongoing throughout the year. Cedar Ridge Golf Course offers 18 holes of regulation play and you can read more about that on page 28 of this publication. After you finish on the links, make sure you head downtown to Centro Woodfired Pizzeria and bring every bit of your appetite, because you will need it.

Centro Woodfired Pizzeria 50 W . University Blvd. (Center St.) Cedar City, UT 84720 (435) 867-8123

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