Cento Pasta Bar (Los Angeles, CA)

Cento Pasta Bar
128 E 6th St
Los Angeles, CA 90014
Dining dates: 2/4/17, 3/4/17, 4/1/17, 4/8/17

Cento Pasta Bar is a recurring pop-up restaurant in downtown’s Mignon space. At night, this is a French wine bar serving French small plates and wines, but during the day it’s a pasta bar (Wed-Sat). The menu is very focused; typically there’s a couple of appetizers and about three pastas on offer. The pasta offerings change weekly, though can change even daily depending on what the chef comes up with. Prices are very reasonable – pastas are in the $12-$18 range.

I’ve stopped in a number of times to try what’s cooking. Just about every seat at the restaurant is at the counter surrounding all the cooking. It’s great to be able to see the pastas come together right in front of you and be able to interact with the chef.

Avocado toast, creme fraiche, truffle oil

Pureed corn and charred scallion fettuccine

Clam and scallion fettuccine

Gnocchi with bolognese

Burrata and Dungeness crab fettuccine

Sausage, fennel pollen, and braised Swiss chard spaghetti

Roasted mushrooms, white truffle oil, sausage trofie

Gnocchi with pesto

Sea urchin and crab spaghetti

Vesuvio pasta with mushrooms, truffle and parmesan

Gnocchi with rabbit ragu

I’ve really enjoyed my meals at Cento. The pastas have been excellent and the constantly-changing menu keeps things interesting. My favorite dishes have probably been the gnocchi with rabbit and spaghetti with sea urchin and crab, but I haven’t had anything that’s disappointed yet.