No time for that tonight. Our eyes are fixated on the menu’s other half, a greatest hits album of Italian-American culinary classics. We trust our gut, which is quite hungry at the moment.
“How’s the chicken marsala?” we ask our young doe-eyed server. He’s college-aged with shaggy blonde hair serving as the only barrier between us and his unbridled enthusiasm for the restaurant, which has only been open a few weeks.
He winces, then catches himself, then winces again knowingly.
“It’s good,” he clarifies. “But check this out.”
He points out the cacio e pepe pasta dish as Centro’s most popular and most traditionally Italian option, a simple bowl of spaghetti and black pepper. He notes the mussels, served with basil and broth, as an appetizer, plus the mussels linguini pasta.
“But I’m also just a big mussels guy,” he says with a laugh.
We tell him we’re looking to try one of the pasta dishes as well as one of Centro’s five entree selections. Make that four, after the subtle deterrence from chicken marsala.
“Then you gotta get the pork chop,” he says firmly, before making a face to show us just how badly he wished he could be ordering it for himself. “And I would say our spinach pasta with that.”
The pork chop costs $32, topped with peach compote. The spinach tagliatelle, $26, is actually made with spinach noodles and includes wild mushrooms and pecorino cheese. Deal. We ordered both, plus a side of crispy Brussels sprouts just to give ourselves an ounce of autonomy in the matter.
There might be a bit of a wait. Centro only opened in June, and it’s already hard to find a table inside once dinner service begins at 5 p.m. There’s only a short window of time to get in, too. The restaurant is open until 9 p.m. every day and 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, putting it in high demand for the thousands of McKinney locals who fiercely support their neighborhood spots. Starting July 28, Centro will be debuting lunch hours and happy hours.
Centro is located inside the space on the square that used to house McKinney-classic, Harvest, before its move in 2023. Inside, a dark rustic aesthetic evokes a modest elevation to its dining experience. Classy enough to try out for a date night, while not being too chic to bring the whole family along next time. In the far back corner, a small glass window gives diners a peek into Centro’s pasta-making process, which is said to be all housemade, by hand.
But enough about the layout, our food is here. Our pasta and Brussels sprouts are still steaming, so we try our pork chop first. It’s delicious as-is, but the spread of peach compote on top takes it over the top. The salt and pepper balance great with the fruit’s sweetness, and even the small peach chunks still remaining served as a nice pair to a chewy bite of pork.
The Brussels sprouts were perfect, remaining one of the highest taste and texture ceilings of any food. It’s almost unfair. When done right, they can steal any dish, and we’re usually happier because of it.
We won’t let it overshadow Centro’s delicious spinach pasta, which, combined with the pecorino cheese, taste like an authentic Italian meal and feel like a warm hug all at once.
Just a few bites in, our server gave us a thumbs up from across the restaurant, complete with a sly smile. He was right. In most situations, trust your gut, but when you’re going out to eat, especially at the new fancy Italian spot in town, it's better to trust your server.
Centro On The Square, 112 E Louisiana St., Sunday - Thursday 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., 5 - 9 p.m.; Friday - Saturday 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., 5 - 10 p.m.
