Interesting neighborhood…exquisite pasta.

Cento Pasta Bar recently moved to an area that I was unfamiliar with.

It is located right off of South La Brea rendering it much more accessible than downtown Los Angeles.

After being Covid silent Cento reopened recently in a sunny, intimate spot on West Adams Boulevard.

There is a plethora of outside dining and the interior hosts bar seating with a full view of chef/owner Avner Levi.

Prior to venturing out on his own, the pasta specialist first appeared in 2015 as a daytime-only pop-up inside a downtown LA wine bar. Levi then cooked pasta at Bestia, one of the city’s most sought after restaurants.

He only has one sous chef and a female task master who keeps the orders running as smoothly as a Drill Sargent, but always with a smile.

The small staff is welcoming and efficient.

Naturally, we perused the wine list. The unique Austrian orange wine Meinklang Graupert’ 2018 really grew on me ($20). My husband went red.

We kicked things off with a fabulous Charred Octopus dish prepared with tasty purple potatoes accompanied by a mild Romesco sauce ($22).

The Cauliflower Salad was incredible. Great ingredients, a simple preparation with  Castelvetrano olives, Marcona almonds, Cara Cara and golden raisins. It was outstanding ($16).

The Sea Urchin Spaghetti with Santa Barbara Uni, Persian saffron and Burrata was wonderful topped with an ample piece of Uni ($34). I chose to eat the burrata separately as the Uni pasta flavors were outstanding unadorned.

The Beet Pasta was a real surprised presented with a generous dollop of ricotta. The sweetness of the whipped ricotta and brown butter enhanced the dish, creating a unique bowl of pasta ($24).

I want to return with a carnivore.

The Casarecce with Short Rib Ragu ($29), the Rack of Lamb special which we watched sear and then rest on the grill, as well as the Roasted Bone Marrow ($16), all looked delicious.

The desserts sounded enticing, but we passed. The Banana Pudding Tiramisu is allegedly heavenly ($14).

I wish Cento was in my neighbor.

Our reservation was for 5pm and we arrived five minutes before opening.

We waited for the gate to open standing next to a woman who lived in the neighborhood and was hosting her 50th birthday party, taking over the entire 30-seat patio.

Cento’s food is memorable, prices reasonable, the indoor space open and inviting with bar seating for 25 and the patio appealing.

 Cento is Censational.

Cento Pasta Bar 4921 West Adams Blvd.  Los Angeles, California. Open Wednesday, Thursday, Sunday 5-10pm, Friday and Saturday 5-11pm. Valet and street parking. Reservations on OpenTable.com.