Cento Pasta Bar

After years of operating as a daytime pop-up inside Downtown’s Mignon, former Bestia chef Avner Lavi now has a fully realized West Adams brick-and-mortar restaurant. Lavi’s memorable beet spaghetti makes an appearance on the Cento’s newly expanded seasonal menu, but you’ll also find other dishes with unexpected Middle Eastern flourishest. I’m less than enthused with Cento Raw Bar, the restaurant’s new, influencer-baiting younger sibling, but Cento’s streamlined menu of small plates, pastas, mains and desserts still comprises one of the most all-around delicious Italian dining options in town. The handful of global flourishes work unexpectedly well: a sprouted cauliflower with olives and plump golden raisins, a classic carbonara topped with chili crunch, a tres leches cake dripping in passion fruit curd. These days, the patio area is a total scene that spills into the buzzy Cento Raw Bar, but those in search of a more laidback environment can opt to dine indoors, where you’ll find a marble-topped chef’s counter and larger-than-life themed piece of pasta art. In no particular order, the sweet corn agnolotti, spicy pomodoro and beet spaghetti are my favorite pastas here. If you’re coming in a group of three or more, order them all.