It is that time of year again when Supper Club Six takes to the streets in a limo filled with cheer (liquid cheer) and tours the city in search of lights and hoarders. Before I get to the annual trip to the Christmas Hoarder Extravaganza let me share our dinner experience.
For our third holiday outing, Maggie once again planned a fun filled evening. We chose our restaurant by consensus opting for Osteria il Centro a local favorite in Kansas City. Il Centro is located at 51st and Main. This was not the first visit for anyone in the group but most of us had not been to Il Centro in a long time. We expected a wait when we arrived as the place does not take reservations and it was a Friday night. We waited nearly an hour before we were seated. The front entry is lined in benches and chairs. That never bodes well if you are expecting immediate seating. The restaurant is a very warm, cozy and unpretentious neighborhood Italian establishment. The tightly arranged tables contribute to the comfortable ambience dominated by a huge wooden bar in the back of the restaurant where those waiting for a table congregate while enjoying their extensive wine list.
We started the meal with a round of Dirty Martinis. We are nothing if not predictable. They did not disappoint but our server did. It was a busy night but it is always busy at Il Centro on weekends. Our waitress didn't seem very interested in serving our table so we had to call her over a few times. She did however bring an extra martini to the table. Maggie and I enjoyed taking advantage of her mistake and splitting the drink. Three appetizers made their way to our table--bruschetta, shrimp carciofi and focaccia bread with olive tapenade and red pepper/gorgonzola spread. These had mixed reviews. The bruschetta was my favorite. Grilled bread topped with tomato, capers and fresh basil and Parmesan. The triangle cut focaccia bread served with the spreads had to replenished because we all enjoyed this appetizer. The shrimp carciofi was another story. I can't do shellfish so I didn't go down this road but I heard it was paved with frozen shrimp which had been overcooked. It had potential but the the subpar shrimp couldn't be overcome by the flavor. It needed fresh shrimp. In general, the appetizers were nothing special and a tad boring. However, we were still enjoying the atmosphere of the packed restaurant. We had better luck with our entrees.
We ordered an assortment from the menu. I had the Spiedini di Pollo which consisted of chicken breasts rolled in Italian breadcrumbs and dripping with amogia sauce served with saffron risotto and vegetables. The chicken was just the right temperature and the sauce had the perfect amount of garlic--which means it was loaded with garlic. Maggie and Kim were happy with the chicken marsala which was served spinach and rosemary garlic mashed potatoes. The mashed potatoes served with Kathryn's Veal Piccata were cold. We weren't sure why hers were cold when those served with the Chicken Marsala were just right. The waitress feigned sympathy but Kathryn still found herself eating cold potatoes. Holly and Michelle both enjoyed the Chicken Walnut Pasta which included penne pasta drenched in a thick gorgonzola cream sauce with sliced chicken and topped with crushed walnuts. Both thought the dish should have been paired with a side of vegetables. I should have shared mine as I never made it to that side of my plate. Oh, I almost forgot the salads, wait that is because our waitress forgot to mention salads. We were done ordering our meals and the waitress was leaving our table when one of us mentioned salads. We thought it was strange she hadn't suggested them to us. We ordered both the house and the caesar salads. Very fresh and great precursor to our meal that we would have missed out on enjoying. We also split a bottle of red wine from one of their specials. Il Centro's prices are very reasonable so there was no credit card shock when we were evening up at the end.
This review may sound like we were disappointed but weren't . Taken as a whole, we really enjoyed our meal. We had a few cocktails and an ornament exchange. We were seated at a corner table by the window. Other than seeing a couple city buses nearly take out Maggie's husband's car, we enjoyed the view. The consensus was that were weren't wowed by any part of the meal but Il Centro is consistently good. We do think they need to bring it up a notch and refresh the menu. Perhaps, the service as well. However, they shouldn't change it drastically. It's like an old friend. Comfortable, cozy and familiar. We definitely all would return. It is the unpretentious attitude that brings you back for more. 
Speaking of pretentiousness . . . waiting for us on the curb was our sweet ride--one of those ridiculously obnoxious Ford Explorer looking limousines. We piled in with our Christmas cookies and flutes--champagne flutes of course. Then we sat back and enjoyed our guided (well not so guided) tour of the lights in Kansas City. Our normal driver parted ways with the limo company and our new driver wasn't as enamored with our festive mood and had no clue where to take us. The whole ride seemed to pass in a blur . . . probably the champagne that someone was forcing me to drink. Our annual tour would not be the same if we didn't stop at Hoarderville. We crawled out of the limo and joined the other gawkers on the front lawn. Wow, vintage creepy Christmas doesn't get old. Unless you are their neighbor. It's been a great year of restaurants. We are looking forward to next year. Happy New Year from Supper Club Six!
