Less is truly more at Centro, a 30-seat trattoria located at the back of The Good Life. Centro is simple, and simply wonderful. Of note, a recent late night menu means small plates can be ordered until midnight. Kapow suffers from an unfocused menu and a pervasive sloppiness when it comes to details. The best way to experience the food, which is a wacky lineup of Asian, American, Caribbean and Mediterranean dishes, is by making a meal out of appetizers.
Portions here are enormous.
With its polished woods, slate, marble and mosaics, Ana Sortun s new restaurant Oleana glows like the Mediterranean sun. Named for a neighborhood in Paris known for its streetwalkers and strippers, Pigalle does French fare, simple but stylish, classic yet cosmopolitan. Eagle-eyed foodies will see many Boston chefs, sommeliers and servers among the patrons. When Salamander's fare is focused, it's spectacular, but when it s a mishmash of ingredients and techniques vying for attention, it flops expensively. The wine list has a major-league markup.