Centro South: Jay Gatsby's World~ Experienced Through Food

“In his blue gardens men and girls came and went like moths among the whisperings and the champagne and the stars.”

I will never forget the very first night I read this hauntingly beautiful line. I was a junior in high school so, of course, it was a required reading for my Honors English class. I was doing my nightly reading of The Great Gatsby out of obligatory duty, rather than by my own free-will. When I read this line, however, my obligations became less of a hassle- it was shocking how hard this line hit me. I had never felt this moved by a single line in literature- how could something so simple come off as so elegant, so powerful? I couldn't stop reading... so, I read and I read and I read. I finished the entire book that night. This is the quote that has stuck with me after the many years since I first read my utmost favorite book- The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald. The beautifully delicate imagery in which Fitzgerald paints on each line of this tragic masterpiece is something I have yet to find the right words to describe how it makes me feel.

Luckily, I have found a way in which I can begin to paint a picture of just how incredibly complex, poetic, and alluring this book was (and continues to be) for me. That is through the unforgettable dishes from Centro South in Reno, Nevada.

I would like to start by introducing you to our story's author, the Executive Chef and GM of both Centro locations- Chef Geoffrey. His deliciously creative dishes and generosity were the keys to unlocking my desire to start a blog in which I can share my delicious Biggest Little Food finds with you all. For that, I owe him a big thank you! Chef Geoffrey invited my boyfriend and I to try a few of his favorite creations- where he shared with us his passion for making unassumingly sophisticated meals.

With that, let our Great Gatsby experience begin...

Daisy Buchanan was, in no way, my favorite character. In my very own personal opinion (don't come for me, Daisy stans!) she was shallow, careless, and greedy. I could go on and on about how she was not the flawless person that Nick originally painted her out to be, but that is not the point of this.

The point is, like many of us flawed humans, she also had undeniable positive attributes about her. She had incredible beauty, sophistication, and eloquence! Which is exactly how this drink made me feel while sipping on it. I chose the Winters Reprieve cocktail, while my boyfriend decided to go for the Sultry Solace- which you can see in the background. As soon as that first sip touched our lips we made silent eye contact that spoke the unspoken "this is a dangerously good cocktail", knowing full well that we will be back again if not only for the cocktails!

While it is far from the Mint Julep that Daisy Buchanan sips on during her spat with Tom and Gatsby on a hot summer day, it does include a seductive combination of rum, peach, passion fruit, and pineapple. A perfect reprieve from the chilly December weather in Reno, and a nice nod to Daisy's summer memories.

My boyfriend opted for the more classic 1920's feel with his Sultry Solace. An elixir of rye whisky, ginger syrup, lemon, cinnamon, and cloves. We switched our drinks back and forth to each other, never quite coming to a conclusion on which one we liked more so than the other. Both were so inviting, not a single drop was wasted!

"... garnished with glistening hors-d’oeuvre..."

Garnished with glistening hors-d'oeuvre we were! We felt like the luckiest of Jay Gatsby's guests with the glistening M.O.A.B and Smoked Beets sat in front of us. The menu isn's joking when it says "smoked" beets! They are smoked to absolute perfection, with the most delicate compliment of honey, thyme goat cheese, and an apple pie vinaigrette. Adorned with candied walnuts and a generous sprinkle of basil.

The M.O.A.B has beautifully bruleed crescenza Italian cheese, topped with truffle hibiscus, pomegranate, sage, basil, Calabrian chili oil, and is accompanied with the freshest bread from "Beloved's Bread"

Okay, I will let you in on a little speakeasy kind of secret... I usually don't like beets at all. But, when I tell you this very plate of beets here made my tastebuds dance like they were in a smoky late-night jazz club doing the Charleston with my fellow flappers having the time of my life.... that would be an understatement.

Now... this. The M.O.A.B is a Jay Gatsby party on a plate. Copious amounts of beautiful party guests swimming in a pool (of cheese) while the stacked high mansion (of bread) rests gracefully next door. I, for one, am appreciative that they all come together for one amazing party.

"Tom rang for the janitor and sent him for some celebrated sandwiches, which were a complete supper in themselves."

Now, by this time in our meal, we knew we had to take it easy if I wanted multiple dishes to be included on this blog. My goal is to really, TRULY, appreciate the amazing individual flavors that are The Biggest Little Food gems. It was at this time that Geoffrey, our culinary author, bestowed upon us the incredible Fried Chicken Sandwich. Which, yes, much like the sandwiches Tom rang for, is a complete supper in itself!

Dredged in just the right amount of rice flour and panko breading, this juicy chicken sits on top of the softest brioche bun. It is met with Nashville hot sauce, gargonzola dolce, and a bed of pickled apples, grapes, and celery. It was so perfectly fried, not overly crispy, and the depth of the hot sauce met with the cooling of the balanced slaw really had me feeling like Nick in this scene. It goes on to read "I wanted to get out and walk eastward toward the park through the soft twilight but each time I tried to go I became entangled in some wild strident argument which pulled me back, as if with ropes, into my chair."

I knew I had to pace myself if I wanted to deeply appreciate every dish that I knew would keep coming, so I tried to slow it down. But just like Nick feeling the whirlwind of chaos that kept pulling him back with ropes, this sandwiches complex and alluring flavors kept pulling me to my seat for another bite!

"A succulent hash arrived, and Mr. Wolfshiem, forgetting the more sentimental atmosphere of the old Metropole, began to eat with ferocious delicacy."

There is not a more perfect quote on the face of this earth that could summarize how I behaved when Chef Geoffrey gave us this next dish. I was getting full, we were in a public setting, I knew I should not have devoured the .44 Magnum as intensely as I did. But, alas... like Mr. Wolfshiem, I forgot the sentimental atmosphere of Centro South and I ate with such a ferocious delicacy. Savoring every single bite, yet destroying it in less than 5 minutes or so. As did my boyfriend. We are not ashamed.

Allow me to introduce you to, quite literally, the best burger I have ever had in my entire life. The .44 Magnum. It is a half pound, grass-fed beef patty on a brioche bun, with truffle aioli, white cheddar, jalapeno onion jam, arugula, and onion strings. Sound simple? Think again. The way this burger simply melts. in. your. mouth. is nothing short of wizardry. It is buttery and perfect in every single way. The peppery flavor from the arugula will tickle your tastebuds just enough to wake them up to the truffle flavor on the back of your tongue. I will dream about this burger for many years to come.

IN FACT, it was shared with us that this burger is so popular that it has *almost* started a grease fire (or two) from being ordered so many times! It comes as no surprise, given that Chef Geoffrey has cooked for Michelin Star chefs before, and has been personally complimented on his many unforgettable dishes!

Simply put- you need this burger in your life just as badly as Jay Gatsby needs Daisy Buchanan in his.

"Every Friday five crates of oranges and lemons arrived from a fruiterer in New York – every Monday these same oranges and lemons left by his back door in a pyramid of pulpless halves."

For the grand finale, I present to you, the Oolong Sticky Toffee Pudding. This warm toffee bread pudding has a delicious essence of oolong tea, crunchy toffee, accompanied with a delicious burnt orange whipped cream.

Much like Jay Gatsby's over zealous amounts of oranges and lemons, my boyfriend and I were over zealous with the ending to our perfect meal. We did indulge in this incredible dessert, and I'm not mad about it at all. No matter how full you are, I beg you- please try this Sticky Toffee Pudding. It is so airy, and the orange flavor makes it perfectly balanced while not overly sweet! The playfulness of the soft bread pudding with the crunchy toffee makes it near impossible to set your spoon down. A truly perfect end to a perfect meal.

Centro South, and Chef Geoffrey, you were incredibly gracious hosts- much like Jay Gatsby- and your food was equally as unforgettable as Fitzgerald's iconic novel. Thank you for such an amazing food experience, we will be back!

Thank you all for reading, and I hope you all have a very Happy New Year! Don't forget to indulge like Gatsby, I can't wait to share my next Biggest Little Food find with you all!

~ The Biggest Little Food Blogger