Audio By Carbonatix
Central Bistro & Bar will start serving lunch tomorrow, eight months after Isiah Salazar opened his restaurant on the very edge of LoHi, almost three months after opening exec chef Lance Barto abruptly left the kitchen. That kitchen is now in the hands of Gerard Strong, who’d come from Z Cuisine to help open Central, as well as Jason Clark.
And what will they be cooking at lunch? See also: – Review: Central Bistro & Bar redefines what a neighborhood restaurant can be – Photos: A closer look at Central Bistro & Bar – Executive chef Lance Barto out at Central Bistro & Bar
Lighter fare that still emphasizes local ingredients, put together with loving care. There’s a baby beet salad, with apple, Beecher’s cheddar, hazelnuts, greens and golden beets for $8; a Dungeness crab salad with avocado and herbed yogurt (made in-house) for $12, and a preserved tomato soup, with San Marzano tomatoes, for $7. (Steal some croutons from the Caesar Salad to drop on top.
Sandwiches range from chicken salad to roast pork (both served with thin, light, incredible housemade potato chips) to a Boxcar burger — the meat ground in-house, topped with one of two cheeses, and served with fries. There will be entrees, too, including steak frites and the chicken & waffle that’s been a hit at Sunday brunch.
When news happens, Westword is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $50,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to this community. If Westword matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
And for those who succumb to temptation, Central is offering sweet potato cheesecake as well as a Nutella waffle.
And because this all for a midday meal, there’s also a roster of lighter cocktails, with just an ounce of alcohol; the Central Paloma Light, with El Jimador tequila, grapefruit, lime, soda and mint could be just the thing to sip on the patio this spring. On on Fridays, you’ll be able to sip them from noon to night. Although Central Bistro & Bar will only serve lunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday through Friday, on Friday the restaurant will stay open through dinner, with happy-hour prices all afternoon.