Amy Brandwein

AMY BRANDWEIN

Centrolina, Piccolina (City Center, Washington DC)

At Centrolina restaurant and market in City Center DC, Chef and Owner Amy Brandwein shows Washingtonians the versatility, grace, and overall delicacy of Italian cuisine. The three-time James Beard Foundation Award nominee believes food should taste as good as in Italy, plated with pose, and viewed through the seasonal lens of the Mid-Atlantic-tenets she instills in her new fast-casual project, Piccolina, an osteria which opened across the alley from Centrolina in July 2019. "I take Italian food and keep it in its raw state, but elevate it presentation-wise without complicating it or losing flavor," Brandwein explains.

In spring 2015, Brandwein opened Centrolina to fanfare not just for her appealing approach to Italian cuisine, but also because of her business savvy and the then-distinctive position of being a sole female chef and owner.

Brandwein and her flagship restaurant have earned many accolades, including James Beard Foundation Award Finalist for three consecutive years (2019, 2018, 2017) in the Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic category; nomination for 2019 Upscale Casual Restaurant of the Year by the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington RAMMY Awards; 2018 Chef of the Year at the RAMMY Awards (2018); as well as previous RAMMY Award nominations in 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2007.