Centro is the long-running Italian anchor of downtown Des Moines, on the Temple for Performing Arts block of Locust Street. The menu is straightforwardly Italian-American — thin-crust pizzas from the wood oven, big plates of pasta, meatballs that have a small cult — and the dining room hits the right balance of busy and comfortable.
It is the default pre-theatre and pre-game dinner for downtown, and the bar gets a separate crowd of regulars who come for the Negronis and the carbonara. Reservations strongly recommended at peak times. Centro Italiano sister-restaurant Django (French) sits in the same building if you change your mind on the way in.