There are so many great mom-and-pop shops in town which is what gives Burbank that small town feel. There are so many salons, stores, and restaurants in our surrounding communities, but one Italian Restaurant that has continued to create and make amazing food is Centanni. Centanni is located on the corner of W. Clark Ave. and Victory Blvd. and is owned and operated by Helen Wassell-Peaz, Alex-Peaz, and Marin Santos.
Centanni first started when Helen and Alex met while preforming in London. The two relocated back to Los Angeles and continued working in the service industry while they searched for acting jobs. After a few years working the in the service industry and managing a few different places, Helen and Alex decided that if they were going to keep working in the service industry, they thought it would be better to own the tables they would be waiting on. In 2004 Helen and Alex started working towards owning their own place in North Hollywood., but unfortunately there was a change in plans. A few years later they started building Centanni when the time felt right. It took another 4 months before the perfect location was found in Venice, and another 18 months before they were able to open their doors in 2009. Years later they relocated to Burbank in 2015 and closed their Venice location in 2018.
They all now reside in Burbank and enjoy being a neighborhood style restaurant. They continue to create and serve fresh pasta and homemade sauces for their customers, Lasagna, of course, being a favorite in their restaurant along with the Cavatelli with Italian sausage ragu, and their Pumpkin Ravioli.
And not only have they been able to stay open in recent weeks, after being closed for a year, but seating is now available outside and takes up a small portion of their parking lot. While we are all excited by the idea of everything being open again and functioning like normal, Alex, Helen, and Marin are looking forward to safely serving at full capacity.
“There is nothing like the energy and excitement in the air created by a busy restaurant, filled with satisfied customers.”
