Osteria Il Centro

Osteria Il Centro is a locally owned neighborhood Italian bistro on the south edge of the Country Club Plaza, open at 5101 Main Street since St. Patrick’s Day 1995. Founded and still owned by Kansas City restaurateur Gregg Johnson, it is rated the #1 Italian restaurant in Kansas City by Zagat and has earned 22 consecutive Wine Spectator “Best of Award of Excellence” honors for a reserve cellar of more than 10,000 bottles.¹²³

Description

Osteria Il Centro is an Italian bistro and wine bar in the South Plaza district of Kansas City. The name translates roughly to “meeting place at the center,” a concept drawn from the small neighborhood osterias scattered throughout the Mediterranean.¹ The kitchen serves “a pleasing medley of pasta, meat, fish and vegetable dishes complimented with a blend of savory herbs and spices — and topped with their own house-made sauces.”¹ The restaurant is best known for its wine program: a reserve list of more than 10,000 bottles that has repeatedly earned national recognition.¹⁴ It operates dinner-only, Monday through Saturday.⁴

Ownership and history

Osteria Il Centro was opened by Gregg Johnson on St. Patrick’s Day 1995.² Johnson — founder and owner of Minsky’s Pizza and eggtc. as well — ran a busy Minsky’s location next door at the time; when the adjacent Mediterranean restaurant space became available, he signed the lease himself, having traveled to osterias in Italy and embraced the concept of a neighborhood wine bar pairing fresh, simple food with a deep cellar.² Johnson was named Restaurateur of the Year by the Greater Kansas City Restaurant Association in recognition of his ownership of Minsky’s, Osteria Il Centro, and eggtc.³ The restaurant celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2015 and its 30th in 2025, both under continuous Johnson ownership.²¹

[!note] Seed correction The research seed named “Domenico” as a possible chef/owner. No source supports this; the verified founder and owner is Gregg Johnson. The seed name has been discarded.

Menu

Last verified: 2026-06-20 · Source: Osteria Il Centro official site (Signature Dishes page) + The Daily Meal · URL(s): https://www.osteriailcentro.com/osteria-il-centro-signature-dishes/, https://www.thedailymeal.com/osteria-il-centro-classically-italian-kansas-city/ · Confidence: High

The menu is structured as Primi Piatti (appetizers), Zuppa e Insalata & Pizzettes (soups, salads, pizzettes), Secondi Piatti (entrées — pasta, meat, fish, vegetable), and Dolce & Sbarra (desserts and bar). It is dinner-only, and dishes are finished with the kitchen’s house-made sauces.⁵ Prices are not published online and are omitted here.

Signatures

• Lamb Chops — five marinated, grilled lamb chops topped with rosemary brandy sauce, served with rosemary-garlic mashed potatoes and seasonal vegetables; a frequently cited signature entrée.⁵⁶
• Spiedini di Pollo — chicken breast rolled in Italian breadcrumbs, topped with house-made Sicilian-style amogia sauce.⁵
• OIC Bruschetta — tomato, capers, fresh basil, and parmesan on grilled bread; the house bruschetta.⁶

Antipasti / Primi Piatti

• Calamari Fritti — crispy squid served in a parmesan basket with basil pesto and red-pepper cocktail sauce.⁵
• Caprese — fresh mozzarella and ripe tomatoes with basil, finished with balsamic and olive oil.⁵
• Appetizer Platter — sampler of calamari fritti, goat-cheese spread, and OIC bruschetta.⁵
• Shrimp Carciofi — six shrimp over artichoke bottoms in garlic-lemon butter.⁶

Handmade pasta

• Cannelloni — two soft crepes filled with sautéed chicken, spinach, and mushrooms, topped with tomato cream sauce.⁵⁶
• Chicken Walnut Pasta — sliced chicken breast tossed with penne in a gorgonzola cream sauce.⁶
• Short Ribs Ravioli — braised short-rib ravioli (offered as an entrée).⁶

Pizzettes

• Margherita Pizzette — mozzarella, tomato, garlic, and basil, with added goat cheese and an olive-oil drizzle.⁵
• Pollo Bruschetta Pizza — grilled chicken, diced tomatoes, garlic, basil, and three cheeses.⁶
• Carciofi Pizza — artichoke, roasted red peppers, spinach, mozzarella, and feta.⁶

Entrées (meat & seafood)

• Pan-Seared Orange Roughy — topped with crabmeat, sautéed spinach, and garlic-lemon butter.⁶
• (See Signatures for Lamb Chops and Spiedini di Pollo.)

Dolce

• Tiramisu — espresso-soaked ladyfingers and rich mascarpone.⁵
• Gelato Ball — raspberry gelato coated in dark chocolate, drizzled with fresh raspberry sauce.⁵
• Chocolate Crème Brûlée — among the rotating dessert selections.⁶

Wine program

The restaurant’s defining feature: a reserve list of more than 10,000 bottles, recipient of Wine Spectator’s “Best of Award of Excellence” for 28 consecutive years.⁵⁶ A Wine Club (with selections from Master Sommelier Doug Frost) and curated lists (“The Osteria Excellent 18,” “OIC’s Sensational 17”) are offered, along with dessert wines (Muscat; Vidal ice wine).⁵⁶

Links

• Official site: https://www.osteriailcentro.com/
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/osteria-il-centro-kansas-city
• OpenTable: https://www.opentable.com/r/osteria-il-centro-kansas-city

Sources

Disputes

None known.

Footnotes

1. Osteria Il Centro — official website (Home / About Us / Signature Dishes). https://www.osteriailcentro.com/ — asserts: address 5101 Main St, KC MO 64112; established 1995; “meeting place at the center” concept; Italian menu with house-made sauces; Zagat #1 Italian; Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence; 10,000+ reserve bottles; 30th anniversary (2025). ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

2. Feast Magazine, “In Celebrating 20 Years, Osteria Il Centro Honors Beloved Patrons.” https://www.feastmagazine.com/travel/kansas-city/article_679b6eac-ccf2-11e4-a834-2bf72edcb93e.html — asserts: Gregg Johnson founder/owner; opened St. Patrick’s Day 1995; signed lease himself next to his Minsky’s; concept inspired by Italian osterias; 20-year milestone. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

3. Osteria Il Centro, “Gregg Johnson Named KCRA Restaurateur of the Year.” https://www.osteriailcentro.com/gregg-johnson-named-kcra-restaurateur-of-the-year/ — asserts: Gregg Johnson is founder & owner of Osteria Il Centro, Minsky’s, and eggtc.; named Greater KC Restaurant Association Restaurateur of the Year. ↩ ↩²

4. Yelp — Osteria Il Centro (Updated May 2026), 5101 Main St, KC MO. https://www.yelp.com/biz/osteria-il-centro-kansas-city — asserts: currently open; address; hours Mon–Thu 4–10, Fri–Sat 4–11; dinner only; recent reviews May 2026. ↩ ↩²

5. Osteria Il Centro — official website, “Signature Dishes” + Home (menu structure & wine program). https://www.osteriailcentro.com/osteria-il-centro-signature-dishes/, https://www.osteriailcentro.com/ — asserts: menu sections (Primi Piatti, Zuppa e Insalata & Pizzettes, Secondi Piatti, Dolce & Sbarra); Calamari Fritti, Caprese, Appetizer Platter, Spiedini di Pollo, Cannelloni, Lamb Chops, Margherita Pizzette, Tiramisu, Gelato Ball; 10,000+ reserve list; Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence (28 yrs); Wine Club w/ MS Doug Frost; “Excellent 18” / “Sensational 17”; dinner-only. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹²

6. The Daily Meal, “Osteria Il Centro: Classically Italian In Kansas City.” https://www.thedailymeal.com/osteria-il-centro-classically-italian-kansas-city/ — asserts: OIC bruschetta (tomato, capers, basil, parmesan on grilled bread); shrimp carciofi; pollo bruschetta & carciofi pizzas; cannelloni; chicken walnut pasta (penne, gorgonzola cream); short ribs ravioli; lamb chops (rosemary brandy sauce); pan-seared orange roughy with crabmeat; chocolate crème brûlée; 10,000+ reserve bottles; Muscat & Vidal ice dessert wines. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹²