Centini's Italian Restaurant closes



MATTHEW HINTON / Journal Staff Fighting back tears, Angela Centini Oxford on Wednesday recounts fond memories at Centini's Italian Restaurant on Coddington Road in Ithaca. The restaurant will close its doors on Tuesday, after nearly 67 years. Oxford's grandparents opened the restaurant; except for four years in the 1970s, the business has been family-owned since 1934.			Centini's Italian Restaurant to close its doors after 67 years Nov 3, 2005 By ANNE JU Journal Staff It's the hardest thing she's ever done. That's how Angela Oxford, owner of Centini's Italian Restaurant on Coddington Road, described her decision to close up shop after nearly 67 years in business. “It's time,” Oxford said, through tears. “It's too much — it's been a difficult couple of years.” To longtime locals and loyal patrons, Centini's is better known as The Coddington, the name bestowed by Oxford's grandparents, Angelina and Vincenzo “Jimmy” Centini, in 1934 when they first opened. With the exception of four years in the 1970s, the restaurant has remained under family ownership.


In its original building, plus an expansion, the restaurant took on the name Angelina Centini's in 1998 when Oxford took the reins from her brother, Joe Centini, who owned it for 10 years. And before that, Oxford's father, also Joe, ran the eatery for nearly 30 years. About two years ago, the place became simply Centini's. Oxford's brother Joe is now the cook. “I'd be lost without him,” Oxford said. With the restaurant known for its delicious tomato sauce and family-like atmosphere, Oxford said it's hard to imagine life without it. Her father ran the restaurant after her grandparents passed away. In turn, Oxford and her brother eased into the family business through the years. Their father died last year. Oxford described her father, “Big Joe,” as someone who looked out for his crew, loved to joke around and would give people a piece of his mind if they deserved it. He worked morning until night in the restaurant, she said. His death was the end of a pact Oxford described making with her brother years ago, that they would keep the restaurant going as long as their father was alive. “This was all he knew,” Oxford said. “This was his life.” Since his passing, “it's been different,” she admitted. Kami Drake, manger of Centini's and an employee for 14 years, said working there was like being part of the family. “It's in my blood,” Drake said. “It's definitely gonna be a transition. It's gonna be hard.” The restaurant's owners aren't the only ones facing transition. Oxford said when word got out they were closing, regular customers asked if they could buy the sauce recipe. “No way,” Oxford said, and demanded the handwritten sign indicating the impending closure be taken down. Centini's will remain open through dinner Nov. 8, and they're still taking reservations. As for the future, Oxford said she's not sure. She said her father had wanted her and her brother to “go to school; get smart.” They opted to run the restaurant, and now, Oxford said she's starting her life over at age 50. “I don't want to cook, but I need to be around people,” she said. She hinted at some short-term plans. Though the building is for sale, the pasta machine and meatball machine most certainly are not, Oxford said with a smile. “I want to keep the sauce going,” she said. “I always wanted to jar sauce.”