Chef Celestino Drago is regarded as one of the pioneers of Italian Cuisine on the West Coast and has become one of Los Angeles’ most celebrated chefs and restaurateurs, playing an integral role in the ever-evolving dining scene in the city for over two decades.
Originally from Galati Mamertino, a small town near Sicily’s Nebrodi mountain range, Celestino’s adventure in the United States started in 1979, when he moved to Los Angeles to work as a chef for the Italian restaurant Orlando Orsini. He later opened his first restaurant, Celestino, in Beverly Hills, and Drago in Santa Monica soon after, which was rated as one of the top five Italian restaurants in Los Angeles (before it closed in 2011). That success led to new ventures, including the artisanal Drago Bakery, the popular upscale eatery Il Pastaio in Beverly Hills, Drago Centro in the heart of the Financial District in Downtown Los Angeles, and Drago Ristorante at the Petersen Automotive Museum along Museum Row on the Miracle Mile. In addition, Chef Drago launched a catering business that serves fine dining for private parties and events.
In an interview with La Cucina Italiana, Chef Drago shares his own tips and ideas on ordering Italian during the holiday season, and he also reflects on the evolution of authentic Italian cuisine in California.
Chef Celestino, what kind of menu are you proposing to your clientele for the holidays?
Something fresh and light – take-out that’s easy to cook, save (for leftovers), and doesn’t get spoiled. I’m finishing up a Feast of the Seven Fishes menu for a minimum of six people for Christmas Eve. It starts with an Octopus salad with potatoes and celery, stuffed squid, fish arancini (rice balls) as appetizers, followed by swordfish involtini (rolls) and lasagna with fish ragù made with shrimp and squid. The desserts also need to keep well – so apple strudel, crème brûlée, Tronco di Natale (Yule log), and bignè (cream puffs) stuffed with eggnog cream.
Octopus by Celestino
What are the dishes that you don’t recommend cooking or ordering in for the holidays?
Risotto and pasta with sauce are not recommended, since they both need to be cooked fresh and on the spot. Fresh pasta is not the ideal if you order it for take-out or want to make it in advance. For meat dishes, I do not recommend preparing tenderloins or filet mignon. I would choose a roast beef instead.
Leftovers can create the opportunity for new dishes, to keep from wasting food. What leftover holiday dish do you suggest?
Tortelloni or ravioli stuffed with leftover turkey is a classic, and everyone loves it.
Your culinary ventures continue on with Drago Events, the exclusive caterer for the Petersen Automotive Museum, and Celestino Drago Catering & Special Events that serves a fine dining experience in any private setting. What kind of menu you will offer for your catering service?
Due to this unique global situation, I created a customized menu for Thanksgiving with dishes like roasted turkey, pumpkin lasagna with butter and sage and sweet potato cannelloni. I will do the same thing for Christmas – something easy to heat, cook and save for later.
As a pioneer of Italian cuisine on the West Coast, what kind of food inspired you initially?
My first restaurant Celestino was a challenge to redeem the Southern cuisine from its unfair fame as a heavy cuisine only for the poor. I was the first chef to serve Aeolian codfish salad and codfish arancini. Traditional Italian regional cuisine always inspires me, whether it comes from the North or the South.
I love to include new regional dishes like pizzoccheri from Valtellina, or pasta with grano arso (burnt grain). My restaurants range from an artisanal bakery and a casual eatery, to fine dining. My clientele varies a lot, but they all love fresh and authentic Italian cuisine.
How has Italian cuisine been changing on the West Coast in the last few years, and what do you think the future is going to look like?
A lot better, and for the better. Ingredients are easier to ship and supply from Italy. Plus, California has fresh vegetables and fish, which fit an Italian menu perfectly. Sure, some ingredients are not easy to find, like certain kinds of small fish from Sicily, or almond paste. Americans still don’t like some fish, though – like sardines. Hopefully, the food will always be fresh, authentic and traditional, without being too pretentious.
Your favorite comfort food dish?
I learned to cook from my mother, and from taking care of my parent’s garden. Free-range chicken is my comfort food – along with veal, which I also use to fill stuffed tortelli. I love pasta ‘ncasciata with eggplants and cheese, too.
Mise en Place Celestino Drago
What do you clients love most about your cuisine?
They like that I am authentic and that I cook fresh food with a story behind it. They love to hear about it. It’s not just about the food. Being an Italian chef also means providing Italian hospitality, to create a unique, cozy and elegant atmosphere.
Any particular dish you remember introducing to the American palate?
Once, I cooked for a private event in Hawaii, where I made Sicilian granita with brioche for the first time, and I remember that it was quite unique for them.