Archive for the 'Italian' Category

Drago Centro – Los Angeles (Downtown)

Published by Gastronomer on May 18, 2012 in Downtown, Italian, Los Angeles, Media Event (this meal was free) and Restaurant Review. 2 Comments

Drago Centro has been my go-to destination for post-work cocktails, wine, and bar bites ever since I started working downtown last year. On my latest visit to the restaurant, I managed to pull myself away from their unbeatable all-night happy hour for a proper dinner in the main dining room.

Instead of my usual $5 white wine and piping hot flatbreads, I indulged in bubbly prosecco and plates of silky pasta. After experiencing the fancier side of Drago Centro, I have an even greater appreciation for this urban oasis of modern Italian dining.

Chef Celestino Drago, who also owns Enoteca Drago and Il Pastaio in Beverly Hills and the yet-to-debut Osteria Drago in West Hollywood, opened Drago Centro in 2008. Its location on the ground floor of the City National Plaza attracts a diverse crowd of suited gents, serious couples, and happy hour revelers.

On the evening of my visit, Chef de Cuisine Ian Gresik had the night off, so sous chef Michael Neflas took care of our party of three. In addition to warm rolls to start, we shared a serving of “Le Cozze” ($13). The steamed mussels were simply but effectively prepared with white wine, garlic, and chile flakes. Toasted crostini was on hand to soak up the broth.

There were also bowls of “La Zuppa” ($10), a roasted yellow corn soup with a sopressata corn ragout, served tableside (not pictured). The little squares of salami punctuated the sweet soup beautifully, making me wonder why bacon gets all the glory.

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White Truffle Dinner at Valentino Ristorante – Los Angeles (Santa Monica)

Published by Gastronomer on December 16, 2011 in Food Event, Italian, Los Angeles, Media Event (this meal was free) and Santa Monica. 4 Comments

It used to be that citrus fruits were my favorite wintertime bounty, but that was before I tasted my first white truffle. Only available October through December and priced in the neighborhood of $300 an ounce, this precious tuber is the ultimate indulgence during the cooler months of the year.

I was recently invited to an incredible dinner at Valentino Ristorante featuring an abundance of white truffles. In celebration of Piero Selvaggio‘s 40 years of successful restauranteering in Los Angeles, the finest Italian white truffles were flown in for the event, as well as wines from Beni di Batasiolo, the world’s leading producer of Barolo. Needless to say, it was an enchanting evening of food and wine.

I was greeted by an army of glasses as I sat down at the table. Stefano Poggi, the export manager at Beni di Batasiolo, was on hand this evening to pair each of chefs Luicano Pellegrini and Nico Chessa’s creations with a handsome wine. The carefully marked placemats upon which the wines rested kept diners properly organized throughout the meal.

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Drago Ristorante – Los Angeles (Santa Monica)

Published by Gastronomer on December 14, 2011 in Italian, Los Angeles, Media Event (this meal was free), Restaurant Review and Santa Monica. 5 Comments

Promises of handmade pasta and creamy risotto motivated me to make the drive to Drago Ristorante in Santa Monica for a weeknight dinner. Well that, and my friend Diana. She’s the restaurant’s PR guru, and she assured me that I’d adore this restaurant with all of my carb-loving heart.

Opened in 1991, Drago Ristorante is the oldest of Chef Celestino Drago’s Italian restaurants that are currently open in Los Angeles. His other restaurants include Enoteca Drago and Il Pastaio in Beverly Hills and Drago Centro downtown.

Diana reserved a secluded table adjacent to the main dining room for our small group. We were joined this evening by Darin of Darin Dines and Christina of Where Los Angeles.

Chef de Cucina Evan Gotanda, a graduate of the California School of the Culinary Arts, as well as the kitchens of Bastide and Patina, treated us to a custom tasting this evening. Most of the dishes that we sampled can be found on the regular cena menu.

Dinner began with bread from Chef Drago’s Dolce Forno Bakery in Culver City. The bakery provides all of his restaurants with freshly baked breads, pastries, and desserts daily. I played it safe with just a small nibble of the olive bread because I wasn’t sure what Chef Gotanda had in the works.

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Sotto Restaurant – Los Angeles

Published by Gastronomer on November 16, 2011 in Italian, Los Angeles, Mixology, Restaurant Review and West Los Angeles. 8 Comments

It just so happened that Lien and I supped at Sotto the same day that Jonathan Gold’s glowing review of the restaurant hit news stands. Using his article as our personal crib sheet, we loaded up on lardo, passed on pizza, and saved room for a cannoli. From beginning to end, it was a memorable and delectable meal, one that continues to linger in my mind even though weeks have gone by.

Chefs Steve Samson and Zack Pollack opened Sotto earlier this year along with restaurateur Bill Chait. The two previously worked at Pizzeria Ortica together and established it as one of Orange County’s top restaurants.

Here, at their first Los Angeles restaurant, the focus is on southern Italian fare. The menu includes Neapolitan pizzas, handmade pastas, and lesser-known regional specialties.

My date consulted with the sommelier for her wine pairings this evening, while I reached for the cocktail menu. I started with “Dem Apples,” a perfectly autumnal creation with bourbon, fresh pressed apple, Clear Creek pear eau de vie, fresh lemon, and cassia-infused honey ($12).

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Stella Rossa Pizza Bar – Los Angeles (Santa Monica)

Published by Gastronomer on October 28, 2011 in Italian, Los Angeles, Media Event (this meal was free), Pizza, Restaurant Review and Santa Monica. 7 Comments

Pizza dates are the best. Whether with a friend or lover, a feast of pies all but guarantees a hearty spread, fair prices, and best of all, leftovers for breakfast.

The Astronomer and I headed to Stella Rossa Pizza Bar in Santa Monica for our latest pizza date. Though barely six months old, the restaurant has made quite an impact on the city’s pizza scene. In fact, one old school restaurant critic even declared Stella’s pizzas some of the best in the world.

The restaurant’s open kitchen is headed by Chef Jeff Mahin, a Cal grad who’s worked in some mighty fine kitchens including L2O, The Fat Duck, Nobu, and Arzak.

The key to Stella’s stellar pizzas is the dough. Made from milled flour from the San Joaquin Valley, filtered water, sea salt, and fresh yeast, the dough rests and ferments for thirty hours in special jars.

To start, The Astronomer and I shared the prosciutto plate ($12.95) from the “For the Table” section of the menu. Pork products from La Quercia never fail to make me weak in the knees, and these silky slices of prosciutto rossa were no exception. The Astronomer and I were also taken by the amazing house-made bead dipped in Olave olive oil from Chile. All in all, this was a killer starter.

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