Cuisine:

• Others
• Italian

Drago Center Description:
A grand, sparkling nest of skyscrapers rises up with noir-ish romance around Celestino Drago's downtown jewel that outshines even his other Italian dazzlers---Drago, Il Pastaio, Enoteca Drago---giving City National Plaza's former bank a magical reincarnation and the Eastside its first serious Italian restaurant. Drago and partner-general manager Matteo Ferdinandi pull together a first-rate Italian menu, professional service and a compelling wine program anchored by rare Italian bottles balanced with a landscape of moderate, lesser-known regional delights. There are 100 selections available by the glass. The restaurant's sleek Milan-inspired modern décor of broad windows, gleaming wine tower, black Murano lamps and bold post-modernist art conjures a lively atmosphere capturing the high energy of downtown's politico heavies, business elite and high-end arts crowd. Modern Italian dishes are a balance of refined and rustic, beautifully presented. Venison carpaccio's seared edges snap with sherry, pepper and juniper; langoustine crudo is offset with fresh yuzu and pomegranate. Handmade pastas include the tweaked signature dish of roast pheasant pappardelle with morels, and various obscure regional specialties starring seasonal items like smoked pig's jowl or Santa Barbara spot prawns. Savory, fork-tender lamb osso buco rests its rich marrow on a bed of pillowy Fontina gnocchi, and succulent roasted squab is stuffed with focaccia and chestnut.


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