Drago Centro
High ceilings, expansive windows, and subtly grand decor lend visual continuity to the traditional-meets-modern mentality of chef Celestino Drago's contemporary Italian restaurant, Drago Centro. Housed within a banking complex in Downtown Los Angeles, the restaurant focuses on infusing modern technique and beauty into traditionally authentic Italian cuisine. While the dishes developed by Chef Drago (former Food & Wine "Best New Chef" and current Food Fare Chef of the Year for 2014) display cutting-edge panache, the service side of the restaurant has a wonderful sense of old-school knowledge and attentiveness, generating a jointly wonderful culinary and dining experience. The creamy and artfully-plated burrata pairs delectably with their expansive charcuterie (which is served with obscenely delicious puffy "gnocco fritto" beignets), and though I'm not one to typically fawn over pasta dishes, I could have comfortably consumed a second plate of pappardelle with richly roasted pheasant and morel mushrooms. This beautiful meal certainly left me anxious to try the other restaurants in the Drago family (Enoteca Drago and Pastaio in Beverly Hills, and Dolce Forno Bakery in Culver City), and it's lovely to know that Drago Centro offers a private dining room and converted a former City National bank vault into their own demonstration kitchen!
Top: The Oblong Box Shop Sweetheart Pinup Top in Black
Skirt: Pinup Couture Jenny Skirt in Orange Branch Border Print
Lips: MAC Lipstick in Ruby Woo
la burrata with balsamic, heirloom tomatoes, peas, and crostini.
il tagliere di affettati con gnocco fritto, a house selection of charcuterie, gnocco modena style
le pappardelle al fagiano, pappardelle with roasted pheasant and morel mushrooms
il branzino with crispy polenta, asparagus, capers, and tomatoes
