L'Italo-Americano

L'Italo-Americano THURSDAY, JUNE 23, 2016 www.italoamericano.org 6 ers and one sister, manage an "empire", encompassing four- teen among Italian restaurants, catering services and, even, a bakery. So, what are you waiting for? Wrap that napkin around your neck and indulge yourself with a delicious plate of pasta. Please, introduce yourself. What is your cultural back- ground? Share with us your e a r l i e s t m e m o r i e s i n t h e kitchen? I'm Celestino Drago, chef and owner of multiple restaurants. I am the oldest of eight children and we were raised in the small town of Galati Mamertino, in Sicily's Messina area. My family is mostly made of farmers and everybody believes that ingredients have to be of supreme quality. Everything was homemade from scratch and, lit- erally, only salt and sugar were bought at the grocery. I grew up, helping my parents to pick up the olives for the olive oil, as well as making the wine and the cheese. I learned the full process from the soil to the fin- ished products. I remember how, during win- tertime, my mom told my broth- ers and I to light the burner, at five o'clock in the afternoon, and put the pot of water on top. This was so that, by the time she was back home, she could have a head start and cook pasta faster. Italian way of cooking stands out for its simplicity. My mom w a s n o e x c e p t i o n . P a s t a a n d bread were always an essential part of our meals, while dessert were not common and, usually, replaced by fruit. My mom was preparing toma- to sauce all the time, and, as a child, I used to cut a little piece of sausage, or cheese, and drop it into the sauce, on the sly. S o m e h o w , b a c k t h e n , I already felt the impulse to make things a little different, with a dash of creativity. C o u l d y o u t e l l u s a b o u t your personal journey from Sicily to L.A. and how, in the e a r l y 8 0 s , y o u l a u n c h e d a number of high-end Italian r e s t a u r a n t s , t o g e t h e r w i t h t h r e e o f y o u r b r o t h e r s , T a n i n o , C a l o g e r o a n d Giacomino? How was your adjustment to the city? As I was growing up, I didn't want to keep studying. My par- ents were disappointed, but I finally compromised with them a n d w e n t t o s t u d y a t t h e m e c h a n i c a l s c h o o l i n P i s a , Tuscany. I used to hang out with peo- p l e w o r k i n g a t a r e s t a u r a n t , called "Pierino", in Tirrenia (parish of Pisa) and asked if I could spend my time off, help- ing them in the kitchen. Soon, I developed a passion for cooking. As I finished school, I was one of the few to receive a job o f f e r f r o m P i a g g i o ( i n Pontedera, province of Pisa), the two wheeled motor vehicles c o m p a n y , f a m o u s f o r i t s "Vespa" scooter. When I turned down the offer and decided to stay at the restau- rant, the other chefs and the owner couldn't believe that I made that choice. T h e y t o o k m e u n d e r t h e i r wings and, by the age of twenty, I was already their chef. I n 1 9 7 9 , t h e L . A . b a s e d I t a l i a n r e s t a u r a n t , O r l a n d o Orsini, was scouting for some young talented chefs, who were able to cook Tuscan dishes. They offered me a round trip ticket to Los Angeles and the opportunity to try out the job in t h e k i t c h e n f o r a c o u p l e o f weeks. I enjoyed the experience and ended up staying here since. As a youngster, I really liked being in Hollywood. The early eighties were such a lively and crazy time. As far as Italian cui- sine, in most cases, Italians and A m e r i c a n s a l i k e o f f e r e d a "fake" food version, since they didn't use the proper ingredi- ents, or have a real expertise. I w a n t e d t o s t i c k t o m y authentic way of cooking, whose essential component is the high LOS ANGELES ITALIAN COMMUNITY Celestino Drago. Photo Courtesy of C. Drago Continued from page 1 quality of its ingredients. Back then, there was a short- a g e o f I t a l i a n i n g r e d i e n t s i n California. For instance, it was impossible to find the Arborio short-grain rice, or the red radic- chio. Basil was not available all year round, but only for two months during summer. E v e n t u a l l y , t h e s i t u a t i o n changed. Local farmers started to plant Italian seed varieties and to grow arugula and basil, just to name a few. Upon spending two and a half years in Orlando Orsini, I went to work at another restaurant, in Beverly Hills. However, I felt my creativity was restrained there and I moved again to an historic Italian restaurant on Melrose Place, called Chianti. Somehow, I was never fully satisfied, since I had the dream to open my own restaurant. I gradually built up my con- nections and, finally, in 1985, I o p e n e d m y f i r s t r e s t a u r a n t , c a l l e d C e l e s t i n o , o n S o u t h Beverly Dr. I didn't do this alone because I had help from Calogero, one of my younger brothers, who, upon completion of a hospitality train- ing institute in Sicily, joined me here in 1984. While he handled the front of h o u s e , I w a s l e a d i n g i n t h e kitchen. Soon after, two of my o t h e r b r o t h e r s , T a n i n o a n d G i a c o m i n o , j o i n e d u s a t o u r restaurant. Afterwards, each of us fol- lowed his own path and, current- l y , a m o n g t h e f o u r o f u s w e operate fourteen restaurants, catering services and other food production activities. T e n y e a r s a g o , m y s i s t e r Carolina moved here with her husband, Armando, and both of them joined our business. In 1996, I married my long-time girlfriend Leslie and we build a beautiful family, with our two daughters Olivia and Francesca. What are your main culi- n a r y i n f l u e n c e s a n d y o u r "forte"? My main goal is to provide seasonal food, always. I love cooking game, like duck and wild boar. I ' m a l s o a b i g b e l i e v e r i n organic, not processed food. I grow my own organic produce in Santa Barbara County, at Pence Ranch, which supplies a large percentage of seasonal vegeta- bles to my restaurants. I a c t u a l l y d o n ' t h a v e a "forte," but always try my best with what I have at hand. Y o u a r e E x e c u t i v e Chef/owner of Drago Centro, Il Pastaio, Drago Bakery, Drago A i r C a t e r i n g a n d D r a g o Catering/Special Events. How do they differ from one anoth- er? My main philosophy is that I don't want to reinvent the wheel. However, in a city like L.A., you need to be creative. S o o n a f t e r I r e l o c a t e d m y restaurant, Celestino, to Santa Monica, and renamed it Drago, I felt the need to launch an unpre- tentious trattoria, specializing in pastas, risottos, carpaccio and fresh salads. We named it, Il Pastaio (Beverly Hills). The main attraction was and still is the handmade fresh pasta, even if today we've opened up our menu to other main courses. Among the dishes, served in Drago, eight were Sicilian. The press seemed to focus exclusive- ly on those, so I had then the idea to open a Sicilian restaurant, called L'Arancino. There was the general assumption that only food from northern Italy was a real delicacy, while plates from southern Italy were extra sea- soned and spicy. T h a t w a s a w r o n g a n d unfounded perception and my mission was to prove it. I had the menus written in Sicilian dialect, as well as "unearthing" tradition- al Sicilian dishes, which not even Sicilians ate any more. In 2009, I decided to open Drago Centro (Downtown Los A n g e l e s ) , w h i c h o f f e r s a n upscale service. The astonishing setting marries a contemporary design with an additional touch of finesse, represented by the demonstration kitchen housed in what was once the vault of City National Bank. Everything, from the food presentation to the chinaware to the service, has been elevated from my previous restaurants. We reinvented some tradition- al dishes, like "Pizzoccheri della Valtellina," traditionally heavy, by employing a Fontina cheese fondue, as well as cabbage and potatoes, cooked separated. The final plate is much lighter than its Aostan counterpart. A n o t h e r e x a m p l e i s , " S p a g h e t t i a l p e s t o a l l a Trapanese," with hand-cranked green pasta, which combines almonds, fried tomato skin, basil pesto, and shaved Parmigiano- Reggiano on top. D r a g o B a k e r y , o r i g i n a l l y n a m e d D o l c e F o r n o B a k e r y , which has been initially supply- ing bread to all Drago restau- rants, now serves a large portion of Southern California's restau- rant, cafes, hotels, and also indi- vidual customers, who wish to taste fresh-made pasta, pastries, and bread. Last but not least, my three brothers and I are venturing in a new project, commissioned by t h e P e t e r s e n A u t o m o t i v e M u s e u m , o n t h e c o r n e r o f Fairfax Avenue and Wilshire Boulevard. We're going to have a new upscale restaurant, Drago at the Petersen, serving dinner as well as a trattoria-like spot for lunch.

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