Drago Centro

10 Best All-Day Happy Hours in Los Angeles

By Sarah Bennett and Erika Bolden When we went looking for all-day happy hours, geographic diversity was a priority. But striking patterns emerged -- namely, the bars most likely to discount booze beyond the typical late-afternoon hours were located mostly in 9-5 work destinations. In fact, from Sa ... More >>

10 Restaurant Picks from Karen and Quinn Hatfield

Where the Chefs Eat is an ongoing series in which we ask a local chef to give us his or her favorite dining options. This week we talk to Karen and Quinn Hatfield, chef/owners of Hatfield's and Sycamore Kitchen. Chefs Karen and Quinn Hatfield's list of favorites reads like a who's who of hip Los A ... More >>

Weekday Food Events: Food Fare 2013 Grilled Cheese Night

Food Fare 2013 Planned Parenthood's annual fundraiser Food Fare 2013 is back today with 100 participating restaurants and purveyors, featuring Joe's Restaurant, Bar Pinxto, the Beer Chicks, The Corner Door, and The Tripel. Other restaurants setting up at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium include Ang ... More >>

Eau De Vie: Not Your High School Schnapps

Hans Reisetbauer is a burly Austrian distiller in the town of Axberg, where he lives surrounded by plum, cherry, pear and apple orchards. He's a good farmer, but this particular fruit is not destined for the market. He grows it to make eau de vie ("water of life"), the unoaked, fruit-derived brandie ... More >>

Serious Drinking: A Flight of Gin at Lucky Rice Night Market

Bars can be lousy places to drink. Oh, they're excellent places to buy a drink, and to drink a drink, and lately they've been pretty great for marveling at the combinatory skills and anachronistic facial hair of drink executors. But when it comes to actually trying, say, a dozen drinks to learn, sim ... More >>

2012 L.A. Father's Day Dining Guide

With Father's Day approaching this weekend, we bring you your Los Angeles dining guide for Dad's special day. From grilling classes to bottomless craft beer to dad-themed cupcakes to truffle agnolotti from one of the best pasta kitchens in town, turn the page.

L.A. Bartenders Get Artsy at Sadie

Ever wonder what L.A.'s most creative bartenders like to do on their days off? That's exactly the idea behind Art Beyond the Glass, a fundraiser that features a variety of art, music, DJs, live performances and, of course, lots of cocktails for a cause at Sadie in Hollywood. Created by Providence ... More >>

Highland Park Kitchen Opens on York Blvd. What's Happening in Highland Park

Highland Park Kitchen on York Blvd. had been open for only about ten days in early March before a front page L.A. Times article declared Highland Park a soon-to-be "outpost of hipster cool" with York Blvd. its "ground zero." In recent years, the northeast L.A. neighborhood has seen an influx of hip, ... More >>

Drago Santa Monica Closes Drago Centro Pasta Class

Anne FishbeinAgnolotti-making at Drago Centro​Celestino Drago recently announced that Drago, the Santa Monica restaurant he opened 21 years ago, will close Jan. 31. "It was kind of a tough decision because it's like my baby," the Sicilian chef and restaurateur told the L.A. Times. "The resta ... More >>

The Gold Standard 2012: Save The Date, Start Fasting

Anne Fishbeinglasses at the 2011 Gold Standard​It's that time of year again. No, not movie award time -- note to foodists: you may want to bring a bag of macarons to The Artist, just to keep yourself awake -- but time to gear up for the 2012 Gold Standard, that glorious event in which Jonathan ... More >>

Where To Eat Out on Christmas in Los Angeles: 5 Categories, 25 Ways to Eat Out on the Holiday

J. RitzHoliday tree cheer at the Hungry Cat Hollywood.​ With all due respect to hearty home-cooked Christmas meals centered around major hunks of proteins, tamales and starchy vegetables, it's not all that difficult to find interesting ways to eat out on December 25th in Los Angeles. Alright, ... More >>

Housing Authority Spent 14,000 of Your Tax Dollars at Harold & Belle's Lots of Steak

Guzzle & Nosh/FlickrHousing Authority executives were reimbursed for expensive meals at Pacific Dining Car​In what pretty much sums up the state of the economy over the last few years, executives at the The Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA) spent a good chunk of taxpayer cha ... More >>

Drago Centro: 99 Essential Restaurants 2011

Why Is It So Hard to Find a Decent Risotto?

​ Dear Mr. Gold: Where can I have a good risotto? Half of the time I've had it in L.A., it has been sticky and overcooked. --Lorenzo Rossi, via Facebook

$8 Cocktails Tonight at Drago Centro

If you're not too full from scarfing $5 pastrami sandwiches at Oinkster today, consider heading to Drago Centro tonight. Celestino Drago's downtown LA outpost has consistently put out some of the city's best seasonal cocktails (like the fetchingly named January Jones, a frothy hot toddy made with Ap ... More >>

307 Restaurants Participate in dineLA Fall 2011 Restaurant Week

Anne FishbeinSpicy chicken pops at Lukshon.​Ever wanted to try the Lukshon's squid stuffed with fermented ground pork or spaghetti at Scarpetta but can't afford it? dineLA, which returns for 12 days in early October, might be your chance. The restaurant promo returns October 2-7 and 9-14, and ... More >>

Top 5 Food Events This Weekend: TOTNLA, Ramen, Wine, Hot Dogs & Roasted Meats

Ramen Bull Kicking off its Popchef series, Breadbar's consulting Chef Noriyuki Sugie debuts Ramen Bull, a menu of five beef-centric ramen dishes: short rib ramen ($11); oxtail ramen ($15), beef tongue ramen ($12); spicy ramen ($14); and corn beef ramen ($13). Available Monday through Saturday, 5 t ... More >>

Weekend Cocktail Fun: Drago Centro Asia de Cuba

Guzzle & NoshSummer cocktail trio.​You already know about the new Bloody Mary menu, complete with foie, bacon and even watermelon, that launches this weekend at Fig, but there are a couple new cocktail menus to try.

Celestino Drago Teaches Kids to Cook FREE EATalian Kids Meals A Recipe

J. RitzChef Drago demonstrates a different kind of guitar. ​The bar for field trips and group lunches has been set very high for a class of third graders at Larchmont Charter West school in West Hollywood. As one of the many events sponsored by the Club EATalian campaign, the class was treate ... More >>

Last Night: 2011 Gold Standard [Photos]

"I can't hold my stomach in anymore," we heard someone, a man, exclaim as he rested between bites at yesterday afternoon's Gold Standard. The third annual tasting event, held once again at Petersen Auto Museum, featured dozens of local restaurants with dishes on offer ranging from the baroque wi ... More >>

Drink This Now: January Jones at Drago Centro

Guzzle & Nosh​It won't conjure January Jones in a barely-there red dress, but Drago Centro's frothy January Jones cocktail is perfect for driving out the bitter chill of a Los Angeles February. (We realize how ridiculous the phrase "the bitter chill of a Los Angeles February" sounds to readers ... More >>

Valentine's Day Round-Up, Part 1: Prix-Fixe Menus

Flickr/Bakerella​ These days, every time we walk into a supermarket, pharmacy or even drive past certain intersections of town, we're faced with an explosion of red and pink, well, everything: "Be My Valentine" cards, heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, fake long-stem roses, and endless tins of ... More >>

Win This Now: Truffles $100 Gift Certificate to Drago Centro

Starting today, Celestino Drago's downtown outpost of haute Italian cuisine, Drago Centro, is hosting a week-long Twitter contest with one daily winner receiving a custom truffle tower created by pastry chef Jashmine Corpuz. To enter, tweet @DragoCentro (in 140 characters or less) the truffle fla ... More >>

Top 10 Restaurants in Buildings Designed by Significant Los Angeles Architects

J. RitzThe eastern portion of Morgan, Walls & Clements' Chapman Market on 6th Street.​ We'd love to linger over a classic breakfast combo and endless cups of coffee at John Lautner's 1949 Googie Coffee Shop, since it was the actual place whose name defined a genre. And then enjoy the cannello ... More >>

Car-Free Eating

Nondrivers should look to downtown

What Southerners Eat vs. What We Think Southerners Eat: Breaking It Down, A Venn Diagram

Inspired by the "Texan Concepts" concept at our sister publication, the Houston Press, we're launching the first in a series of highly scientific Venn Diagrams exploring what people actually eat vs. what Angelenos think they eat. First up: the (not so) dirty South. What we think Southerners eat vs. ... More >>

Ask Mr. Gold: Where To Eat & Live In L.A. If You Don't Have A Car

Anne FishbeinMr. Gold, with dim sum menu​Dear Mr. Gold: What's the best neighborhood in L.A. to live in if you don't have a car? Purely within the gastronomical interest, of course. --Sophia Lee, via Facebook Dear Ms. Lee: Although my first impulse was to nominate San Gabriel or Monterey Park ... More >>

Hunting Pheasant

Celestino Drago's your man for the fancy fowl

Ask Mr. Gold: Hunting Pheasant, or Celestino Drago's Your Man for the Fancy Fowl

Anne FishbeinMr. Gold, with dim sum menu​Dear Mr. Gold: Where do you suggest we go for a meal of pheasant? In the Los Angeles area, please. --The Melczers Dear Mr. and Mrs. Melczer: It's odd -- several decades ago, pheasant was the ultimate in luxury meats, probably because of its connotatio ... More >>

Your De Rigueur Test Kitchen (& Walter Manzke) Update

A. Scattergoodthe bar at Test Kitchen​ As the culinary experiment of Test Kitchen winds down, the chef musical chairs act continues. Tonight and tomorrow night, November 30th and December 1st, Walter Manzke (Church & State, Bastide, ____ ) will be cooking Spanish tapas with Perfecto Rocher (t ... More >>

How To Drink Your Thanksgiving Dinner 2 Cocktail Recipes

Caroline on CrackDrago Centro's Golden Goose cocktail.​ Thanksgiving celebrations take on a whole new meaning in an age when we're more concerned with Black Friday sales shopping strategies than seating placements. But that doesn't mean you have to forgo your favorite fall flavors just becaus ... More >>

Día de los Muertos: Reviving Spirits of the Past

Flickr user ChotdaPan de muerto​ Of all the world's costume-heavy seasonal holidays, Día de los Muertos is perhaps the least understood. Yet in Los Angeles, where makeshift memorials to the dead often appear overnight, Día de los Muertos is part of our cultural heritage. It's also an opportu ... More >>

Downtown Surprise

At the intersection of Bratwurst and Dunkelweizen

Food Celebration Dinner: Giraud, Manzke, Drago, Nugent & Ramos Fight Hunger For You

Lee Oneness Foundation​Sure, you can stalk Walter Manzke at Le Saint Amour, or trail Alain Giraud around the Santa Monica Wednesday market for details on his new restaurant project, but why not leave all that to Eater (or TMZ) and enjoy the chefs in their natural habitat, like in a restaurant. ... More >>

Ask Mr. Gold: Downtown Surprise, or At the intersection of Bratwurst and Dunkelweizen

Anne FishbeinMr. Gold, with dim sum menu​Dear Mr. Gold: I'm hoping you can recommend a place to hold a surprise party. I'm finding this a bit hard to accomplish - I live in Ohio and I don't know L.A. that well. I'm considering Bottega Louie and Church & State. There will be about 20 of us and ... More >>

Meet Your New Advanced Sommelier: Q & A With Michael Shearin of Drago

twitter/MichaelShearinA Cocktail From Your Sommelier​It's no shocker that L.A. has long been short on its share of Master Sommeliers, but lately, we've got a solid crew of several who are one pivotal -- and impressive -- step closer. The Court of Master Sommeliers announced the eleven sommel ... More >>

Dinner & A Movie At Drago Centro

​The happy ritual of dinner and a movie, especially in this town, can be a lot more fun than Ben Hur at a drive-in, the questionable first date landscape of this writer's parents. Now, instead of Charlton Heston and sub-par hamburgers, you can eat sweet corn agnolotti with pancetta and lemon b ... More >>

Staff Meals Today: From Duck Confit to Steak and Rice

It's time for another installment of Staff Meals Today, where we find out what 10 of our local restaurants are feeding their employees. Let us know which of these meals sound best to you in the comments below. Picasa user KeithChefs eat too​

Los Angeles Magazine's 10 Best New L.A. Restaurants

In the month's issue of LA Magazine, they have come up with their list for L.A.'s 10 Best New Restaurants. Last year's honorees include high profile hot-spots like Bouchon Beverly Hills and Drago Centro, as well as a more low-key favorite like Peruvian ceviche specialist Mo-Chica. The article can b ... More >>

Eat and Run at Drago Centro: Braised Oxtails Can Be Fast Food Too

I guess it all depends on how you define the term "fast food." You can get a burger in a bag, or you can get very good food, but more quickly. Thus Drago Centro, Celestino Drago's swank downtown restaurant, has introduced an "eat & run" prix fixe menu, which offers three courses for $25 in under th ... More >>

Will Tweet For Food: Free Food & Deals From the Not-So-Secret Society

If your idea of finding free food is trolling the aisles of Bristol Farms or Whole Foods, toothpick in hand, ready to stab the next cube of cheese you find, there's an easier way these days--if you have a Twitter account. Sure you can use social media to keep up with foreign elections and monitor wh ... More >>

World Pasta Day This Sunday: Get Out Your Pasta Maker, or Let Gino Angelini Make Your Agnolotti For You

​For anyone currently eating a bowlful of pasta for breakfast, remnants of dinner last night at Drago Centro or Angelini Osteria; if you're getting amatriciana sauce all over your brand new copy of The Silver Spoon: Pasta book (out last week from Phaidon Press); or if you're just eyeing your A ... More >>

Name That Pastry Chef: Jashmine Corpuz of Drago Centro Her Amaretti Cookie Recipe

Folks, we have a resident cyber pastry-guru in our midst. H.C. guessed correctly again. This week's Name That Pastry Chef is Jashmine Corpuz of Drago Centro. Not to worry, you all get the grand prize - Corpuz's amaretti cookie recipe. "I've always been passionate about pastry... when I was a kid I ... More >>

Drago Centro Wine Giveaway: Will Tweet For Wine

Do these bottles look good to you? Guess some wines via Twitter, and you can drink one for free at Drago Centro, Celestino Drago's swank downtown restaurant. All this week, Drago Centro sommelier Michael Shearin (Bouchon, Craftsteak, Restaurant Guy Savoy) is hosting a blind tasting on Twitter: once ... More >>

End of Week Agenda: A Brimming, Ripe, Juicy Calendar

Mid-May is a busy time for food events around the L.A. area, y'all. To wit: California Strawberry FestivalBerrylicious funOnly about an hour drive north gets you to the California Strawberry Festival in Oxnard. The big, juicy, seasonal fun goes from 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday; general ... More >>

The Downtown Boom, Phase 2: Rolling Out the Blood-Red Carpet -- Bullfighters and Happy Hours Galore

Happy hour, happy surroundings -- Rivera's tequila-lined Sangre Room.After staying apace with the rash of bar and restaurant openings in downtown Los Angeles over the past few months, now it's time to track the specials and events that these joints are offering to encourage the ballyhooed era of the ... More >>

Celestino Drago's New City Cuisine: Gravity of Centro

A Perino's for 2010 and beyond, plus the most glamorous view in L.A.

Where to Drink Now: The New Cocktailian's Guide

The New Cocktailians

The farmers market–loving, sleeve garter–wearing ladies and gentlemen of the bar taking over L.A.'s restaurants one glass at a time

Drago Centro: Celestino's Grand Gesture, Downtown's Big Opening