Celestino Drago

Five Must-Try Old School Pappardelle Dishes to “Gobble Up” (and Why)

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Pappardelle, the beautiful, large, broad, flat paste noodles fittingly got their name from the Italian verb,  “pappare”, “to gobble up”. It works for the paste standing up to heavy sauces or for every diners’ reaction.  Architects recognize only the color grey (unless they have to), and I recognize only the paste, Pappardelle,  (unless I have to).

Domingo's Italian Deli

Domingo’s Italian Deli offers many of the 310 pasta shapes with 1300 varieties of them total.

Fresh pappardelle may have fluted edges and are up to an inch wide. Dried egg versions that originate in the region of Tuscany have straight sides.  Tagliatelle, (Emilio-Romano and Marche regions)  a narrower version of Pappardelle and used for lighter sauces (see below) is similar to but a tiny bit thinner than (Roman) fettuccine.

I ask you to try them and decide for yourself.  We follow Pappardelle from north to southern Italy here.

At Osteria BigoliChef-owner Claudio Marchesan’s Braised Short Ribs with Pappardelle are slowly baked in red wine, mushrooms, and tomatoes. Melt-in-your-mouth short ribs hold the sauce with an intense depth of flavor, along with endowing it with a rich, royal dark color.   The wide Pappardelle does its job of “taking on” the sauce so well it becomes a robust partner adding body to it.

Short Ribs

That Claudio Marchesan is a native of (northeast) Grado, Italy is one reason for the perfection.  When he attended ENALC, the Professional Cooking School of Rome, he studied with renowned Master Chef Giovanni Caruso, one of the still living prodigies of the one and only “August Escoffier”.   Marcheson himself made California restaurant history (and lots of fans) with Pane e Vino and Prego. Claudio Marchesan

Osteria Bigoli, 714 Montana Avenue in Santa Monica. Visit the website for hours and menu at bigoliosteria.com

History-making Chef at Osteria Bigoli

Sor Tino and Caffe Roma (and Toscanova and Ago restaurants)are owned by the master chef, Agostino Sciandri.  We met this Tuscan chef at the Q for quality Awards honoring Los Angeles restaurants for maintaining high standards of authenticity.

In writer Darien Morea’s report for us, “Pappardelle Cinghiale (Wild Boar Ragu), with an unctuous, rich, slightly tomatoey sauce includes large pieces of the Boar that had been cooked for hours in the sauce, is the equivalent of a rich man’s Bolognese.  Sor Tino was the first to offer wild boar in Los Angeles in the early 1990’s, now almost an Italian restaurant staple (LocalFoodEater has even down a roundup on this, our favorite dish)

 Cinghiale
“Not to name drop (but I will), I had first been introduced to this dish at the home of the father of Leonardo di Vinci in the town of Vinci, Tuscany, and Sor Tino’s version was its equal in every way.”

Sor Tino, 908 Barrington Avenue, Brentwood, CA  90049. (310) 442-8466. (//(www.sortinorestaurant.com)

Augustino Sciandri

Augustino Sciandri, master chef, restaurateur

Sor Tino Swings the Pendulum Back to Authentic Italian

Marino Ristorante in East Hollywood on Melrose serves Neapolitan fare.  Now operated by Ciro Marino’s sons, there has always been a Pappardelle Bolognese on the menu, that lists the beef, pork and veal meat sauce cooked for three hours on the stove.

Second Generation Continues Marino Ristorante Legacy in LA

Marino

Marino pappardelle with meat sauce incorporating the flavors of beef, pork, and veal, simmered over three hours

www.marinorestaurant.net.  marino Ristorante, 6001 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90038,(323) 466-881.

Last only because it is the most southern, Celestino’s paste is the star of the Drago family restaurants,  serving classic Sicilian and other Italian regional dishes with a sure hand.  We had been dreaming about the unique Pappardelle on Fabiano e Morelle  (Pappardelle with Pheasant and Morel Mushrooms) as soon as we read about it on the seasonal Holiday Mushroom & Truffle Menu menu at Celestino in Pasadena’s tony south Lake district.

Fabiano e Morelle

Pappardelle on Fabiano e Morelle (wide Fettuccine with Pheasant and Morel Mushrooms)

It did not disappoint in taste, texture, and complexity.   And it is only one of the three sections to try of Morel Mushrooms, Porcini Mushrooms and Fresh Truffles from Italy.

MushroomsThe sauce teased every bit of flavor from the bird and perfectly complemented the fantastical mushrooms capped with the distinctive honeycomb appearance of ridges and pits.  They are impossible to cultivate and prized so highly they influence enthusiasts into a madcap hunt for them during the season, no pun intended.  And these are the best, from Italy!

celestinoThe legendary oldest brother Celestino (pictured above at a charity event honoring him), inspired the Pasadena restaurant of the same name, one that translates into a  gold standard restaurant since Celestino first opened on Beverly Drive a quarter-century ago.  In fact, the inspired, cheery chef is now “Cavaliere Celestino” since the Italian government knighted him a couple of years ago

Celestino Restaurant, 141cLake Street, Pasadena, CA 91101 (626) 705-4006.  //(//(www.celestinopasadena.com)

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Celestino Pasadena Upholds Royal Family Pedigree

The Garum Factory explains how the three wide, flat pasta differs ever so slightly: “Tagliatelle and fettuccine pasta appear identical, but are not quite the same, although you can substitute one for the other. Tagliatelle, of the Emigia-Romagna (which includes Bologna) and Marche regions, is usually made fresh, then cooked.  Fettucine, a shade thicker than Tagliatelle, is found more often in Roman cooking.  It may be fresh and often dried. (//thegarumfactory.net/2013/11/29/you-say-tagliatelle-i-say-fettucine/)

For example, Pizzoccheri alla Valtellinese is a dish on the menu at the  Locanda del Lago in Santa Monica. The restaurant specializes in north Italian dishes from the Lake Como area – so northern that they sometimes overlap with bordering (South Tyrol) Austria.    “Wheat Pappardelle” is listed in the ingredients along with Roast Garlic, Savoy Cabbage, Yukon Potato, Creamy Bitto  Cheese and Sage Fondue.  Turns out that  Pizzoccheri is a type of short tagliatelle made with 80% buckwheat flour and 20% wheat flour.

Locanda del Lago, 231 Arizona Ave, Santa Monica, California 90401, (310) 451-3525.  //www.lagosantamonica.com
Pizzoccheri

Pizzoccheri alla Valtellinese

And it turns out that dried and fresh pasta comes in 310 shapes and varieties (over 1300 names),  So I’m mystified why this one is such a favorite of mine. Texture? Is it because it reminds me of a childhood favorite, an Austr0-Hungarian wide noodle dish with sugar and crushed walnuts?  Thai rice noodles?

My own quest for the best pappardelle began only after I (paleo) had a choice of this pasta or a salad entree on a birthday party menu at Lucille’s Trattoria a few years ago.  I loved it. (turns out it is the most popular dish on their menu). Next, I ordered it for my own birthday feast at Locanda Veneta, where this and their charcuterie board remain a lifetime memory. At the moment Locanda has only a Fettucine and a Tagliatelle on the menu!

 

Celestino Pasadena Upholds Royal Family Pedigree

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img_3463(Gerry Furth-Sides) Pasta is the star of the Drago family restaurants.  And there are as many of them as brothers, even more these days, serving classic Sicilian and other Italian regional dishes with a sure hand.

celestino-dragoThe legendary oldest brother Celestino (pictured above at a charity event honoring him), inspired the Pasadena restaurant of the same name, one that translates into a  gold standard restaurant since Celestino first opened on Beverly Drive a quarter century ago.  In fact, the inspired, cheery chef is now “Cavaliere Celestino” since the Italian government knighted him a couple of years ago

We have been dreaming about the Pappardelle on Fabiano e Morelle (wide Fettuccine with Pheasant and Morel Mushrooms) on the seasonal Holiday Mushroom & Truffle Menu menu at Celestino in Pasadena’s tony south Lake district  for almost a year now.  It did not disappoint  in taste, texture and complexity.   And it is only one of the three sections to try of Morel Mushrooms, Porcini Mushrooms and Fresh Truffles from Italy.

unknownThe sauce teased every bit of flavor from the bird and perfectly complemented the fanastical mushrooms capped with the distinctive honeycomb appearance of ridges and pits.  They are impossible to cultivate and prized so highly they influence enthusiasts into a madcap hunt for them during the season, no pun intended.  And these are the best, from Italy!

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An open kitchen (rather than a showy bar) hints that cooking is key here.  At the same time it easily blends into the warm glow of the dining room, inviting and with enough pin lights for visibility.  It also seems to add a note of warmth and inclusivity of cook and customer, and the happy faces in the kitchen don’t belie this.

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It’s almost impossible to decide whether the service or the food deserves more accolades but we started with the food so let’s go with it.

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Be careful what you ask for here.   I merely mentioned the heels of the bread and got a basketful. Without asking for it.  It is impossible to eat just one:  Drago bakery that also wholesales to restaurants is the very best in town.   Their pretzel burger bun stands alone among all others and we miss LA Farm even more just for it.

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The beautiful intense deep red ROSSO di Montepulciano from the Poggio Golo winery in Tuscany was just the medium weight wine to pair with the rich pasta and the rabbit dishes, fruity and veinous.  Known to be food-friendly and practically priced, the glorious tall German wine glasses (that looked better than they photographed) added to its allure.  Interestingly the grapes for this ROSSO de Montepulciano from the municipality of the same name in the province of Siena differs from Montepulciano wine from grapes associated most often with Abruzzo and grown all over Central Italy.

img_3461The Zuppa del Giorno (soup of the Day) was pumpkin.  And pumpkin it was, with only a bit of butter added to the smooth, silky puree.  Mario told us that they rarely used broth so that the true flavor shines through of the vegetable.  A smiling swoop of olive oil and a drizzle of Creme Fraiche tops the dish.

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A whimsical presentation of Coniglio al Forno con Salsa di Olive Nere (Roast Rabbit with Black Olive Sauce) with baby potato, carrot, a teardrop tomato and spinach was light yet substantial.

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Mario brought out the famous Nonino family Moscato grappa, teasing to take the bottle when I loved the taste so much.  Originally done to simply use the grape leftovers from the winemaking process,  grappa is made by distilling the skins, seeds, pulp and stems, known as pomace.  It is usually sharp but here the sharpness is only the intriguing tart citrus spice because the addition of the moscato pomace lends an aromatic, soft, sensuality to the grappa.    The perfect ending to a perfect evening.img_3472

 

Profiteroles and Panna Cotta ended the meal.

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The very clever, and very delicious Panna Cotta (“cooked cream” in Italian) dessert which is made with sweetened ream thickened with gelatin and molded, here  had a citrusy fruit gel in the center of each circle instead of the usual berries or caramel or chocolate sauce.  It is fascinating that while panna cotta is thought of as a traditional Piedmontese dessert from the north of Italy, it was not mentioned Italian cookbooks before the 1960’s.

img_3449Calogero Drago (shown above right with head waiter Mario, and below) also keeps a sure hand on the front of the house.  The friendly Mario (left) only looks serious … although he is serious about his position at Celestino for 15 years… and actually began his career with Chef Celestino at the original Beverly Hills location.ndae8mryaoldhdxzcctwrdbpidjbb76ezhvkqvvlikyCalogero  hosts the sprawling set of white tablecloth dining rooms and spacious,  welcoming veranda on Lake Street as easily and personally as if it would be a tiny room, chatting up the customers and directing the staff in English and Italian.   (photo above and portrait below are courtesy  Celestino Restaurant)chef-calagero-drago-celestino-ristorante-npanzanella

Calogero Drago celebrates 15 years on Lake street and is the only Drago in Pasadena.  The crazy friendly and slightly frenetic  Il Pastaio perks up Beverly Hills and Drago Centro is a major downtown LA attraction.

Celestino Ristorante & Bar also has a very limited amount of the incredibly rare White Truffle.  Those “in the know” know to ask their server for the daily white-truffle specials.

Celestino Ristorante is open for lunch week-days  from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm.  Dinner is served 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm Monday through Thursday, 5:30 pm to 11:00 pm on Friday, 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm on Saturday and 5:00 pm to 10:30 pm on Sunday.

The Holiday Mushroom & Truffle Menu is available through the end of December 2016. For information or reservations, please visit www.CelestinoPasadena.com or call Celestino Ristorante directly at please call 626.795.4006.