DRAGO RISTORANTE DEBUTS AT THE PETERSEN AUTOMOTIVE MUSEUM
Authentic Italian Fare Hits Los Angeles’ Most Coveted Cultural Epicenter on Wilshire Boulevard’s Miracle Mile
The quintessential Sicilian family name widely credited for bringing authentic Italian cuisine to Los Angeles is proudly debuting their newest venture, Drago Ristorante in the Petersen Automotive Museum. A collaboration between brothers Celestino, Calogero, Tanino and Giacomino Drago, the entire famiglia has come together to offer locals and visitors alike a taste of housemade pastas, wood-fired pizzas, an innovative assortment of Italian entrees, artisanal breads and pastries from Drago’s Dolce Forno bakery in Culver City and locally grown produce from Drago Farms in Santa Ynez. Offering an approachable lunch menu for all-ages and an elevated dinner experience to those looking for refined Italian cuisine, Drago Ristorante boasts the best selection of signature menu items as an homage to all of Drago Culinary Productions establishments that have delighted guests for the past four decades. In addition to the much loved favorites, Drago Ristorante will offer thoughtful new dishes that will add vibrant energy to the family of chefs’ extensive repertoire.
Lunch guests can choose from antipasti and insalate including the Burrata Salad with burrata cheese, prosciutto, heirloom cherry tomato, basil cream, and olive crostini; Capricciosa with romaine lettuce, chopped chicken breast, hearts of palm, tomato, cannellini beans, haricot vert, red onion and a light creamy mustard dressing; and Calamari Salad with jicama, carrots, cucumber, leeks, fine herbs and yuzu dressing. Housemade pastas include Ravioli Ricotta with spinach and ricotta ravioli and Drago Farms® tomato sauce; and Pacher Porcini e Gorgonzola with large rigatoni pasta, porcini mushrooms and crumbled blue cheese. Lunch entrees include a decadent Trattoria Burger made with Wagyu beef served on a truffle buttered brioche with caramelized onions, Portobello mushrooms, fontina cheese and truffle fries; Pollo with pan roasted chicken breast, mustard seed crust, sautéed green beans and roasted shallots; and Salmone featuring pan roasted Atlantic salmon and trofie pesto.
Dinner boasts antipasti including Salumi Misti, Gnocco Fritto with prosciutto and other cold cut daily selections and fried bread; and Polpo e Panelle with pan roasted octopus, chickpea tarts, and pickled vegetables. Pasta options include Cavatelli al Ragu di Capriolo with house made cavatelli, venison ragu, and porcini mushrooms; and Gnocchi di Patate al Nero di Seppie with squid ink potato gnocchi, squid, cured tuna roe, and zucchini. Wood-fired pizzas include Cacio e Pepe with cheese, ground black pepper, frisee and shaved pecorino cheese; and Parma with prosciutto, mozzarella pearls, frisee and basil. Entrees include Cappesante e Polenta with sautéed jumbo scallops, soft polenta, artichokes and morels; and Filetto D, Agnello with sautéed filet of lamb, Sardinian couscous, eggplant and mint.
“To me, family and food are the two most important things in life,” says Celestino Drago, “I’m honored to bring both to the Petersen Automotive Museum as we introduce Drago Ristorante and have the opportunity to continue providing Angelenos and visitors alike with a taste of our authentic Italian cuisine and Sicilian heritage.”
Combining rugged design elements of blackened steel and hammered copper with refined finishes incorporating curves and fluid lines, Felderman Keatinge + Associates is behind the interior design for the space, who envisioned the restaurant as an extension of the Petersen Automotive Museum. Intended to reflect modernism in motion, the design offers approachable elegance with an upbeat feel and variety of seating options for guests to sit back and enjoy in comfort. A custom mural by Stanley Felderman makes a bold and colorful statement, with an urban grid counterbalanced by additional curved fluid lines. Felderman and partner Nancy Keatinge are also responsible for the interior design of Drago Centro in downtown Los Angeles.
“Just as the cuisine of Drago melds together traditional and contemporary Italian cuisine, the design of the restaurant makes reference to the classic streamline modernism of the automobile and the contemporary need for comfort and intimacy,” says Felderman.
In addition to Drago Ristorante, Drago Culinary Productions was appointed as the official Food & Beverage partner to the Petersen Automotive Museum in the fall of 2015 and provides full catering services to all corporate functions and social occasions onsite.
“The Drago brothers are known throughout Los Angeles for their exquisite Italian cuisine, and we’re honored to have their latest restaurant in our museum,” said Terry Karges, Executive Director of the Petersen. “We know having this restaurant available to our visitors will make their museum experience one they will never forget.”
About Drago Ristorante
Drago Ristorante is a collaborative venture between Celestino, Calogero, Tanino and Giacomino Drago located within the Petersen Automotive Museum in Los Angeles, California. Lunch hours of operation are from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. daily and dinner service is Sunday through Friday from 5:30 p.m. until 10:00 p.m. and Saturday from 5:30 p.m. until 11:00 p.m. Please call 323-800-2244 and visit www.dragoristorante.com for more information and reservations.
About Drago Culinary Productions
Helmed by acclaimed chef and restaurateur Celestino Drago, Drago Culinary Productions is comprised of a bevy of establishments including Drago Centro, Drago Ristorante, IL Pastaio, Dolce Forno Bakery, Drago Farms, Drago Air and Drago Events & Catering. Providing authentic cuisine and impeccable customer service across all venues, Drago Culinary Productions has given Los Angeles locals and visitors alike a true taste of Italian hospitality for nearly four decades.
About Felderman Keatinge + Associate
Felderman Keatinge + Associates are a Los Angeles-based design firm with an international career spanning more than three decades of innovation and a catalog of honors deeming the husband and wife duo of Stanley Felderman and Nancy Keatinge as futurists, industry leaders and Interior Awards’ 2016 Design Legends. As pioneers of the “total design concept,” their work is defined by barrier-breaking concepts that do not cater to passing industry fads, but instead reside in functionality and the goal of building a bridge to the future. For more information, visit: http://www.fkastudio.com/
About the Petersen Automotive Museum
The Petersen Automotive Museum Foundation is a non-profit 501(c)(3) charity. The Museum is located at 6060 Wilshire Boulevard (at Fairfax) in Los Angeles, California, 90036. Admission prices are $15 for general admission adults, $12 for seniors and students with ID, $7 for children ages 3 to 12. Active military with ID, personal care attendants and children under three are admitted free. Museum hours are 10am to 6pm. For general information, call 323/930-CARS or visit www.petersen.org.
