What I really love about Celestino Ristorante & Bar is that you always know you will have an amazing dining experience. Owner Calogero Drago and The Drago brothers have everything covered, high quality, delicious Italian recipes, always memorable menu items. It is always is a party in my mouth when I go to any of the Drago establishments, and Celestine Ristorante & Bar is simply the best!!
Here’s What I tried:
Cocktails:
Vodka Martini, traditional martini with two olives, a great way to start my very decadent food excursion.
Cosmopolitan, vodka and cranberry in a traditional martini glass, just exquisite.
Salads and Appetizers:
Special Sauteed Calamari with garlic and fresh greens, they slice up the calamari, and it’s so tender, a lovely dish.
Artichoke and Arugula Salad with Cheese, a very delicate flavor with lemon juice, and their own olive oil, just perfect.
Timballo Di Funghi Con Fonduta E Tartufo Nero, Mushroom Soufflé with Fontina Cheese Sauce and Black Truffles. This dish will blow your hair back, it’s full of mushroom flavor and the cheese sauce is the highlight.
Zupetta Di Cozze E Vongole, Steamed Mussels and Clams, in a light spicy tomato broth. The clams and mussels are very fresh, and the subtle tomato broth brings it all together.
Pasta:
Gnocchi Della Casa Con Fonduta Al Tartufo, potato dumplings, stuffed with mushrooms, in a truffle cheese fondue. The beauty of these Gnocchi’s is the mushroom center, who does that? Celestino takes every extra step to make your dining experience one of a kind.
Squid Ink Pasta with Shrimp, of course this is handmade pasta, gorgeous and delicious.
Ravioli Di Spinaci E Ricotta Al Pomodoro E Basilico, home-made ravioli stuffed with spinach and ricotta with tomato basil sauce. Another wonderful dish, with the freshly made ravioli.
Pappadelle Pasta with Pheasant. This dish is so colorful, they put cut-up flowers as a garnish, and the home-made pappardelle is just out of this world.
Mezzelune D’ Anatra Con Salsa Di Funghi E Mirtilli, Ravioli Filled with Duck, Mushrooms, And Porcini Blueberry Sauce. One of my favorite dishes of the night, wow!
Meat and Seafood:
Filet of Sole, lightly sauteed with garlic butter, potatoes, zucchini, and carrot. The fish is super fresh, and the simplicity makes this one a must-have.
Costolette D’ Agnello, Grilled New Zealand Lamb Chops, served with grilled vegetables and balsamic mint sauce. These chops are tender and succulent, just amazing.
Dessert:
La Bamba Ice cream with frozen drizzled chocolate served with strawberries. The presentation alone will make you want more, and then there is the chocolate drizzled on top, so good.
Panna Cotta with Fresh Strawberries, a nice refreshing dessert, the fresh strawberries complete this dish.
Wines:
Diora La Splendeur Du Soleil, Chardonnay, Monterey 2021, this is the wine to drink with any of the fish dishes, it’s buttery, creamy, a fantastic combo.
La Fusina, L’Alteno, this wine was so delectable with the lamb, just the perfect pairing.
For over 20 years, Celestino has delighted the palates of Pasadena locals and travelers from all over the world, treating them to a taste of authentic Italian cuisine. Owner Calogero Drago infuses Celestino with all the hallmarks of a famed Drago Brother’s restaurant — seasonal cuisine made with the finest, freshest ingredients, commingled with an elegantly casual environment where every customer is made to feel like family. Calogero mixes and mingles with his customers, going from table to table trying to make sure everyone is happy. He treats everyone as family, with an animated story to tell, a kiss on the cheek or a “Ciao Bella.” Calogero believes that an emphasis on customer service and building connections with diners is the key. Calogero’s other focus is creating authentic Italian food, coming from a farm, the Drago Brothers acquired a taste for fresh and organic ingredients, only the best will do. They don’t believe in cutting costs by compromising the quality of the food to turn a profit. The Drago Brothers set out to show Los Angeles what true Italian and Sicilian cuisine consists of. Calogero has a very strong Sicilian influence in his dishes, exceeding expectations by providing the freshest seafood, house-made pastas, and organic meats. House-made pastas are a good enough reason to try their unbelievable food. He takes a hands-on approach when training his kitchen staff, and most evenings you will find him cooking up a storm and hustling out of the kitchen to personally hand your dish to you! Celestino Ristorante makes you feel like you are in Southern Italy! Celestino is a proper restaurant with white tablecloths, drinkable wine, and golden light that makes everybody look radiant, but is also casual at the same time. Plus, both my wonderful server Antonio Benetti, and long time manager Mario Tello helped me with my marvelous culinary journey.
Celestino Ristorante has made many Pasadena Best Of lists, in addition to being lauded by Zagat, Food & Wine, and many others.
Celestino Ristorante & Bar
Dinner Menu from 5:00 pm to 10:30 pm
141 South Lake Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91101
626.795.4006
*Note Some content was taken off their website.
