After closing his upscale, eponymous original in Santa Monica this past January, chef and empire owner Celestino Drago is joining his L.A. peers in opening a more casual offshoot to fit our current era of communal tables and small plates. Osteria Drago is now open and serving in the former Il Sole space on the Sunset Strip, with Drago vet Evan Gotanda in the kitchen as chef de cuisine. In addition to that familiar face, guests will find various nooks for both noodling and ca-noodling, colorful glass vases lining dining room shelves, arty light fixtures, a bar of marble and blonde wood, an on-site window box of edible herbs, and a sweeping al fresco front patio for showing off your fettuccine and Ferragamos. A separate dining space sits segregated on the side, with plans as an additional dining room and to accommodate private dinners. Take a look at Drago’s new, less formal location, in our slide show of the refreshingly bright space, with a glimpse of the menu down below.
MENU
insalate / salads
barbabietole con burrata
baby beets, burrata, pistachios, white balsamic 14
sapori di mare
sea urchin panna cotta, assorted seafood, citrus vinagarette 16
arugula e pesche
arugula, grilled peaches, speck 12
panzanella
kale, heirloom tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, cucumbers, bread 9
lattughe novelle
mixed baby lettuces, shaved vegetables 8
antipasti / appetizers
zuppa toscana
kale and vegetable soup 8
carpaccio di capriolo
venison carpaccio, white anchovies, raspberries 14
pinzimonio e crudo di tonno
raw baby vegetables, ahi tuna, bagna cauda spuma 16
tortino di farro
spelt pancake, 63° poached egg, prosciutto, summer truffles 26
zuppetta di cozze
p.e.i. mussels, tomato, garlic 16
paste e risotti
spaghetti chitarra
squid ink fresh spaghetti, manila clams 18
cavatelli
spinach ricotta cavatelli, venison ragu 15
pappardelle
roasted pheasant, morel mushrooms 16
spaghetti scoglio
squid, scallops, shrimp, mussels, clams spaghetti 24
orecchiette
pork sausage, rapini, pecorino 14
trenne
triangle shaped penne, spicy tomato sauce, baked ricotta 12
agnolotti
yellow corn filled agnolotti, zucchini flowers 16
raviolo
ricotta and egg yolk filled raviolo, summer truffles 30
lasagna verde
spinach lasagna, meat sauce, prosciutto, reggiano 15
risotto frutti di mare
red beets, squid, scallops, shrimp 18
risotto carote e bietola
carrot puree, chard, oregano 16
