Drago Isn’t Just Another Italian Restaurant

From the street, on the Santa Monica end of Wilshire Boulevard, the new restaurant Drago glows with soft, pale light. Its glass front, its blond wood, its chairs draped in cream-colored slipcovers, have a calming effect as you walk in. It’s a beautiful restaurant and many of the dishes are spectacular, full of the sort of intense and complex flavors that you usually don’t find in week-old restaurants.

In the kitchen and, sometimes, wandering from table to table, is Drago’s chef and owner, Celestino Drago. He gave his first name to the Beverly Hills restaurant Celestino, where for five years his cooking charmed Los Angeles’ good eaters. Earlier this year, he gave up his share in Celestino to open Drago.

His food did not change dramatically in the interim--no sudden decisions to serve gourmet pizza, no experiments with Pacific Rim cuisine. Minestrone pops with the flavors of basil and fresh peas. Risotto, made with leeks and Barolo, which tints the rice a soft pale purple, is perfectly textured. Roasted rabbit, topped with sweet sauteed peppers, is matched with an intense demi-glace flavored with a black-olive puree and balsamic vinegar.

Just when you thought there were too many Italian restaurants in Los Angeles, here comes one worth waiting for.

* Drago, 2628 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, (213) 828-1585. Entrees $9-$23.