Cellestino Drago, Master Celeb Chef

Romeo Carey Podcast

Chef Celestino Drago has played an integral role in the ever-evolving dining scene in Los Angeles for over two decades. Hailing from Sicily, Celestino has become one of the city's and the country's most lauded Italian chefs, with honors ranging from Food & Wine Magazine selecting him as a “Best New Chef” to being an invited guest chef at the James Beard House in New York on multiple occasions to being named Planned Parenthood LA’s FoodFare 2014 “Chef of the Year.” From his affable demeanor to his inventive and delicious takes on Italian fare, Chef Celestino Drago has helped lay the groundwork for Italian cuisine in America today. Before launching his restaurant empire in Southern California, Celestino attended mechanical school in Italy while simultaneously working at a restaurant in the city of Pisa called Pierino. It was there that realized he “loved everything about the restaurant business.” Recognizing his culinary potential, the chef at Pierino worked closely with him and, in just three short years, Celestino took over as chef. In 1979, Celestino was hired as chef at Los Angeles Italian restaurant, Orlando Orsini, prompting him to leave Italy to embark upon a new culinary career in the United States. After working at Orlando Orsini, Celestino worked at Spectrum Foods before opening his first restaurant, Celestino, in Beverly Hills. Interview by Ryan Shoushan. Produced by Romeo Carey 2012