Celestino Awards

Celestino Restaurant Review:

About the restaurant: Celestino, located in Pasadena’s South Lake Avenue shopping district, is beloved by regulars for its warm service and consistently well executed versions of classic Sicilian and other regional Italian dishes. Calogero Drago, one of the younger brothers of celebrated chef Celestino Drago, hustles through the venue, greeting guests and relaying orders to staff in Italian.

Food & Drinks: The strong suit here is the selection of pastas (e.g. tagliolini with scallops in saffron cream, penne with minced prosciutto in a vodka-infused pink sauce) and a dramatically presented beet risotto topped with molten goat cheese. Worthy starters include creamy fresh burrata, and swordfish carpaccio with a refreshing orange-fennel salad. You can find a good, reasonably priced Sicilian wine --- as well as more prestigious Barolos --- on the list, but the meager selection by the glass is disappointing for a restaurant of this quality. Desserts range from the requisite tiramisu and flourless chocolate cake to a standout lemon meringue tart. The dining room, a collection of linen-clad tables amid traditional art and an open kitchen, is inviting, and the staff graciously accommodates special requests.