Drago Centro: Ultimate Urban Italian

I've been eyeing this place since it was under construction. I work in the building next door (City National Plaza) so invariably I was very interested in the new Drago coming in. The design of the dining room is spectacular, sweeping, cavernous, modern, sexy, sleek. Perhaps a tad loud, but sometimes banter and badinage add energy to a business lunch or dinner date.

My lunch today was neither, but rather an amalgam of those two, a lunch date with my dearest Christine, who stopped by the Financial District for a last minute lunch. We were opportunistic in that our lunch coincided with the second day of DineLA, a two week bonanza of prix fixe deals.

We ordered every dish available for the special and started with venison carpaccio and fresh tomato basil linguine. The venison was spectacular, melt-in-your-mouth consistency with a peppery, lemony finish that lingered without a hint of gaminess. Candied walnuts and tender, bitter greens supplied a nutty, sweet, and bitter foil to the carpaccio while a light vinaigrette bound the flavors together. The fresh green basil linguine was almost creamy but with a slight bite to accentuate the tomato sauce that accompanied. Addictive and generously portioned, it was a triumph.



We requested a bread course and we had a very good selection of these fresh baked breads. I especially liked the mini ciabattas.

Main courses came as braised short rib with luxurious polenta and scottish salmon atop elegant green and white asparagus and halved cherry tomatoes. An orange sauce glazed the accoutrements of the salmon dish while preserving the fantastic sear and salted seasoning of the fish. The interior was a perfect medium rare and the presentation allowed for a pristine communication of the fish's flavors.

Braised short ribs were texturally superb through the glaze was not as sweet as others I've had. Despite this deficiency I was actually happier that the robust beefiness of the short rib was more apparent. I longed for a glass of fine Italian barolo (though I refrained for this lunch hour).

Desserts were also successful as a silky vanilla cotta came topped with in-season citrus and a grape-half, while the martini-glassed tiramisu perhaps egocentricly dusted with chocolate in a large "D" (for Drago) was one of the better iterations of the famous Italian dessert I've had. Opulent mascarpone and amaretto ladyfinders came together nicely while a fresh cappuccino held the sweetness at bay.

Service was impeccable, neither slothful nor pretentious, helpful in every step and accommodating at every moment (they supplied cutlery and extra plates at a moment's notice). My only qualm was the proximity of the banquette seating (perhaps to maximize the square footage of which I do not blame them), and the atrociously minerally tap water, of which a fine filter would have helped (no doubt an effort to encourage bottled water sales).

Whatever the case, the dining companion outshone even the food and service. There's nothing quite like a working professional dearly visited by his loved one during the lunch hour at a swanky new restaurant in Downtown. It makes one work harder, and know that the support for the long hours and strenuous labor at the office is not only felt, but admirably effable. They talk about how good days are made, well Drago was not only there - it helped it to come true.

This was the first meal of my DineLA meals the past few weeks (DineLA's special frix fixes have been extended at many of the participating restaurants).

Drago Centro
525 S Flower St
Los Angeles, CA 90071
(213) 228-8998