At 21 Years of Age, Drago Ends Its Santa Monica Run

Oh wow. Italian Santa Claus aka Celestino Drago (Celestino, Drago Centro, Dolce Forno, Enoteca Drago, Il Pastaio) announces to the LA Times that he will shutter his venerable flagship restaurant Drago at the end of January. Celestino explains, “I decided after a lot of thought to not renew the lease. The lease expired and I was thinking of doing some big remodeling, but it wasn’t making a lot of sense...It was kind of a tough decision because it’s like my baby. The restaurant did a lot for my career. But I’ve got my hands full with so much.” While there's a possibilty that Drago could reopen elsewhere in LA, for the time being Celestino plans to focus on his slate of other restaurants. Which may or may not include Yogisan Sushi, the Japanese concept his brother Giacomino is developing.
·Drago Santa Monica to close at end of January [LAT]

[Photo: Darin Dines]