There are different types of Italian restaurants. The most formal type is a Ristorante. Less formal dining venues are Trattorias and Osterias. Celestino Drago has opened one of each in Southern California. His Enoteca Drago is a neighborhood wine bar and restaurant in Beverly Hills serving small plates and wonderful wines at reasonable prices.

Ultra tender osso buco sits atop a bed of creamy gorgonzola risotto with black trumpet mushrooms - a true Drago delicacy. (photo by Jill Weinlein)

For those who fondly enjoyed Drago’s restaurant in Santa Monica, this Enoteca is similar. New Chef de Cuisine, Garrett Mukogawa, has filled the menu with a mosaic of brilliant Italian dishes. Mukogawa prepares contemporary dishes with an Asian and French flair that will tantalize your palette.

We sat on the sidewalk patio fronting the prestigious Canon Drive. It’s an ideal spot to people watch. Among the celebs hiding behind dark glasses, and the elegantly dressed Beverly Hills “housewives”, our favorite person who passed our table was a man sitting in a wheelchair being pushed by a caregiver. He wore a hat with the number 100. I stopped them to ask if this handsome man was 100-years-old. His caregiver said, “He will be 101 in two weeks.” The gentleman smiled and tipped his hat to us before continuing down the sidewalk.

We started with a caprccio di bue with thinly sliced filet of beef, decorated with a peppery sweet and tangy arugula lettuce with Dijon dressing and shaved parmesan. The arugula adds a delightful pizzazz to this dish.

Thinly sliced filet of beef dressed with a peppery sweet and tangy arugula gives the carpaccio salad a zingy flavor. (photo by Jill Weinlein)

Another great appetizer fitting to split is the Bomba. It’s a homemade pizza crust filled with mozzarella, caramelized onions and elegant black truffles. Chef Mukogawa places a crust over the pie to create a calzone type of pizza. When our server, Veronica, pierced the top, a potpourri of heavenly aromas escaped. Most of the pizzas are traditional with a twist, like one with Yukon potatoes, parmesan and rosemary. Another is decorated with smoked salmon, capers and pickled onions.

For pasta dishes, we tried Celestino’s classic Drago dish, pappardelle with roasted pheasant and morel mushrooms. Pappardelle is derived from the word pappare, which means to gobble up. The tender pheasant and honeycomb-like mushrooms were adorned with a delicate butter sauce to enhance their flavors.

Still wanting more, we ordered a Milanese specialty, osso buco. It’s served on a bed of rich gorgonzola risotto with black trumpet mushrooms. The tender veal fell off the bone.

For dessert, try the budino di butterscotch e caffe, a rich espresso cream and butterschotch pudding. (photo by Jill Weinlein)

Lastly, we ordered the risotto Nero with black squid ink, clams, mussels and shrimp. One of my friends was a bit leery about ordering this dish. When it arrived, I put a small serving on her plate and watched her enjoy her first bite. Soon she was helping herself to seconds.

Since we were all fully content, we had to save the cioppino, chicken piccata and roasted duck salad with baby spinach, mushrooms and lightly bathed in a warm onion dressing, for another visit.

As we all sipped a round of cappuccinos, we shared two desserts. The Budino di butterscotch e caffe arrived with a sweet and crisp rosemary tuile sprinkled with sea salt. Our server instructed us to crush the thin cookie and espresso cream into the butterscotch pudding. It was blissful.

Last to arrive were two delicate apple criêpes with a scoop of buttermilk sorbet and topped with a few pinches of sugary streusel. The pastry chef, Mario Ortiz, is an expert at I Dolci (desserts).

We left Enoteca Drago with big smiles and discussed when we would come back again. $$ Lunch is served Mon. through Sat. 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Dinner is served 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. On Sun. Enoteca Drago is open 4 p.m. to 10 p.m. 410 N. Canon Dr. (310)786-8236.