A Winter Chill Brings Warming Mushroom and Truffle Sensation to Pasadena

As the seasons begin to change, and a cool chill touches the autumnal air, we are reminded that winter will be here before we know it. And although, not everyone enjoys the sun setting at an earlier hour and having to put on an extra layer or two for warmth, there is one think we can agree on: the excitement of the luxurious feast that comes but once a year with the Holiday Mushroom & Truffle Menu at Celestino Ristorante!

“This is my favorite time of year,” says Owner & Executive Chef Calogero Drago. “Not only is it a time of joy with the holiday season approaching, but it is a time for hearty and delicious dishes that can be accentuated through the deep and earthy flavor of mushrooms and truffles. They just make everything better!”

The Holiday Mushroom & Truffle Menu is broken up into three categories: Morel Mushrooms, Porcini Mushrooms and Fresh Quercetti Truffles from Italy. Each dish is these three categories highlights the differences in taste, texture and complexity of their respective “gifts from the earth.”

The Morel Mushrooms, most commonly found in their dried form, are only available fresh for just a very brief period each year. The rich, meaty flavor and texture of these fresh honeycombed mushrooms are portrayed with a rather simplistic elegance in dishes such as Tagliolini with Fresh Morel Mushrooms & Pecorino Cheese. Make sure to savor the flavor of early spring in the Veal Scaloppini with Fresh Fava Beans & Fresh Morel Mushrooms, or delight in Chef Drago’s famed Risotto with Baby Scallops & Fresh Morel Mushrooms, combining the best of land and sea!

Porcini Mushroom Soup with Black Truffle debuts as the first contender in the Porcini Mushrooms section: a delicate and soothing taste that will only leave you yearning for more mushrooms. Find yourself having to take a deep breath in awe of the wild forest floor flavor showcased in the Risotto with Fresh Porcini Mushrooms and the Homemade Wide Pappardelle with Fresh Porcini Mushrooms. Looking for a larger indulgence? The Roasted Rack of Veal with Porcini Mushrooms will have you delving into tender bites of mushroom bliss.

Now onto the most delicate of delicacies: Fresh Quercetti Truffles from Italy. Known for its unique mushroom shape, these delectable truffles make an appearance in a myriad of dishes on the Holiday Mushroom & Truffle Menu including the Risotto with Shaved Fresh Quercetti Truffle, Gnocchi Stuffed with Mushroom in a Quercetti Truffle Cheese Sauce and the Tortellini with Meat in Zaferan Percorino & Black

Pepper Sauce with, you guessed it, Quercetti Truffle. Other dishes in this section featuring these delightful truffles also include Chef Drago’s Filet of Sole with Mixed Vegetables & Shaved Quercetti Truffles and the Veal Carpaccio with Shaved Quercetti Truffle & Pecorino Cheese. How divine!

For those who want to take luxury to an even higher level, Celestino Ristorante & Bar also has the incredibly rare White Truffle on hand. Availability is very limited, so ask your server for the daily white-truffle specials.

“Even though we have a set Holiday Mushroom & Truffle Menu, it does not mean you won’t catch me creating yet another extravagant truffle treat throughout the season,” says Drago. “The only way to know what I am up to is to come in and experience it for yourself.”

Ready to taste the best of the mushroom kingdom? Reserve your table at Celestino Ristorante before the end of December 2015. You won’t want to miss this special Holiday Mushroom & Truffle Menu – it is true poetry on the palate!

Celestino Ristorante is open for lunch Monday through Friday from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm and for dinner from 5:30 pm to 10:30 pm Monday through Thursday, 5:30 pm to 11:00 pm on Friday, 5:00 pm to 11:00 pm on Saturday and 5:00 pm to 10:30 pm on Sunday. The Holiday Mushroom & Truffle Menu is available through the end of December 2015. For information or reservations, please visit www.CelestinoPasadena.com or call Celestino Ristorante directly at please call (626) 795-4006.

Celestino Ristorante, 141 South Lake Avenue, Pasadena, (626) 795-4006 or visit www.celestinopasadena.com.