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| Restaurant Reviews for Celestino's | ||
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REGIONS |
Celestino's
(+2) 141 S Lake Ave Pasadena CA 91101 (6267954006}
REVIEWS review pending approval - EE posted Friday, August 17, 2007 "ITS WONDERFUL" - DJ posted Monday, August 8, 2005 "I made reservations a week in advance but when we arrived we were told we woul dhave to sit outside on the patio. It was cold out and uncomfortable on the patio plus people were smoking and the smell was awful. Our service was very poor and two of our four meals were not edible. " - JB posted Sunday, May 29, 2005 "Food was okay but the service was atrocious! Our server forgot to bring the wine we ordered and did not tell us the specials but rattled off the main menu items like they were something new to us after we had just read them! We overheard him giving the table next to us a full rundown of the chef's specials which he did not reveal to us. Needless to say we felt like he was giving us the brushoff so we left him a quarter for a tip. " - MH posted Friday, October 22, 2004 "This restaurant used to be one my favorites about a year ago. My wife made a reservation for my birthday 4 days in advance and I was really looking forward to it. My wife asked if they could provide a cassatta as a small birthday cake for the occasion. Not only did NOT remember my birthday, but the service was a comedy of errors. The maitress 'd was walking around to the tables of customers already seated asking them for their names and if they had reservations ! I had the filet of sole special, which the waiter showed me at my table, then deboned across the room, after which he brought back three thin strips of fish. This plus an inedible piece of baby bok chok (incredibly tough, they used to serve escarole) and 3 baby carrots cost $36. My sons filet mignon, ordered medium rare, was overdone. I was very disappointed. I am not sure what went wrong at this place, but I wont be coming back. This is a shame, because a year ago the food was very close to the excellent Sicilian food I had growing up. If people enjoy it, fine, but don't be fooled into believing it is authentic, and the service is lackadaisacal at best. " - jt posted Saturday, July 17, 2004 "Celestino's is my favorite restaurant in the LA area--the food is delicious, the service is great, and I can't figure out why is gets bad reviews, unless some rival establishment is simply trying to kill it. Don't believe any of these bad things! They are dead wrong!" - js2 posted Friday, April 23, 2004
"Loved it. I went on the recommendation of a friend. They have many dishes that are vegetarian so I was very happy. The service was great and prompt. Real authentic waiters and a very clean restaurant. " - JS posted Sunday, August 18, 2002 "I grew up in a sicilian household, and I must say, Celestino's food blew me out of the water. They offered arrancini for first course, with the calamari, it was fantastic. For main course, I had the risottow with squid ink, and that taste was fantastic. For desert, I had tiramisu, and insulted my mother by telling her celestino's was the best I ever had. Great food, and great wait staff. I will frequent it again!" - rg posted Wednesday, August 14, 2002 "I read the reviews and apparently, those people who gave it bad reviews were not of quality palette. Celestino's is owned by Celestino Drage who owns with his 3 other brothers 3 other excellent Italian restaurants: Beverly Hills, West Hollywood and Santa Monica. The waiters are authentic Italian usually from the island of Sicily. If you are a first time visitor I suggest the following: Insalata Primavera: spring lettuce with slice japanese eggplant and roasted peppers with goat cheese and a very light Italian dressing. Next for an entree try (for lunch) the zucchini and pasta dish or for dinner you can choose from the free range chicken or the pork tenderloin which is best by far. the flourless chocolate cake is a very satisfying dessert. As for wines, they are great, but I myself don't drink wine, but my friends who have been going to Celestinos formerly owned and operated by the same family (used to be called Il Pastaio which means the pasta maker, Celestino just changed the name.) love the wine selection and the muscata which is a sweet liquer just hits the spot as and after desert drink. Their Ice Tea is passion fruit flavor so it does not have that heavy caffeine tea flavor of regular Lipton Ice Tea. The service is great. Once you become a regular they remember you and treat you like a god or the owner. My friend and I started going out to restuarants back in 1987. She lives in LA near Beverly Hills so we tried all those restaurants out there like Spagos and Le Dome etc. but found for at least Italian that best is any restaurant owned by the Dragos. There is also Taninos which is on Westwood Blvd in the UCLA village area. Taninos is noisy and dark and for the romantic couple but still the best food ever. As for those previous reports of poor service, that only happens when the restaurant is packed with large parties which happens to any restaurant. In fact, I was at Celestino's last Valentines, they have a special meal, it's wonderful and it was packed and I was seated and served promptly. " - MD posted Wednesday, January 16, 2002 "Celestino's is a rare and wonderful treat: an Italian restaurant that serves authentic and creative Italian restaurant food. Not "momma's meatballs and spaghetti," but fine, carefully prepared Italian cuisine. All the ingredients seem fresh and carefully prepared. The risotto is for real, right out of the pan; the Osso Bucco is superb, the specials are always very special and the waiters know their wines. The service is like you experience in italy, attentive, not fussy and certainly not "fast," but at a pace which encourages a leisurely and well-appreciated dinner. If you want a quick weal (theater at 8?) they'll make it happen, but if you want to really appreciate fine Italian style restaurant cuisine, relax and enjoy it. Have a conversation over your various course and wine(s), take your time and taste the food, enjoy the ambience: you'll find Celestino's a place you'll definiitely come back to." - DRF posted Saturday, July 1, 2000 "This restaurant was a joke. There was absolutely nothing redeeming about it whatsoever. The food was not well done (certainly not Il Pastaio, which used to be at this location), the waiter had terrible body odor, the hostess looked like she was on vacation in her beachware, and overall it was a very bad experience. The gentleman next to us, whose party abandoned him temporarily, leaned over and said this was his favorite restaurant. We promptly filled him in where to eat from now on (this guy was NOT Italian). I hope he never goes back." - DS posted "Marginal food, poor service." - BK posted
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RESTAURANTS IN PASADENA, CA |