Jackson's Spot Going Sicilian?
Jackson on Vacation: Owner Alan Jackson of Jackson's Restaurant is going to have some major time on his hands soon. He closed the West Hollywood spot last weekend, ending 11 months of a Chapter 11 struggle. About a month ago, he sold his other restaurant, Jackson's Farm, to his partners. The name of that Beverly Hills restaurant will change to reflect the new ownership. Jackson, who turns 30 this summer, is very philosophical about the loss of both restaurants: "It's been a very nice run for me and a great learning experience. I equate it with graduate school." He plans to take a couple of months off before deciding what to do next.
Celestino Drago is the buyer in line for Jackson's. "The place is perfect," he says. With seating for 85 it will be the largest location the Sicilian-born chef has opened so far. His plans for the space? "A Sicilian restaurant, because there's nothing like that right now."
Because the bankruptcy court must rule on the sale, no deal will be final until at least the end of August. Until then, Drago has his hands full revamping Il Pastaio in Pasadena. Two of his brothers bought out the other investors and will change the name to Celestino, which was Drago's first, now closed, place in Beverly Hills.
Beverly Hills Il Pastaio will remain the same. At the new Celestino, all four Drago brothers will rotate chef duties. And the menu will be expanded to include more seafood dishes. The restaurant will also have a liquor license. As Drago tells it, "People want their martinis, God bless."
*
Getty Gets Going: The new Getty Center, scheduled to open in December, has built three eating facilities into the museum complex. One spot is just a grab-and-go sandwich/salad counter with indoor and outdoor seating overlooking the central gardens. Another dining room on the western end of the facility will feature cafeteria-style dining, also with indoor and outdoor seating.
Above that sits a restaurant with more of that indoor-outdoor seating action. All three eating locations will face west and partially north, which means spectacular views of the ocean and the Santa Monica Mountains. Right now, neither the chefs nor the type of cooking for the restaurants has been determined. Look here for an update.
*
