Restaurant
Campagnolo
October 9, 2009
Had the guys from Fuel gone off their rockers? Opening a new room, just as the recession bit hard, in one of the sketchiest parts of town? Sure, Rob Belcham is a superbly talented chef, Tom Doughty a resourceful sommelier, and Tim Pittman a gracious host. But how would they transform the rather dowdy Main Street space (formerly Adega, an old-school Portuguese restaurant) into a modern Italian spot that would attract trade from more congenial neighbourhoods? The answer is delivered course by course in a cool, almost stark room, all concrete and raw fir, that warms as it fills. Try the house-made salumi for starters, along with crispy ceci (chickpeas) peperoncini. The tagliarini are first-rate, or go for the flat-iron steak with eggplant terrina and zucchine for a whack of protein. Afterward, a grappa or digestivo to complement the lapin cherry cake or panna cotta will leave you happily replete. Campagnolo (“country bumpkin”) is a happy convergence of minimalist décor, satisfying fare, careful wine list, and appealing price points. The bar in back is a funky, laid-back place to chat. Crazy, all right, but not like a bumpkin. Like a prescient fox.
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