I’ve eaten Michael Altenberg’s food at a number of restaurants, including Avanzare, Tucci Milan, Montparnasse and even the short-lived Cassis, and always enjoyed it. And I liked Campagnola, the Evanston restaurant Altenberg opened with Steven Schwartz in 1996.
But now I love the place. Campagnola is easily one of the top five Italian restaurants in the area, a supremely comfortable and low-key neighborhood place with a chef who is absolutely at the top of his game.
Campagnola loosely translates to “country style,” which accurately sums up the rustic dishes that populate the menu.
Vivid flavors and uncommon ingredient combinations characterize Altenberg’s distinctively bold cooking; this is not a restaurant for the timid of palate.
Altenberg takes moonstone oysters, wraps them in guanciale, a smoked meat made from pork cheeks, and places them on a spiedino (skewer) over a parsley-root remoulade.
Tender and mild grilled calamari are matched to an intense tapenade of chopped olives flavored with lemon, capers and onion.
A recent special consisted of wood-grilled Spanish sardines served with an assortment of heirloom onions bathed in 20-year-old sherry vinegar; a splash of that same vinegar dresses up a refreshing, texturally interesting salad of shaved fennel, oregano and Ligurian olives.
Simpler appetizers include peeky-toe crab cake, a frothy thing in which pieces of crab are suspended in a light lobster-and-shrimp mousse dressed with chopped tarragon and a saffron aioli.
And there are several good, wood-oven pizzas offered, including a fine version topped with tallegio cheese and wild mushrooms.
My favorite entree may seem simple but tastes wonderfully complex. Bucatina pasta with bacon, tomatoes, peppers and cheese sounds very straightforward, but the bacon is more of that smoky guanciale, the tomatoes are poached in olive oil and blended with a chiffonade of oregano and the peppers are Scotch bonnets, a super-hot chile that, used properly (that is, sparingly), adds a distinctive sharpness without overwhelming the palate. Some grated pecorino cheese adds a lightly sweet note to the dish.
Another outstanding entree is wood-grilled Muscovy duck breast served with a bollito misto (literally, “boiled mix”) that is traditionally made of meat but in this case consists of spring organic vegetables — baby turnips, sweet corn, carrots and pattypan squash — cooked in duck consomme.
Lamb is a reliable choice, whether it’s leg of lamb with braised baby artichokes and green lentils, or a special of lamb loin chops and lamb sweetbreads with artichokes guidea (slightly flattened and seared), drizzled with minted olive oil.
And pan-seared turbot, anointed with a peppery olive oil, is served with panzanella, a Tuscan bread salad of crunchy croutons, tomatoes (Altenberg uses an assortment of heirloom tomatoes), onions, cucumbers and herbs.
Desserts are appropriately simple and good; highlights include a spongy cardamom-flavored cake with banana mascarpone cream and spiced maple creme fraiche, and a white-chocolate rhubarb cake surrounded by fresh fruit.
Campagnola also offers an outstanding cheese assortment, a selection of six cheeses (French, Italian and some artisan cheeses from Indiana) that arrives on a large wood block with good raisin-nut bread, preserved apricots, Parmesan crisps, sliced apples and other goodies.
The wine list contains about a hundred bottles, the Italians slightly outnumbering the Americans; there are a handful of French wines and an Austrian and Argentinian bottle here and there. It isn’t a breathtaking list, but the balance is good and there are some good values offered.
Service is so matter-of-fact good that other restaurants ought to send their personnel here for a refresher course. Waiters can discuss the menu with authority and offer excellent suggestions for wine and food matches without a hint of condescension or intimidation.
The hosts also impressed me, seating tables on two levels calmly and professionally. When my table was unavailable for 12 minutes past the reserved time (I consider any delay of less than 15 minutes to be insignificant), the host apologized — twice.
The minor delay allowed us to linger in the upstairs dining room, a lovely space with dark red walls, lace-trimmed windows and a gas fireplace framed by comfortable chairs and a couch.
But I particularly like the wine bar, not only for its offbeat selections but also because, when you’re ready to dine, the bartender smoothly transfers the tab onto your dinner check. Why so many restaurants ignore this basic courtesy amazes me, but kudos to Campagnola for thoughtfulness.
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Campagnola
(star) (star) (star)
815 Chicago Ave., Evanston
847-475-6100
Open: Dinner Tue.-Sun.
Entree prices: $18-$29
Credit cards: A, DC, DS, M, V.
Reservations: Strongly recommended
Noise: Conversation-friendly
Other: No smoking; valet parking available
Rating system
(star) (star) (star) (star) Outstanding
(star) (star) (star) Excellent
(star) (star) Very Good
(star) Good
Satisfactory
Unsatisfactory
Reviews are based on no fewer than two visits. The reviewer makes every effort to remain anonymous. Meals are paid for by the Tribune.
