Ask Chef Ciro Martoni about culinary school and he’ll tell you that he learned about food in the kitchen of his dad’s Italian restaurant in Hollywood. “It was the school of hard knocks,” Martoni jokes. His education has paid off and the fruits of his culinary labors are yours for the tasting at Campania, a quiet, unpretentious Italian restaurant tucked away in the Shops at Piper Glen off Rea Road.
All for the family
Martoni originally came to Charlotte 10 years ago as chef and part owner of Café Milan, once located at Specialty Shops on the Park across from SouthPark mall. The location is now home to another well-known Italian restaurant, Toscano. Martoni came to Charlotte not only for the business opportunity the move offered, but because he and wife Suzanne were looking for a family-oriented city in which to raise their three children. “We came here to get out of L.A.,” he explained, half-joking, half-not. “All we had in California were floods, fires, riots and earthquakes. Here we found less crime, less traffic and four beautiful seasons. It was, and still is, a great city to raise a family.”
After a four-year stint at Café Milan, Martoni felt the itch to open a restaurant of his own in Charlotte. He and Suzanne worked with a restaurant broker looking for the perfect spot. Despite the broker’s efforts, Martoni found the ideal location all on his own. The only hitch was that a restaurant was already there and it didn’t appear to be for sale. He quickly learned that you never know until you ask. Once the Martoni’s offer was on the table, the former tenants decided to accept and Suzanne and Ciro went to work making their dreams come true.
Campania, named for the region of Italy in which many of Martoni’s family members were born, opened in March 1996, and business is still booming. “It’s really just a neighborhood kind of place. We serve traditional Italian food, not New York Italian or American Italian but true Italian. It’s a place you can bring the family,” Martoni said.
“We’re all about family,” Suzanne added. “We have been fortunate to have a very loyal clientele who appreciate good food and wine and we appreciate them.”
Award-winning cuisine, service
“Nothing I serve is over the top,” Martoni explained, “just simple, fresh and good. I think that’s what makes a restaurant successful – great service, high quality and healthy portions with a comfortable atmosphere.”
To that end, the Martonis have succeeded. Frequent and first-time customers as well as restaurant reviewers agree. Some things on the menu I liked better than others, but honestly there is not a bad choice. It just depends on your palate and your likes and dislikes.
Martino recognizes Chef Will Kennedy as his right-hand man in the kitchen and credits the rest of his kitchen and front-house staff with helping to make Campania what it is today. The service at Campania is pleasantly professional but, like the food, not over the top.
Favorites from several dinners include the Parmigiana di Melanzane and Fungi Capodimonte antipasti or appetizers. The first is a flavorful layering of eggplant, mozzarella and marinara baked with a hint of fresh basil. I tried the second at the suggestion of a good friend and dining companion. The plate of wild mushrooms sautéed with extra virgin olive oil, garlic and herbs was delicious and the fresh bread on the side was perfect for dipping in leftover sauce. The woodsy taste of the mushrooms paired with the delicate herbs made for a fabulous start.
At any high-end dining establishment salads are usually … well, just salads. You’ll find several fine offerings on the menu at Campania with varying flavors depending on the toppings. Interestingly, the favorite among our group was the simplest of all choices. The Insalate Di Napoli – a plate of fresh mixed greens dressed with a delightful combination of rich, fruity, extra virgin olive oil and piquant fresh lemon juice – was perfect.
A pasta course could follow next, either as a first plate or main course. Truth be told, all of the pastas at Campania are a little heavy for me as a precursor to an entrée, particularly if I’ve already enjoyed appetizers and salad. The two sausage pastas, Spaghetti Sopramuro and Bucantini alla Rosa – both make for nice main dishes; the first with sweet Italian sausage, bell peppers, onions and marinara and the second with spicy ground sausage bathed in a basil and cream-laced marinara. The menu often includes a pasta special which, more often than not, is quite good.
Fruits de la Mer
The Italian region of Campania in Naples is a coastal area. In an effort to stay close to tradition, the seafood dishes at Charlotte’s Campania tend to dominate the menu offerings and with good reason. They are all top-notch.
Martino’s signature seafood recipe, Dentice all’ Acqua Pazza, is phenomenal. The dish consists of a tender fillet of red snapper, lightly poached with tomatoes, herbs and white wine. It is of melt-in-your-mouth proportions. The Scampi Campania, or shrimp with wild mushroom and herbs, is also a winner, as is the Dentice Mediterraneo, featuring pan-seared snapper, dressed with kalamata olives, capers and made-in-house marinara.
Chicken dishes at Campania also are good, but contrary to the opinion of several Campania regulars, I found the veal chop to be on the salty side. Should I order it again, I would ask for less seasoning. In the meantime, I’ll stick to the superlative seafood.
In vino veritas
The wine list at Campania has been recognized by many national and international organizations, as has the restaurant itself. Accolades include honors from Wine Spectator magazine. Based solely on a restaurant’s wine list and cellar, Campania has received the Wine Spectator’s award every year since 1997. Campania’s extensive wine list is comprised of 15 to 20 different wines by the glass, 135 different Italian varietals sold by the bottle and a handful of what Martino calls “California comfort wines.”
“We have 10 to 12 California vintages on the list, because often those are the wines with which people are familiar,” Martoni explained. “We like to try to encourage customers to step out of the California box and try something that comes from the same region of the world as the food. All of the wines from the Campania region of Italy are white wine. Most people know Pinot Grigio. I love introducing them to something new.”
If you are shy about asking for help, don’t be. Most of the staff at Campania can suggest a wine selection and if you’d rather talk to Martoni himself, he’d be happy to come out of the kitchen, as time allows, and oblige.
Campania has been a recipient of the prestigious DiRoNa award since 2003. This award recognizes distinguished restaurants in North America and the award is based on a 75-point evaluation conducted by trained industry professionals. In 2003, Campania was the only Charlotte restaurant to receive the DiRoNa honors. In 2004, Bonterra Restaurant and Wine Room, The Capital Grill, and Upstream joined Campania with the distinction, and the four remain recognized in the association’s 2005 awards listing.
Campania also is listed in Zagat, the worldwide restaurant guide which ranks dining establishments based on user reviews and ratings.
More from Martoni
On the horizon for the Martonis is a pizzeria in the soon-to-be-completed Village at Ballantyne. Scheduled to open in late October, Martoni’s new place will be called Vesuvius and traditional Neopolitan Pizza is the fare de jour. He plans to pair the traditional pies, cooked to order in a 1,000-degree wood burning oven, with simple salads, beer and wine.
“That’s all,” he said. “Simple, but good.” After all, it works at Campania.
