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*The Dallas Morning News has selected this location as one of the Top 100 Restaurants in D-FW.*
Opened Nov. 7, 2011.
Campo Modern Country Bistro, which we wrote about back in August, opens tonight in Oak Cliff. The restaurant, brought to us from Miguel Vicéns and John Paul Valverde, owners of Coevál Studio, a design firm, has a menu created by consulting chef Matt McCallister, whose last gig was as executive chef at Stephan Pyles. The website is still just a landing page; look for updates onCampo's Facebook page.
I'm trying to get my hands on a menu; will update. McCallister told me in August that he'd be creating the menu and overseeing the kitchen, but that one of his top priorities would be hiring a chef. The press release makes no mention of a chef; will let you know about that, too. The liquor license is still pending, so presumably it's BYOB till then. Stay tuned.
UPDATE: McCallister will be running the kitchen for now. His brief menu, which changes "every few days," is intriguing. Appetizers include smoked baccalao dip; chorizo donuts (!) with charred oregano aioli; something called "rabbit in porchetta"; and crushed beets with beet top pesto, beet mostarda and sheep's yogurt. There's a trio of daring pastas (braised oxtail orecchiete with butternut squash and mushrooms; Gulf shrimp tagliarini with oregano pesto and sea urchin; Gorgonzola country ham gnocchi with pear and walnut). Mains include leg of lamb with mint salsa verde; cinnamon short ribs with braised romaine, raisin chutney and celery root; and hay-smoked scallops with charred cabbage puree, Brussels sprouts, bacon and bone marrow. The mains are $17 to $21.
BYOB is fine until the restaurant gets its liquor license. "Folks are welcome to bring a bottle of wine," writes publicist Amity Thomas in an email, "but they will be pouring a glass or two for them if not."
-Leslie Brenner / Restaurant Critic (11/7/2011)
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When Campo Modern Country Bistro opened last November with Matt McCallister in charge of the kitchen, the little Oak Cliff bungalow was turning out some of the most compelling plates in town — sophisticated rabbit en porchetta three ways, crisp-skinned brick chicken with a sultry smoked jus, perfect house-made pastas. Best of all was McCallister’s incredibly tender milk-poached pork with braised prunes, blood pudding and a rich and pure-tasting “milk pudding” sauce. The cooking was ambitious, original and dynamic, with McCallister changing up the menu every few days. (Full review)
Every restaurant needs a chef.
That may sound painfully obvious, but more and more restaurateurs seem to think their establishments can do without one.
The strategy might look like this: Hire a well-known chef to create your menu. Pay his or her salary for a few months, as consulting chef.
(Full review)