In a little lane tucked away in Melbourne's central business district is an Italian cafe that has been there forever*.
The name dates it, of course: Campari Bistro. When did you last visit a bistro that wasn't trying to be retro-cool? It is also old enough not to have that retro-cool attitude problem. You know, where the waiters are so cool you wonder they serve you.
Campari has the look of the 60s (not the flower power 60s, but the 60s that everyone else lived through) with its timeless menu items hand-painted on wooden slats on the walls. Bizarrely, it also has a feature wall of American motor car number plates.
I first visited Campari many years ago. It has traditional Italian staples including, of course, pasta, risotto, grills and an amazing antipasto section where you point to what you want from huge platters and the lady behind the bar piles your plate high with your selections - salamis and other meats, pickled vegetables, cold sliced fritattas, stuffed peppers, cheeses, devilled eggs, cold marinated calamari, sardines, anchovies, various salads and much more.
My favourite was the scallopine bianco, veal cooked in white wine. So I tried to replicate it at home one night, and I still do it every now and then. Just to remind me of the bustling Campari Bistro.
Take some pieces of milk-fed veal 'scallopine'. Dust in continental flour and salt and pepper, and fry in butter and olive oil, couple of minutes max either side, especially if your veal is cut thinly.
While it is frying, toss in half a cup of white wine and some cream and a little cracked pepper, shake your pan 'til it reduces, remove veal to plate when done, reduce wine and cream a little more. When a good consistency, pour over veal. That's it. Maybe sprinkle it with some chopped parsley.
Serve with scalloped potatoes (baked in milk or cream and a little chicken stock for an hour so), rabe or spinach fried in olive oil and garlic with a little cream, some fried polenta and a wege of lemon.
Any nice chilled white wine is fine, maybe a chardonnay, whatever.
At Campari, I often had the 'trifle' for dessert - with perfect espresso. Layers of sponge cake in some liqueur, strawberries, whipped cream and finely chopped peanuts. I must try to make it some time.
(*Around the corner is a Lebanese cafe that has been there since 1958 and was the first of its kind in Australia. More about that another time.)
The name dates it, of course: Campari Bistro. When did you last visit a bistro that wasn't trying to be retro-cool? It is also old enough not to have that retro-cool attitude problem. You know, where the waiters are so cool you wonder they serve you.
Campari has the look of the 60s (not the flower power 60s, but the 60s that everyone else lived through) with its timeless menu items hand-painted on wooden slats on the walls. Bizarrely, it also has a feature wall of American motor car number plates.
I first visited Campari many years ago. It has traditional Italian staples including, of course, pasta, risotto, grills and an amazing antipasto section where you point to what you want from huge platters and the lady behind the bar piles your plate high with your selections - salamis and other meats, pickled vegetables, cold sliced fritattas, stuffed peppers, cheeses, devilled eggs, cold marinated calamari, sardines, anchovies, various salads and much more.
My favourite was the scallopine bianco, veal cooked in white wine. So I tried to replicate it at home one night, and I still do it every now and then. Just to remind me of the bustling Campari Bistro.
Take some pieces of milk-fed veal 'scallopine'. Dust in continental flour and salt and pepper, and fry in butter and olive oil, couple of minutes max either side, especially if your veal is cut thinly.
While it is frying, toss in half a cup of white wine and some cream and a little cracked pepper, shake your pan 'til it reduces, remove veal to plate when done, reduce wine and cream a little more. When a good consistency, pour over veal. That's it. Maybe sprinkle it with some chopped parsley.
Serve with scalloped potatoes (baked in milk or cream and a little chicken stock for an hour so), rabe or spinach fried in olive oil and garlic with a little cream, some fried polenta and a wege of lemon.
Any nice chilled white wine is fine, maybe a chardonnay, whatever.
At Campari, I often had the 'trifle' for dessert - with perfect espresso. Layers of sponge cake in some liqueur, strawberries, whipped cream and finely chopped peanuts. I must try to make it some time.
(*Around the corner is a Lebanese cafe that has been there since 1958 and was the first of its kind in Australia. More about that another time.)
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