Classic Italian By The Harbor
By The Foodies./ foodie@longislandernews.com

For Danyell Miller, it was love at first sight.

When she began her search for an Italian restaurant, Northport’s Campari Ristorante was the first she visited. And sure enough, the first impression was all she needed – now she has four months under her belt as its owner.

Already, she’s putting her mark on the Northport eatery, located right across the street from Village Hall and the John W. Engeman Theater. Every month, she hosts a new local artist on her cozy restaurant’s walls. She’s also working on bringing live theater from the Bare Bones Theater to her restaurant for special in-restaurant performances.

Monday nights at Campari offer All-You-Can-Eat Spaghetti: $10.95 for an adult, $5.95 for a child; salads, meatballs and sausages are an additional $2 each. Or, order a take-out pizza for $10. They’re open late Fridays and Saturdays to cater to the after-theatre crowd.

Throughout Campari’s menu, bold flavor is the order of the day. Eggplant rollatini ($10 app, $17 entrée) pairs sweet marinara sauce, rich proscuitto and cheese, and tender eggplant for a soothing, savory experience. Another eggplant creation to check out is Torre de Melanzana ($12), a tower of fresh mozzarella, ripe tomato, cool eggplant and strong, flavorful roasted red pepper, all garnished with a balsamic reduction.
Whether you prefer surf or turf, Campari has you covered. We sampled scallops in saffron sauce, a frequent special. Served atop sautéed spinach and paired with porcini and peas risotto, the gentle saffron sauce lets the natural flavors of the tender scallops shine through.

When the heat breaks, check out Campari’s popular Pasta e Fagioli soup ($6), a homemade blend of cannellini beans and pasta. Danyell tells us she has devoted regulars who come by just for her soup.

Tender chicken francaise ($18) is lightly breaded and boasts bright lemon flavor in its white wine sauce. Veal marsala ($20) is dressed in a sweet homemade marsala wine sauce and mushrooms.

Pasta dishes are plentiful, catering to palates of all types. For a lighter summery choice, check out the rigatoni with broccoli rabe and sausage ($17), which boasts tender slices of sweet sausage and expertly prepared broccoli rabe in an oil and garlic sauce. Cappellini Campari ($22) combines juicy, fresh shrimp, mozzarella, crabmeat and basil in a light pink sauce tossed with angel hair pasta.

A must-try dessert is strawberries in balsamic whipped cream ($6). It may sound daring, but it’s a delightful surprise – the juicy, fresh berries play off the sweet, yet ever-so-slightly tart whipped cream perfectly. Chocolate lovers will delight in Nutella chocolate mousse ($6), which marries rich chocolate flavor with a soothing hazelnut finish. We heard rave reviews about their tartufo and have that on our list for our next visit.