Campanile

Upon entering Chef/Owner Mark Peel's restaurant, Campanile, you feel as though you've stepped into an Italian village square. At the entrance of the restaurant's airy atrium sits a classic Italian fountain which immediately transports you from La Brea Avenue into the village-like setting. Alongside the fountain there are areas representing shops you may find in an Italian village, they are filled with artisanal bread, wine and cheese.

At the center of the restaurant, there is a head-on view of the buzzing kitchen, and when you look up at the open second story, you see the bell tower, or the "campanile", around which the entire structure is built. Also on the second floor, you can peek into the windows of the pastry kitchen. The whole place feels very alive and you are drawn into it. More formal seating is at the back of the restaurant and private dining rooms are located upstairs in the historical building. In the early years, Chef Peel and his family lived in the apartment located directly above the restaurant.

Another appealing architectural feature of Campanile is the newly refurbished bar which beautifully showcases the wine collection and the open kitchen area. Peel envisioned the new bar as a dynamic social area of the restaurant, and it is. I sat here during the restaurant's legendary "grilled cheese night", and as it turns out, this was a front row seat to one of LA's most popular culinary traditions. Lined up on the concrete bar in front of me, the chef's sandwich night mise en place. Olive oil, sea salt, coarse ground pepper, whole cloves of garlic, (which Peel rubs onto the toasted bread), Gorgonzola cheese, a basket of heirloom tomatoes. It was as if I could reach out myself and lend a hand in preparation. Throughout the hectic dinner service, I watched Peel masterfully create and grill dozens of sandwiches.

It was difficult to choose one of the twelve sandwiches. Classic grilled cheese with marinated onions and whole grain mustard? Croque Monsieur? Or Madame? I decided on a pair of mini lobster rolls with celery root slaw and lemon-tarragon aioli. This is a lobster roll with an upgrade. In place of plain mayo, you taste a tangy, citrus aioli, but it doesn't outweigh the flavor of fresh lobster. The cool, crisp slaw is the perfect textural component of the sandwich. This was all nestled tightly in little La Brea Bakery baguettes, of course.

Chef Peel made a suggestion for the next course, and using a method unfamiliar to most people, he grilled fresh mussels directly on the panini press! As I watched carefully, he liberally drizzled the black shells with olive oil, then sprinkled them knowingly with roasted shallots, thyme, salt, and pepper. Once grilled to satisfaction, Peel slid them off the panini iron and into a hot bowl. He garnished the dish with lemon aioli and paper- thin slices of prosciuto di Parma. When the Chef placed the dish before me, I felt like he was serving me at his home. Not only did he make sure I had the correct fork with which to pluck out the mussels, he provided me with a slice of bread so I could soak up the fragrant broth from the bowl.

At this point, I am happily settled into my position at the bar and have tasted the Borogno Barbera d'Alba from the Piedmont region in Italy. I ordered this particular red wine knowing that I would be drinking it with a dish that has been on Campanile's menu from the beginning -the grilled prime rib. Peel says this has never come off his menu, and that customers demand that it stays on. When it arrives, I see why. It is a healthy portion of beef, simply seasoned and grilled, and served alongside wilted bitter greens and white beans. This is Campanile style comfort food, there is no need to replace it or remove it from the menu.

Another Campanile stand-by is the trenne with veal bolognese. The triangular penne pasta is pan sauteed and rendered a bit crunchy. It is served on top of the tender veal bolognese which has simmered for hours, giving it the desirable chewy texture. It practically melts when you eat it. The dish is served with kale and Parmesan shavings. Peel admits wanting to change this, but again, his customers can't let it go.

For dessert, there are nine selections on Pastry Chef, Darren McGraw's menu, and he is clearly inspired by what the farmers market. Pear, apple, and persimmon are featured. The desserts reflect the same theme of sophisticated comfort food that the savory menu implies. In order to get a sense of everything, I had a plate of chocolates, candies, cookies and sorbets. It consisted of sable cookies, biscotti, chocolate truffles, and marzipan. Each mini in size, but big on flavor. I liked experiencing all the different flavors and textures in one dessert.

In addition to Campanile's ever so popular "sandwich night" ,which is every Thursday, Peel also hosts "family night" every Monday. This is a three course meal served family style. And, every Wednesday, a chef's tasting menu is available. Once you eat at Campanile, you will see that any night is a good night to experience this long-lasting LA tradition.