da Campo Osteria is located within the 105 room Il Lugano suite hotel which is neatly tucked away on the intracoastal at A1A and Oakland Park Boulevard serving stunning waterfront views as well as regional Italian fare. Celebrating its two year anniversary in Fort Lauderdale da Campo Osteria and the Il Lugano hotel hails much of its inspiration from the Pachino Region in Italy making each visit to the restaurant and the hotel as magical as the first with its sophisticated design and muse from its namesake Lake Lugano. da Campo Osteria is an experience in culture and dining reveling in beauty and kinship to a world far away.
When da Campo Osteria first opened two years ago one of the highlights of dining there was the fresh pulled mozzarella prepared tableside. Today it is the most popular item on the menu with just about every guest ordering one version or another of the famed hand pulled mozzarella choosing between traditional, nouveau and sweet and savory…..or not and ordering the “Super Mozzarella” which is a taste of everything on one big plate, which of course is exactly what we did. Click here to view the slide show of the Mozzerella being made.
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The success of da Campo Osteria has many layers to it, being a place where the locals go, it’s quiet and picturesque with an old world feel only to be jazzed up with new world flair. The servers are knowledgeable, professional and so friendly with most of them having been there since the restaurant first opened. There is a sincere love and passion for the food that is translated beautifully from kitchen to dining room with the servers acting as the sole interpreter guiding guests from one course to the next as a skillful gondolier through the canals of Venice.
Dinner started with a glass of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Brut and warm handmade-on-premise focaccia and breadsticks. Now you know where this is going….I could have stopped right there; this was sheer perfection in it’s finest hour, ok..throw in a side of gnocchi’s but that’s it. HEAVEN served on a platter!
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The next course was all about colors, textures and palate awakening flavors. Fire roasted Octopus, with a Yukon gold, kalamata olive, roasted lemon, waxed bean salad served with the easy quaff, Antonio Saguineti white blend of Vermentino-Malvasia and Chardonnay Tuscany 2007
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This next course was four uniquely styled hand-crafted pastas. Cavatelli in a silky artichoke yellow pepper pecorino wine sauce. Oso bucco ravioli in natural juices topped with truffled whipped cream. Shrimp and hog snapper ravioli roasted zucchini, yellow pepper, garlic, white wine, calamari reduction. Amaretti cookie, mustarda, and butternut squash anglotti covered in a creamy cinnamon, mascarpone cream sauce. Are you laughing?! Can you believe all that was on one plate! This had to be the most seductive plate of food I have ever had, it was so “carb-ing” outrageous I cannot help but laugh, even now. The wine paired with this course was the sane and balanced Chateau Simard Saint Emilion 2000
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And for the final entree course we were served a taste of sea and land; sautéed Rainbow Trout over baby carrots and rapini in a silky lemon caper sauce and a fire roasted dry aged Ribeye with truffeled porcini mushroom red wine reduction, roasted potatoes, and coponata. The food just keeps getting more crazy with each course. It was truly as outrageous as it reads and looks. The wine was the civilized and balanced Antinori Bocca di Lupo, Aglianico Puglia, Italy 2004
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Did you really think it was going to stop here?? Fat Chance.
Cioccolato, praline mousse cake, ganache, sea salt caramel
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Cannolo, Ricotta di buffalo, chocolate chips, and pistachios.
Profiterole duo, nutella pastry cream, and peanut butter pastry cream.
Pineapple Basil and Cactus Pear Sorbet
Here’s my recommendation, when you decide to go to dinner at da Campo either go early or go late and make a reservation to rent the hotel boat, complete with a captain and cruise the intracoastal. The fee is $75/hour. I found out about this little perk once we got there and it was too late to take advantage of the offer but next time for sure. Imagine this: a sunset ride on the intracoastal with the seabreeze gently caressing you as you sip a glass of your favorite bubbles, decompressing completely…….
da Campo Osteria
3333 Northeast 32nd Avenue
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33308
(954) 226-5002
