Campagnola

I find myself smiling after the first bite of my "Campagnola" salad - arugula, fennel and pecorino in a lemon vinaigrette, just the sort of sprightly composition I'd expect to find in Italy.

I'm not surprised, then, to learn that Campagnola's chef-owners, Vincent Ricci and Rosario Derosa, hail from Naples.

The restaurant-pizzeria, secreted in a corner of the Commack Corners shopping center, is hard to spot from the street but worth seeking out. Colorful murals evoke an Italian seaside village, but it's the warmth of both owners and crew that really lights up the room.

CIAO

I sample some excellent roasted and sauteed red peppers stuffed with Asiago cheese and anchovies, a lovely interplay of sweet and salty. There are mushrooms sauteed with garlic, olive oil and parsley, as well as marinated eggplant with garlic and basil, all displayed in a showcase upfront and featured regularly as specials.

A salad called the "Venetia" - radicchio, artichoke hearts, apples and Grana Padano in a red-wine vinaigrette - is very good. But it's the home-style pork osso bucco Genovese, fork-tender stewed pig shank in a red-wine-and-onion sauce, that truly wins my heart. The meat is served over al dente pappardelle, a noodle that also works well with a Bolognese sauce. Gnocchi Amatriciana, little semolina dumplings in a pancetta-enriched tomato sauce, makes for another soulful specialty. And I'm pleased with spaghetti and lush, savory meatballs.

A dish called "Campagnola" - chicken, sausage, sliced steak, mushrooms, peppers and potatoes in wine sauce - is an enormous plate of flavorful food; leftovers feed two the next night.

Several desserts, such as the fine anise-scented biscotti, are house-made. Tiramisu and Italian cheesecake are creamy and light, espresso and cappuccino more than respectable.

ARRIVEDERCI

A heavy hand with sauce undermines too many dishes. A special of salmon Livornese is overwhelmed by its assertive red sauce. The same holds true of the rigatoni caponata, pasta and eggplant drowning in a somewhat acidic crimson sea. Pork pizzaiola is both overcooked and over-sauced.

An 8-inch pizzette is served lukewarm, its crust a bit soggy. And house-made bread pudding is dense, unevenly reheated.

BOTTOM LINE

True, this restaurant has its inconsistencies, but it also has so much going for it. I'm hopeful that the chef-owners will work out the kinks while building on their strengths. 

--Reviewed by Joan Reminick, 4/7/09