Del Campo
House Bread – Olive Oil, Smoked Sea Salt
Burnt Beets – Preserved Lemon, Cashew, Crème Fraiche
Ropa Vieja Duck Empanada – Grilled Lime, Aioli
Wagyu Beef Empanada – Charred Scallion Salsa Criolla
Cuban Sandwich – Roast Pork, Ham, Mustard Aioli, Swiss with Fried Yucca
Carrot Cake – Cream Cheese Ice Cream, Dulce de Leche, Grilled Carrot
Tres Leches Twinkies – Sea Salt Ice Cream, Toasted Meringue, Mint, Dulce de Leche
Pumpkin Cake – Pumpkin Anglaise, Candied Pecan, Kumquat Orange Syrup
Originally opened in late 2013 and named Esquire’s Best New Restaurant the following year, Chef Victor Albisu’s prior work at Ardeo and Bardeo gathering fans and financial backers that would eventually allow him to open a spot of his own in Chinatown, it was for lunch on Monday that a party of three sat down at Del Campo, an arrival just after 11:30am finding the sizable space almost completely empty but soon to become busy, confirmation of the Restaurant’s “Power Spot” status quickly established by a boisterous table of lawyers to the right and several men and women dressed in business suits spread throughout the dining room sifting through papers or working on laptops.
Focused on the cuisine of Albisu’s native Peru as well as Argentina and Uruguay, a degree from Le Cordon Bleu School in Paris and time in several kitchens across France and Latin America giving the Chef a fondness for classic technique and plating, diners visiting Del Campo at lunch will find the menu slightly paired down from the Steak and roasted Meat focus of dinner but still loaded with plates targeting a varied audience, every table starting off with warm Pan de Chapa with a good chew and soft center alongside a plate of Olive Oil and Smoked Sea Salt to be added per each guest’s liking.
Featuring an open Kitchen and Bar seating in addition to the soaring dining room decorated with heavy woods, cow hides and pictures of bulls it was with light music mixing with loud laughs from a group of women that waiters taking a very formal approach to business collected orders on a paper pad before refilling waters and transmitting orders to the Chefs, a mere ten minutes passed before four dishes arrived along with plates for sharing.
Offering everything from Ceviche and Salads to grilled Meats alongside several Sides and Sandwiches it was with a focus on items that would allow the best look at variety that decisions were made to stick mostly to small plates, the “Burnt Beets” Salad served in Cast Iron apparently just for show as nothing in the dish was warm, let alone hot, while the portion size was prohibitively small for a dish billed at $14.
Moving on to better things, a duo of Empanadas each featuring buttery Pastry baked golden around a mixture of roasted Meats, Spices and Vegetables making it difficult to decide which was best with a slight edge probably belonging to the Duck thanks to the light Citrus and creamy Aioli it was finally with a Cuban Sandwich better described as Media Noche thanks to the sweet Bread that savories came to a finish, the Yucca Fries unfortunately undercooked and a bit too fibrous compared to others experienced in the past.
Probably missing out by not ordering any of the “Asado” items, but not wanting to be too full before returning to a conference and with big plans to come at dinner, it was instead in three of Del Campo’s Desserts that remaining appetite was invested, the signature “Tres Leches” Twinkies ordered with Sea Salt Ice Cream substituted for Passion Fruit every bit as milky, moist and sweet as one might hope while two steamed Cakes stood tall and fluffy in a pool of Sauce, the Carrot a resounding success with a bit of smokiness and spice beneath tangy Cream Cheese Ice Cream while the seasonal Pumpkin version was equally delicious beneath whipped Cream and Candied Kumquat with a light drizzle of Orange Syrup.
http://www.delcampodc.com
