BY LIZ WITBECK
A restaurant specializing in authentic Italian
cuisine will open later this month.
Campagna Restaurant will be located at 2452
Route 9, Malta, not far to the south of Route 67.
Owner Elizabeth Montemorano has had lifelong
experience in the food industry. Her father
owned restaurants while she was growing up and
cooking was an early interest for Montemorano.
She chose to go to pharmacy school, where she
met her husband. Now the two are back in the
food industry and are confident about the success
of operating Campagna.
Montemorano described the cuisine as cucina
povera, “the cuisine of the poor.” This is an Italian
expression referring to recipes that use basic
staples to create exquisite meals.
The recipes used are family recipes passed
through the generations. The Montemoranos
have added a contemporary twist to the recipes.
“My favorite is the Tuscan lemon chicken,
served with the cheesy polenta,” said Montemorano.
She said the monkfish involtini served on a
bed of farro, an ancient grain dish, is also sure
to be a crowd favorite.
Antipasti dishes at Campagna include tuna
tartare and beef carpaccio. Pasta dishes include
risotto primavera with asparagus, peas and proscuitto,
and agnolotti in a sage butter sauce. Desserts
include gelato, panna cotta, and zeppole.
Much of the food is prepared on premises at
Campagna, including the breads, pastas, sausage,
meatballs and desserts. Foods that are not made in-house are locally sourced, and
many ingredients are imported directly from
Italy, she said.
“We’re making everything the way my grandparents
did,” said Montemorano.
Campagna also has a bar that will serve traditional
Italian cocktails such as bellinis.
The restaurant will be open for dinner from
5-10 p.m. Lunch hours will be added in the near
future. Reservations are recommended. To make
a reservation or for more information, call 289-
5693 or visit the website campagna.restaurant.