Recently, on the sage advice of a friend, my girlfriend and I had the opportunity to visit a relatively newcomer on the restaurant scene on Delmarva. Tucked away in Ocean View, Delaware at the intersection of Cedar Neck Rd. and Hickman Rd., a new authentic Italian restaurant has just recently made the scene. Camillo’s, opened about a month ago, has been drawing large crowds and garnering rave reviews. On a recent Saturday evening, my girlfriend and I arrived shortly after opening its doors for the evening, and there already were a few occupied tables, but by the time we left, there was not an empty table in sight.
After taking our drink orders, we were left to ponder our choices off the menu. Although, not an overly extensive menu, there were enough selections that one would expect to find in an Italian restaurant off the Amalfi coast in Italy. We ordered the fried calamari to start, which my girlfriend says is the litmus test of a good Italian restaurant, as well as the ever familiar Italian Wedding Soup. Along with our drinks, our server brought us a bread basket with a crock of whipped butter which had flakes of freshly chopped parsley and had an underlying flavor of garlic and onion. I happen to be a sucker for restaurants that serve flavored butters along with their bread. The bread, incidently, comes from Old World Bakery In Lewes, a purveyor a fine bread, rolls, and cakes (a topic for a future article). But I digress. So back to the food! The calamari arrived crispy and very tasteful, as if it just came out of the fryer with an accompanying dish of red sauce that tasted as if there was an Italian grandmother in the kitchen. The Italian Wedding Soup tasted equally delicious with a copious number of tiney meatballs floating in the flavorful broth.
For our entrees, my girlfriend ordered the veal parmagiana, and I settled on the stuffed steak. Neither one of us was disappointed. My steak arrived perfectly cooked medium rare, with an overflowing filling of proisciutto, spinach, and pine nuts, accompanied by my choice of penne with rosa sauce. The steak was seasoned perfectly and the combined flavors of the stuffing was a pewrfdect marriage. The steak was so incredibly tender, that I didn’t even need the knife that accompanied the dish. The rosa sauce, similar to a vodka type sauce that accompanied the penne was so delicious, that I found myself asking the server for more bfread so that I could mop uop every last bit. My girlfriend’s veal parm, which she so graciously offered me a bite, was tender and flavorful and was accompanied by a side of pasta with that incredible, nonna’s homemade red “gravy.” Her dish was very beautifully garnished with an edible orchid, which definitely raised the presentation factor to new highs.
As much as I would have loved to have ordered dessert, I was completely and fully sated by this wonderful meal, and reluctantly had to forgo dessert, tempting as they looked. Another reason to make a return visit! For a newly opened restaurant, Camillo’s does not appear to suffer from any glaring rookie mistakes. The service was pleasingly attentive, and the food was tasteful and well-seasoned. A return visit is definitely planned , and this time, I’ll make every effort to save room for seder.