Campo
Campo in Baby Point opened late last year in what used to be Fish Camp, and before that, just Camp . Owners and chefs Joe Fiocco and Carlos Ventura, who met many years ago when they both worked at the Old Mill , decided to keep the name of their restaurant similar to the space's predecessors because it works for their purposes as well.
Campo can mean "countryside" in Italian or Spanish, and their food is influenced by rustic Italian and Spanish cuisine.
While Campo mainly serves lunch and dinner Wednesday through Friday (plus dinner service only on Saturday), we decide to try out the Sunday brunch menu and are immediately charmed by the cozy, modern country kitchen feel of the space upon entering. It's small, but beautiful. Protip: if you're with a small group, try to snag the harvest table by the front window if you can.
I spot the Death & Co. cocktail book on the wood-top bar and deduce that they must have good taste in drinks here. Brunch cocktails go for an extremely reasonable (and dangerous) $5 each, and consist of mimosas, red-wine sangrias and traditional Caesars. Non-alcoholic options include filtered Q water on tap (still or sparkling), espresso-based drinks (Americanos go for $3.75) and tea ($4).
We try the sangria, which contains red wine, brandy, cointreau and Crodino (a non-alcoholic, Aperol-like beverage that comes in an adorable little bottle) mixed in with fresh cinnamon, citrus peels and fresh mint. It's a classy start to brunch.
You really can't go wrong with the country toasted bread ($12) as a shared starter for two. Topped with roasted mushrooms, shaved parmigiano, greens and poached eggs along with a drizzle of EVOO and aged balsamic, these are seasoned perfectly with a delicious combo of flavours and crunch. There's just something satisfying about eating runny eggs with toast.
If you're in the mood for more eggs, there are sunnyside ones ($14) that come on top of stewed lentils, tomato and (super salty) chorizo, with a healthy dusting of paprika. A side of country bread, which comes from Patisserie 27 up the street, is the perfect accompaniment to the dish.
Another highlight is the fluffy Dutch-style pancake ($12), which is cooked in a cast iron pan with slices of caramelized banana. Adding smoked bacon ($2) is definitely recommended (or if you really want to indulge, foie gras can be had for $7), as it adds a nice occasional hit of salt to the sweet.
Ventura tells me the place has been busy for weekend dinners, but it should certainly be on people's radars for brunch as well. It has the ideal atmosphere for a lazy Sunday, the service is friendly and attentive, and of course, it's tough to resist those $5 cocktails.
Photos by Jesse Milns.