CHEF'S IMAGINATION ELEVATES LA CAMPAGNA

THE DAILY RECORD
By JEAN GRAHAM
FOOD EDITOR 
August 30, 2002

MORRISTOWN, NJ - The attractive building that gracefully straddles the corner of South and Elm Streets has several ground level commercial establishments. Right in the middle is La Campagna Ristorante, which owner-chef Joseph Cetrulo opened seven and one-half years ago. At this time of year a few tables sit under a crisp navy blue awning. Inside, two rooms of about equal size have storefront windows hung with pretty lace curtains.

Service on a recent weekday evening was very attentive and very nicely timed. At first glance, La Campagna's menu seems pretty typical of any Northern Italian restaurant - 10 pasta selections and lots of chicken and veal dishes plus steak, shrimp and other seafood choices.

But a closer look reveals the unique creative vision that Joseph Cetrulo brings to his cooking. For example, one of our appetizer choices was something we frequently encounter, a Portabello mushroom ($9.95). But who else does it with an herb and nut crust, then covers the whole thing with a shallot, white wine, dijon honey sauce? I'd like to see a bit more balance between the tart and sweet ingredients (the honey overwhelmed the: sauce), but all in all it was a very original version, of a traditional dish.

Fantastically fresh, perfectly cooked jumbo sea scallops ($9.95) were the keyingredient of our other appetizer choice, which was accompanied by a very tasty fennel, parmigiana and bean salad.

Cetrulo's creative hand could be seen in the disparate yet complementary ingredients in our shared salad ($9.50) -- delicately smoked salmon, ricotta salata cheese, crunchy pignoli nuts, fresh beets and mellow roasted red peppers atop a bed of fresh baby field greens tossed with a sharp ginger honey dijon vinaigrette (here the ginger definitely took the edge off the honey).

Vitello alla Cathelina ($19.95) offered rather disappointingly chewy veal topped with artichoke hearts, asparagus, sundried tomatoes and wild mushrooms beneath a richly flavored marsala truffle sauce. The new potato and crisp-tender carrots and peapods alongside were a cut above most accompaniments.

Chef Cetrulo's grilled salmon ($23.95) was one of those dishes that is forever remembered for its perfectly cooked, perfectly fresh salmon stuffed with a divine caramelized onion, creamy goat cheese and olive tapenade filling. It sat atop a delicious olive potato puree, a textural opposite to the crisp fried leeks that topped the fish. The red wine reduction drizzled on the plate seemed a bit too fruity for the rest of the dish.

2003 / 2004