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| - It has been a while since I have been to a classic upscale Italian restaurant. I went here for my father's 65th birthday on the advice of my cousin and it was a memorable experience.
Il Campari is a classic restaurant in many ways. First the wood panneling and classic decor makes you feel like you are at a place that is a product of a bygone era. The second is the professional waiters. These are people who have done this for a while and know exactly the proper way to treat the people they are waiting on. Our waiter was a gentleman in his mid 40's and he was a combination of waiter, host, and maitre D. It has been a while since I had service that good.
In terms of food, everything was amazing. For an appetizer I had a combination of fresh vegetables and homemade Italian sausage which was really tasty while my father said that the soup he had was some of the best minestrone he has had. My main was their seafood and mushroom risotto, it was fantastic. A bowl full of shrimp, mussels, clams, calamari, and other seafood along with wild mushrooms and an incredible sauce. My mother had lamb that she said was excellent while my dad really enjoyed his pork shank. I didn't have a desert but my folks had a chocolate mousse that they absolutely loved.
For drink they have an excellent (but expensive) wine list. We had a bottle of Italian Cabernet Sauvignon that was very nice, but I struggled to appreciate it being $70.00 good. I guess that is going price at upscale restaurants like this so you take it in stride. It will probably be a while before I go back due to a) the price, I can't justify going to a place that fancy all the time and b) geography, I live in Ottawa. But if you either have some money or are looking for a restaurant to go on special occasions then Il Campari would be a great choice.
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