Campanella’s Chicken Parm Pie says everything you need to know about the new Brooklyn-meets-Sebastopol Italian American restaurant.
The hand-tossed pizza topped with mozzarella, vodka sauce and fried chicken cutlets is a throwback to owner Tom Rutledge’s favorite childhood snack when visiting his grandparents in Brooklyn and Queens. That, along with arancini, eggplant Parmesan, meatballs and pasta with long-simmered red sauce, were the East Coast staples he dearly missed in his adopted Sonoma County home.
So, he built a restaurant to satisfy his cravings.
“We are putting our twist on the ‘red sauce’ kind of comfort food from back East,” Rutledge said. “That happy combination of East Coast and Sonoma County, both in the kitchen and the bar, is what we look for throughout the menu. The team nailed it, and we will keep refining it and improving, but they nailed it.”
Recently opened in the former Flavor Bistro location, Campanella is an unapologetic “red sauce joint” that channels the red-and-white-checkered tablecloth, candles in the Chianti bottle, garlic-scented family trattorias that are the lifeblood of Italian American neighborhoods along the Atlantic Seaboard. The mix of old-world and new-world flavors speaks to the 19th-century migration of Italians (primarily from Southern Italy and Sicily) to New York.
For executive chef Anthony Paone (also a Brooklynite), nonna-inspired recipes, including his Italian grandmother’s arancini, are the key to the restaurant’s authenticity. After years in California’s fine-dining scene, Paone thought his days of tossing pizzas and making red sauce were behind him, but he’s embracing the full-circle moment.
“The arancini, that was grandma’s and how she made it for my Sicilian grandpa,” Paone said. Filled with rice, peas, mozzarella and beef ragu with a side of marinara ($7), they’re as comforting as an old quilt.
Campanella benefits from an infusion of California’s farm-to-table ethos, and Paone is enthusiastic about where he locally sources the meat, fish and produce. Still, the chef is clear that he’s not about to start putting edible flowers on anything. Instead, he bumps flavors with fresh herbs and glams up a simple salad with Little Gem lettuce, housemade basil Ranch, Meyer lemon, curls of fresh radish and fried capers ($16).
The interior vibe is fresh, bright and clean with crisp green hues, splashes of red wallpaper, a wall of purposefully mismatched paintings, an inviting patio and a sleek bar.
And watching over all of it is an imposing picture of Nonna. Not anyone’s nonna per se, because the image was generated from a collection of grandma photographs from Rutledge, Paone and others fed into an AI image generator. With designer glasses, windblown hair and a perky scarf, this is Nonna 2.0, inspired by the past and firmly rooted in the present.
“My grandmother, the inspiration for this project, was always happiest when friends and family gathered around her dining room table. I know she’d be thrilled watching the neighborhood come and do the same thing here,” Rutledge said.
Best bets
Garlic Knots, $9: The little knobs of buttery, doughy, yeasty garlic bread are stupido good. Dunk unabashedly into housemade basil Ranch dressing served for precisely that reason — Va bene.
Nonna’s Meatballs, $19: Traditional style with beef and pork, breadcrumbs and ricotta with a twist. The Moorish influence on Italy brought ingredients like pistachios and raisins, adding almost imperceptible sweetness. Served with a side of marinara, not swimming in it. Bravo.
Italian Butter Beans, $13: I loathe beans in any form except dripping in garlic butter (clearly a theme), and so tender they melt in your mouth. You’ll love these even if you’re a bean hater like me.
Eggplant Parm, $16: My freezer is stocked with store-bought Angelo’s eggplant Parmesan because I can never get enough. I’m thrilled with the housemade version at Campanella with layers of cheese, crispy breaded eggplant, vodka sauce and crunchy burnt-cheese edges. Next time, I’m not sharing.
Chicken Parm Pie, $28: If there’s a signature dish at Campanella, it’s this impressive pizza. The dough is straightforward with a crisp, leopard crust and soft (though not undercooked) center, just like a New York pie should be. Vodka sauce — a creamy tomato sauce that uses a splash of vodka as an emulsifier (the alcohol cooks off) — lays the base for chunks of fried chicken tenders and a heavy hand of melty mozzarella. If you’re a purist, go for the Classic cheese ($22) with Ezzo pepperoni ($5) that curls and crisps perfectly.
Braised Beef Pizzaiola, $32: A giant chunk of melt-in-your-mouth-tender beef braised in marinara sauce. Historically, the pizza-maker’s wife would put meat in the still-hot oven to slowly cook overnight. The polenta was OK but could use a little more flavor — then again, by the time we ate it, our taste buds may have been garlic-overloaded.
Steamed Clams with Linguine, $26: You’re Frank Sinatra sitting with “The Godfather” and “Jersey Shore” casts. It doesn’t get more Italian American than this.
Sunday Supper and Specials, Market Price: There’s always something additional on the menu, and usually worth trying. Shrimp Scampi was one of our favorite specials, shrimp fettuccine loaded with garlic and all of the butter. Vampires be gone!
Cheesecake, $12: I am always dubious about cheesecake because it almost always disappoints. You will not be disappointed with this creamy, fluffy, tart and sweet slice with a buttery graham cracker crust and candied orange peels. If Rainbow Cookies are available, grab them as well.
Meyer Lemon Fennel Spritz $13: Fennel-infused Limoncello with Prosecco, soda and lemon. I mean, how could you say no? It’s sweet and robust, so I diluted mine to even out the flavor and cut the booze a bit. Keep it classy.
Signora Blanca, $14: Charbay Meyer lemon vodka, Cointreau, lemon verbena syrup and an aquafaba foam. Naughty and nice.
Campanella offers some gluten-free pastas, as well as vegan and vegetarian options. Wine, beer and nonalcoholic cocktails are also available.
7365 Healdsburg Ave., Sebastopol, 707-910-3030, campanellasoco.com. Street parking only. Reservations suggested.
You can reach Dining Editor Heather Irwin at heather.irwin@pressdemocrat.com. Follow Heather on Instagram @biteclubeats.