I have a special fondness for the location of Camille’s.
When it was Caruso’s I reviewed it on “Check, Please! South Florida.” Little did I know when I taped that show that COVID would shut everything down a week later, or that Caruso’s had been sold. He didn’t even tell the folks from Check Please when they went in to film. So by the time the show aired it was under new ownership, and by then the COVID pandemic had set in, so that place didn’t last. But from the ashes of that has arisen Camille’s, upscale Italian fare in a casual atmosphere.
The focus here is on quality, not quantity. The menu is limited and the prices are reasonable. The pasta is all made in-house, and you can taste the freshness. The sauces are light, with just enough body to cling to the pasta. There are but five pasta dishes on the menu, bucatini cacio e pepe, three versions of pappardelle (wide noodles) served with wild mushroom ragu, Bolognese sauce, or ala vodka, augmented by a daily special or two. Rounding out the pasta dish options are spaghetti with meatballs and meat lasagna. There are also only four entrées on the menu, again augmented by daily specials. Chicken Parm, a New York Strip with Parmesan fries, branzino with fennel, and a grilled sausage, served in a pinwheel, with a side of broccoli rabe.
The appetizer selection is vaster, with almost a dozen offerings. From antipasto and Caesar salads to a large bowl of mussels, meatballs, burrata, chicken wings, and eggplant parm. I decided to have two apps instead of an entrée for dinner. I judge any restaurant by the way it prepares grilled octopus, as it is notoriously tricky to cook perfectly. A few minutes too long or too little, and it’s rubbery. Camille’s version had a nice char on the outside that comes from a quick sear and the interior was soft and buttery, which comes from long, slow, cooking. It was served on a bed of pureed white beans with a white bean salad on the side and could have easily served as a light dinner.
The only disappointment of the evening was the fritto misto. While perfectly cooked, the breading had an odd texture, was greasy and flavorless, and the dish was not hot enough. It also promised fried zucchini and pepperoncini, and I think I had I slice of each. But, on the flip side, there was plenty of calamari and four plump shrimp.
Our waiter was attentive (and cute, even the lesbian and the straight man at the table commented on how attractive he was). The drinks were delightful and reasonably priced. We skipped dessert because we had somewhere else to be, but I certainly will be back to check out Camille’s again. Camille’s is also open for lunch.
Camille’s Pizzeria & Ristorante
4165 Dixie Hwy., Oakland Park
954-765-6496
camillesftlauderdale.com
Get ready to fill that weenie-shaped hole in your heart: A new top dog is running Hot Dog Heaven, which quietly reopened to the public after being closed a short time for some cosmetic upgrades. Restaurateur Joe Barra, of Fort Lauderdale, took over the business from longtime founders Barry and Pamela Star, who officially retired last year more than 45 years after first opening the doghouse on East Sunrise Boulevard. The only menu change thus far is the addition of pastrami sandwiches from Chicago-based Vienna Beef Co., which also supplies the restaurant’s franks, Italian beef, Polish sausage, and charbroiled salami products.
The one thing Barra and partner Matt Abdol haven’t changed are the longtime employees. Barra and Abdol, who have both run sandwich shops before, have made a few other changes. Hot Dog Heaven now accepts credit cards and is open until 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays and 1 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays. “We think there are lots of people who want hot dogs later at night.”
