Campo Modern Bistro opened this week at 1115 N. Beckley Ave. in Oak Cliff. Owners Miguel Vicéns and John Paul Valverde of Coevál Studios recruited Matt McCallister, formerly of Stephan Pyles, to run the kitchen.
McCallister has been dabbling in many different things lately, including homemade charcuterie, preserves and pickling, which is reflected on the menu. He's also spent a lot of time on the road at places like McCrady's in South Carolina, Alinea in Chicago and Daniel in New York City.
At Campo, McCallister has created a menu based on what the restaurant describes as "European influences including French, Italian, Portuguese and Spanish reminiscent of the Mendoza Province near Buenos Aires."'
The menu has just more than 20 items. A few mains include braised oxtail orecchiette with butternut squash and mushrooms; gulf shrimp taglierini with oregano pesto and sea urchin; cinnamon short ribs with braised romaine, raisin chutney and celery root; leg of lamb, mint salsa verde, braised white beans and crispy kale.
Not only do they have an entire cocktail program with a bevy of house-made concoctions, Campo also has tableside coffee service, which means seasonal Culitvar Coffee is ground to order and served via French press.
Campo is located in a renovated pier-and-beam white house whose quaint and mellow atmosphere makes for a charming dinner spot. Campo is open for dinner from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m, except on Friday and Saturday when they're open until midnight. Take note they're closed on Tuesdays.