It may be cold outside, but thanks to Campo Pizzeria, South Bay and Peninsula Elites got all sorts of warm and cozy at our Winter Jingle Mingle Preview Party!
A delicious new Palo Alto destination specializing in thin-crust artisan pizza, handmade pasta, and a fresh mozzarella bar, Campo's kitchen is led by Executive Chef, Sean O’Brien, named “Best New Chef” by Food & Wine Magazine. O’Brien has worked his culinary magic at some of the top Bay Area restaurants including Myth, Gary Danko, and Acquerello. Campo, which translates to “field” in Italian, represents the restaurants “field-to-table” passion for sourcing only the freshest menu ingredients. The South Bay and Peninsula Elite Squad was invited to a special sneak preview just a few days before the 140-seat restaurant opened to the public Wednesday, December 19. Yeah, we're kind of a big deal… and so is Campo!
150 Elites and +1's enjoyed a tasty preview of delicious signature dishes such as marinated mixed olives, salumi and cheese, chicken and liver mousse & bacon bruchetta as well as veal and pork meatballs with tomato sauce, Parmesan cheese and grilled bread. Plate after plate of delicious thin-crust pizza, with savory toppings like the Charred Brussels Sprouts Pizza, with bacon, ricotta, garlic cream, chili oil and lemon, or the House Pork Fennel Sausage Pizza, with tomato, smoked mozzarella, pepperonata and scallions were passed. Don’t forget the warm, house-stretched Mozzarella demo from Chef Sean O'Brien, house gnocchi or the Bomboloni cinnamon-sugar donuts for dessert…
"The food was absolutely fabulous, raved Leslie H. "I tried homemade mozzarella balls drizzled with olive oil and spices, melt-in-your-mouth gnocchi, and sliver after sliver of delicious wood-fired pizzas. I was amazed that Campo Pizzeria was able to maintain a crisp crust all the way throughout their pies without burning them to a crisp! I also really enjoyed the salami and prosciutto slices as well. The veal and pork meatballs topped with homemade tomato sauce and shavings of Parmesan cheese were bite sized mouthfuls of heaven. I also really liked the gnocchi which were so rich that they melted in your mouth!"
It wouldn't be a gourmet pizzeria (or a Yelp event) without wine, and Campo offered two different wine stations with over 10 varietals on their regular menu for guests to sample. "Definitely no shortage of wine," cheered Julia S. "My favorite was my first glass, an extremely delicious sparkling red wine." Janet O also agreed, "The wine was perfectly partnered to their wonderful pizza flavors. I love the sparking rosé. I also had some of their Sauvignon Blanc." Cheers, ladies!
Also on-hand to make it a VIP experience was La Photobooth, offerering a premium interactive photo booth for everyone to enjoy. Essentially, they brought a professional photo shoot to the event, including a digital SLR camera triggered by a footswitch and displays so guests could see the pictures as they were taking them. Peggy S "Loved the photo booth. The amount of props was plentiful and the quality was decent – I didn't look like I just robbed some homeless person's wardrobe and posed in them. The picture quality was amazing too, probably one of the best as well! You could also preview your photo and select the ones you want. The photo came out to be full sized instead of little picture strips." All of the high-quality La Photobooth pics can be found on the Yelp South Bay-Penisula Flickr page.
'Tis the season for giving, so Nine Lives Foundation, a no-kill cat shelter in Redwood City, was invited to attend and collect donations for their efforts. We raised $800 at the party, thanks to our generous Elites and guests! Meow!
Without a doubt, the Yelp Elite Squad was impressed. 40 and counting 5-star reviews impressed… Harsha G wrote, "I am looking forward to coming back, in fact friend and me wanted to buy food here as it was soo delish!! Excellent job Campo, can't wait to visit you again….mmmm, writing this review makes me crave your food,and it's not even past 24 hrs since I ate here." Carl W also said, "Moreso than perhaps any other YEE, I'm definitely coming back!" Perhaps Thien N had the best parting words of anyone, "See Y'all at Campo! Don't be a stranger."
Thank you, Campo, for hosting! We'll definitely be back!
Abby S, South Bay-Peninsula Community Manager (with Jordan L, Yelp intern)
