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Central Newsmagazine is Central St. Louis County's
exclusive direct-mailed community newspaper. |
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Dining Spotlight |
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Mama Campisi’s is home to toasted ravioli and plenty of passionBy Suzanne Corbett
 Passion is the foundation of Italian cooking, and at Mama Campisi’s, where the faithful have gathered for more than 20 years to savor St Louis-style Italian cuisine, passion is the driving force behind the business, too.
“We have a passion for both our food and the business - not to mention the building we’re in,” Andrea Ervin, who bought the landmark Hill restaurant from the Campisi brothers in 2005, said. “There’s been a restaurant at this corner for over 60 years. Considering the building’s history and all the wonderful food that has been served here, we just had to keep it going. After all, this is the spot where toasted ravioli was invented.” According to Ervin, the famous “mistake” happened back in the early 1940s, when the restaurant operated as Oldani’s. The chef accidentally dropped an order of ravioli into the deep fat fryer instead of in hot water. Mickey Garagiola, brother of Baseball Hall of Famer Joe Garagiola, was sitting at the bar that fateful night and reportedly was of the first to taste the “accident,” and all agreed that the "toasted" ravioli should be added to the menu. Toasted ravioli shares menu billing with 18 other pastas dishes. Among them are several house specialties, including lasagna; seafood linguine laced with sea scallops, shrimp and Mama’s lobster and crab cream sauce; and Tortellini Donatella, a meat-filled tortellini with mushrooms, sun-dried tomatoes and salsiccia in a white wine pesto cream sauce. Designed to satisfy the pasta aficionado or for those who cannot decide which pasta order is Mama’s Trio, a combination plate of Hill spaghetti, beef ravioli and mostaccoili generously ladled with marinara sauce. Another menu staple is the thin crust pizza. Each is baked crisp and made to order. Featured entrees include such St. Louis Italian classics as Steak Mudega, Veal Parmigiano and the ever-popular Chicken Spedini. “We make our chicken spedini little different,” Ervin said. “We thinly pound a double chicken breast and stuff it with proscuitto, mushrooms, tomatoes, onion and provel cheese, then pan roast it and finish it with our white wine lemon sauce. It’s a generous serving and a customer favorite.” From salads to pasta to pizzas and entrées, Mama Campisi’s dishes up generous servings. As a server was heard to say upon presenting an overflowing pasta bowl, “We don’t play around here. You won’t leave hungry.” With lunch and dinner available Tuesday through Sundays, banquet facilities available for up to 100, and monthly wine dinners, there are plenty of opportunities to fill up at Mama Campisi’s. When asked if Mama Campisi would approve of how the restaurant is being run today, Ervin said, “I sometimes feel Mama Campisi is watching over us. But I think Mama would approve – at least her sons think so. After we reopened, Frank Campisi told me he knew Mama would be proud.”
Mama Campisi’s 2132 Edwards Street St. Louis, MO 63110 (314) 776-3100
Hours: Tuesday – Sunday, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Reservations recommended mamacampisis.com
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