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Business Detailed:
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Camino is the brainchild of three local minds, Sean Thomas, Salvatore Defino, & Drew Hart. The trio sat down in March of this year, when the previous owner of Il Cane Pazzo was preparing to sell, and started brainstorming possibilities for the Market Street space. “We knew it would be of a Mediterranean theme, right from the beginning,” said Sal, “and we never veered from that idea.” The concept of Camino, typically translated as the way, road, or journey, has its specific roots for the new restaurant in the tradition of travelers from various regions of France and Spain conducting a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela, the eventual resting place of St. James.
As travelers spend many days on foot or horseback during their journey, they are greeted with numerous offerings of local dishes, the best of which are to be found on the menu, and many are prepared using our very own local ingredients. Items such as the Country Pâté (pork, chicken, foie gras, croustades, & house condiments) and the Wood Roasted Hen (prosciutto, poached blonde figs, rosemary honey, risotto al forno), provide a distinct look into the food culture of a region we westerners can’t get enough of. As opposed to tapas style portions, Camino will be providing a tiered dining experience, with a more standard take on courses. “We are looking to create food for conversation,” says Sean, “and combine that with our passion for local foods and green production.”
Opening a restaurant in this economic climate does run its risks, but Sal believes that’s “why you create an intimate Mediterranean artisanal dining space, and serve something exceptional”. At 40 seats, and with dinner for two from $35-75, we don’t think they will have much issue. I’ve personally had the opportunity to try a few appatizers in that vein at the after party for the film Fresh!, which was hosted in the space on July 29th. The pairing couldn’t have gone better, as the film & food focused on the production of sustainable local offerings with health in mind. The group is bringing in Matthew Turner as head chef, the previous chef & proprietor of Jarman’s Gap Restaurant, which joined the Capshaw empire as Three Notch’d Grill. The wine selection is handled by Drew, and the twenty bottles will cover select French, Italian, and Spanish varietals, with small country producers as their primary suppliers. “Rustic, old world wines are what we are looking for,” he states.
Source: http://cvillain.com/2009/09/28/camino-the-road-to-charlottesville/
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