Here’s where to find half-price wine and an Italian lunch for Mom in Fort Worth
In 75 years, Campisi’s Italian Restaurant has served a lot of Texas moms.
For this Mother’s Day, after year of sanitizing wipes and Zoom classes, David Campisi has an idea what moms might want.
“Half-price wine,” Campisi said — “to say thanks.”
The special prices on wines by the bottle — $12.50-$30 — make Campisi’s, 6150 Camp Bowie Blvd., an even better deal on a day when other restaurants hike up prices.
Campisi’s basic Italian dinners range from pastas for $15-$17 to grilled salmon salads or platters for $20-$22, and a New York strip steak Italiano for $30.
These days, families tend to share one large entree and then order several smaller items — meatballs, crab claws, calamari and Campisi’s old-time, family-recipe pizza.
If you haven’t tried Campisi’s, the pizzas are rectangular, not round.
In the age of Neapolitan pizzas with a soft “New York flop” crust, Campisi’s pizzas are thin and crisp.
“We just stick with what works,” Campisi said.
“My grandfather’s message to us was, ‘If it ain’t broken, don’t fix it.’ “
Campisi’s also can serve Mom wherever she wants — indoors, outdoors or at home.
Even in daytime, the dining room is nearly pitch-dark, as intriguing and secretive as the notorious original Campisi’s on Mockingbird Lane in Dallas.
If that’s too dim, a sunny patio wraps around the Westridge Avenue side.
Or keep Mom home.
Campisi’s was one of Texas’ first restaurants with its own delivery service. Campisis has even had precise online ordering for 15 years, so it was more prepared than any other restaurant for COVID-19.
The pandemic slowed dining room business,”but curbside [pickup] and delivery really exploded,” Campisi said.
An $8.99 Tuesday spaghetti special is a big seller, along with pizzas ($7.90-$25) and weekday lunches ($9.99-$13.99, all the way until 4 p.m.).
Besides the basic toppings (yes, there’s pineapple), newer pizzas include a grilled chicken-artichoke, a chicken-spinach Alfredo and a feta-olive-artichoke Greek.
Campisis is open for lunch and dinner daily; 817-916-4561, or book reservations at campisis.us.
More Italian for Mom
More updates for Mother’s Day since the big list of restaurants was published here April 28:
▪ Another Italian option is Fireside Pies, 2949 Crockett St., now serving brunch every weekend.
Fireside Pies’ menu inclues not only a pancetta-and-egg pizza with serrano honey, but also frittatas such as bacon-sausage with provolone or kale-mushroom with fontina.
Mom might want the “Elvis” French toast with bananas, candied bacon and peanut-butter-maple syrup.
There’s also a “chicken and waffles” with Italian chicken Milanese, and a chorizo-egg calzone with candied bacon.
The same dishes are also available for takeout.
Fireside Pies is open for dinner Mondays through Thursdays, lunch and dinner Fridays ad brunch and dinner Saturdays and Sundays; 817-769-3590, firesidepies.com.
▪ The Rim, 5912 Convair Drive, is a new Fort Worth location for the nostalgia grill-and-bar featuring recipes by chef Keith Hicks (formerly of the now-gone Buttons).
This is the Rim’s first weekend to serve brunch, so be patient.
But the menu includes dishes such as chicken-and-waffles, omelets and avocado toast. Or go at a different hour for salads, pot roast, redfish, meatloaf or a “Fred Flintsone” two-pound braised short rib.
It’s open daily for lunch and dinner; 817-663-2950, therimrestaurant.com.
▪ Byblos Mediterranean Grill, 1406 N. Main St., is serving a special Sunday buffet ($16.95) with a belly-dancer at 1 p.m.; reserve at 817-625-9667 or byblostx.com.
Other restaurants with reservations available include Clay Pigeon, Istanbul Grill, Reata and Waters Seafood downtown, plus most prime steakhouses. (Capital Grille is booked.)
▪ Lili’s Bistro, 1310 W. Magnolia Ave., will open and serve brunch items including crab Benedict ($18), a veggie frittata ($16) and more, plus the regular menu; 817-877-0700, lilisbistro.com. (Update: Lili’s will not serve its regular menu, just brunch.)
For more, see the April 28 section at star-telegram.com/eedition, or it’s linked at star-telegram.com/eatsbeat.
