Campbell's Place flirts with new flavors

It has a fairy tale aspect to it . . . a waitress meets a chef at the Old City restaurant where they work. They fall in love, get married, buy a restaurant in Chestnut Hill and become pregnant.

Vanessa and Rob Mullen have been living this fairy tale since they took over Campbell's Place last November. But the restaurant was already associated with a beloved couple, Mary and the late Jim Campbell. So how do you make this story - and restaurant - your own?

"It's definitely a fine line," Vanessa Mullen aknowledged.

She works the front of the house, sporting a baby bump, and he's the chef. "We wanted to softly change things like updating the decor and making the menu more American bistro," Vanessa said. But they didn't want to remove everything that makes it Campbell's.

To that end, the couple kept items like the meatloaf dinner on the regular menu and will run specials of old favorites such as the chicken Parmesan.

Everything is made in-house, except the ranch dressing, and there is a commitment to buying fresh local produce.

Nice new additions to the menu are the salads.

I particularly enjoyed the Arugula Salad with goat cheese and beets ($8.50). The texture of the soft cheese contrasted with crunchy sunflower seeds while the sweetness of the beets was a foil against the peppery arugula. It worked very well with one of the house-made dressings that had just a hint of lemon to it.

My only wish was to have the goat cheese dispersed more evenly.

The House Salad ($5.50) was beautifully composed with cherry tomatoes, lettuces, cucumber slices and carrots. We paired it with the house-made strawberry dressing that created a nice balance of sweet fruit and acidity.

A big miss was the Crab Cake Appetizer ($11.50). Our portion was a tiny, flat cake made with too much binder and not enough crab. Plus, the accompanying jicama salad was too watery.

The Tuna Burger ($12) is a nice option for pescatarians (hey, don't be a contrarian, it's a real term for a vegetarian who eats fish!) It was a generous piece of fish, cooked rare to order and served on a whole-wheat bun that comes from a local bakery. Subtle Asian flavors paired well. I'm feeling healthy just thinking about it.

At $14.50 the Fish and Chips were on the pricey side. Also, we had to ask for malt vinegar, which to me is like serving a peanut butter and jelly sandwich without the jelly.

While the fries were just passable, the fish was nicely coated with batter for a crisp crunch surrounding firm flesh.

My fellow tasters and I were divided on the Guava Ribs ($20). I thought that even though the meat was falling off the bone and tender, it had a mushy quality to it. Also, the super-sweet and smoky sauce was slathered on too thickly and overwhelmed the ribs.

But, one diner liked the texture and didn't find the sauce too sweet. Another met us in the middle. So, I think they should rename these Goldilocks' Ribs.

We all agreed that the side of potato salad was smashing - perfect potatoes with the right amount of creamy sauce, just like grandma might make.

The black beans with a hint of cilantro were a nice accompaniment as well.

Desserts are also made in-house and are a specialty of Kelly Fischer, the sous chef.

The Cheese Cake ($5) lived up to the server's recommendation. Doused with a sweet-cream topping, it should satisfy the sweet tooth. The over-the-top portion definitely was designed for sharing.

On the other hand, the Black Raspberry Pie ($5) was very disappointing.

The crust was obviously made by an out-of-house food service and the berry filling lacked any charm. The freshly whipped cream on the side made it tolerable, though.

One nice personal touch was the mixtape of music. It was obviously not prepackaged and includes great standards such as Frank Sinatra and mood music from Al Green.

The bar at Campbell's Place is welcoming. This is a pub, after all. You'll find attention to a selection of craft brews from our region's best microbreweries as well as some California standards and even one from Oregon.

Look for draft beers from Palm, Dogfish Head, Kenzinger and Guinness.

The by-the-glass wine list also shows some thought. From lesser known Spanish whites such as Mas Que Vinos Ercavio Blanco to decent house wines by Red Head Studio and Fox Gordon (read: NOT Yellow Tail), it's nice to have choices for the wine drinker.

Service is publike and friendly. I expect you would be recognized as a regular fairly quickly. I'm told if you want to sample a lot of food, try Sunday brunch.

Even though the ownership has changed, the story continues at Campbell's.

Rob Mullen's background includes catering to rock bands on tour. He's traveled with U-2, Phish and other big-name bands.

He's off for one last rock-star tour. I'd like to suggest he comes back with a documentary named "The Meal." *