Scoot over, Olive Garden. Campione Roman Kitchen in Livingston, Montana, has the best pasta this side of the Continental Divide. The sign displaying a laurel leaf beside a wolf’s head appeared quietly one August, and word traveled quickly that all foodies must try Campione immediately.
Opened in 2020 by Joshua Adams, Jeffrey Galli and Anthony Sferra, three friends with extensive backgrounds in the restaurant industry, Campione is a one-of-a-kind eatery on the corner of an historic building in downtown Livingston, serving unique, Italian-inspired cuisine to the delight of palates everywhere.
Unless you have a party of one, two, or three, you’ll want to make a reservation. The waiting line for this little slice of heaven has been known to wind around the block. It’s worth it, but if you bring your appetite, you’ll be grateful to get a table promptly.
Upon entering, customers are greeted by the message “In the Service of Others” in mosaic tiles on the floor, a nod to the owners’ commitment to community. On a recent evening, a pair of diners were welcomed personally by Galli and shown to a cozy table next to a vintage record player, delivering some kicky Rolling Stones tunes. Campione is an intimate space, which means everyone sits near the open kitchen framed by spritely plants, piles of books, and a bar with seven stools, where a patron sat chatting with Adams, the head chef.
The meal began with bright-green bottles of Pelligrino and a carafe of the Chianti, a no-fail red from Tuscany. Then came the house meatballs made with Montana beef and pork, tangy and true – these tasted like Italy. Next up, the house salad (local arugula, shaved pecorino, lemon, olive oil) and the kale salad (lacinato kale, charred radicchio, cherry tomato, prosciutto, roasted fennel, mint, green goddess dressing), both refreshing and scrumptious.
Selecting main courses was challenging, and the winners were linguine and meatballs – yes, more meatballs – and the exquisite Pasta Dei Campioni: fresh pappardelle with roasted mushrooms, charred scallions, kale, pecorino, olive oil, and cracked black pepper. The fungi in this dish were velvety and gently pungent – just the right amount of flavor for someone who keeps trying to like foods she doesn’t usually. The cracked pepper and scallions in oil sauce were al dente and merged perfectly with the cheese and pasta. And the pasta! Dolina Pasta, made in Livingston with local eggs and Montana-grown and -milled wheat, will forever ruin the hard store-bought stuff for you.
We hated to leave, just as Galli started singing along to Last Train to Clarksville, snapping his fingers as he hustled around the corner, but Yellowstone Roasters coffee and dreamy affogato with Kalispell Kreamery ice cream sent us home happy.
The brilliance behind all this began several years ago when Adams, Galli, and Sferra brought their wealth of restaurant experience together. They share the same philosophy, described by Galli: “Our goal is to serve our community and to provide a gathering point for Livingston. And we want to treat people well who work with us, to cook good food, be authentic to ourselves but not too showy, and take care of people. All are welcome here.”
The food, while billed as Italian, is not intended to be strictly conventional Italian cuisine. Rather, it’s ingredient-driven food with an Italian twist. “We mainly want to cook food from scratch,” Galli explains. “Someone might bring us garlic scapes picked that morning, which we can then use however we feel – and in that way, our food is very translatable to Italian, because using the freshest foods available is Italian.”
Making use of those fresh garlic scapes and other local veggies, legumes, meats, and pastas is also being a champion of the community. “Campione” means “champion”, and “being a champion of Livingston includes working with purveyors from neighboring streets, towns, counties,” says Galli. “It’s a priority of ours to source ingredients locally, because it’s responsible and healthy, but also we want to collaborate with as many as local businesses as possible.”
The newest addition to Campione is their brunch service, featuring such goodies as ricotta-stuffed French toast and meatball hash with lots of pecorino. “It’s been really fun; it’s a playful menu and a chance for us to put on some cool stuff that people can come out and celebrate – brunch is a celebratory meal,” declares Galli. Is it the weekend yet? We’ll be right over.