Can you ever have enough places to brunch? Considering America’s current craze for the breakfast-lunch hybrid, we’d say absolutely not. That’s good news for John and Cheryl Bisel, owners of Camp Hill’s new Café Uovo. The restaurant, which opened its doors in January, joins several longstanding eateries in the cheery downtown portion of Market Street.
Based on the response of locals, John Bisel says he has good reason to believe they’ll be a fast favorite, too. “The weekends have been great,” he says. “You almost can’t get into the place.” Though the seating is intimate—only room for 20 inside and nearly the same outside—Café Uovo serves up to 400 on a busy weekend day. With its eclectic menu, friendly owners and great location, we hope this new brunch spot is here for the long haul.
Heading Home
Nearly three years ago, the Bisels decided it was time to relocate from Arizona. Cheryl is originally from Mechanicsburg and suggested to John that they head east. “We looked up and down the East Coast,” says Bisel. “Basically it was a ploy to get back home,” he jokes. They purchased the building that now houses the restaurant— which was, at that point, “just a shell,” Bisel says—and took the next few years rehabbing it.
The space on the ground level was ideal for a business, but the couple wasn’t sure what would work best. “We were looking for suggestions on what to put here. It always came back to an eatery, particularly breakfast and brunch, but something better for you than a greasy diner.” So the couple ran the idea past their daughter Jessica Wellington and son-in-law Sam, who was a chef at a prestigious resort in Arizona at that time. They not only supported the plan, but also offered to come to Camp Hill so that Sam could act as executive chef, and from there, Café Uovo became a family business.
A Work of Art
From that point, the Bisels worked on the design of the space, which is colorful and casual and influenced by John’s passion for art (one potential business idea was a gallery, in fact). On the far wall hangs Bisel’s own interpretation of a Jackson Pollock—his featuring two abstract shapes that look like nests—and on another, a version of David Hockney’s A Bigger Splash, with the clever addition of a cracked egg. Bisel says he will be creating several other renditions of masterpieces, each with an egg-y spin in homage to the restaurant’s namesake, uovo, which means egg in Italian.
The real focus of the interior, though, is the exposed chef’s station, where you can see—and chat with—chef Wellington, hard at work. “He loves cooking in front of people,” says Bisel. “When we get busy, that’s when Sam really likes to perform.” You might catch him flipping omelets, or, better yet, he’ll share stories about his heritage as a Pima Native American, learning to grow produce on his father’s farm on the reservation.
The Bisels’ love of art flows through to the menu, where flavorful dishes are dubbed with the names of famous artists. Think Frida for a Mexican-inspired dish, or Dali for something Spanish.
Melting Pot Menu
The menu is a bit of a mash-up, in a wonderful way. The dishes are highly influenced by Cheryl’s Italian heritage, as well as the Southwest flavors of their previous home in Arizona and, of course, Wellington’s culture. You’ll find surprising hints of smoky chiles in many items, a nod to the chef’s Pima roots.
The Brustini are one of the restaurant’s signatures. Bisel explains that’s a term he created—a cross between bruschetta and crostini. It comes in sweet or savory options, though we recommend the aforementioned Dali, which features prosciutto and spicy chorizo, melted with buttery manchego cheese, and accented with a swipe of Wellington’s homemade habanero pineapple jam.
The Uovo is the house specialty and their own translation of eggs Benedict. “I’m not bragging—okay, yes I am—when I say everyone who eats our eggs Benedict says it’s the best they’ve ever had,” beams Bisel. Pick this for a classic brunch, featuring poached eggs and Canadian bacon with a drizzle of hollandaise.
Café Uovo offers a few stellar salads, but also an unusual veggie offering. The café’s “bowls” have been a huge hit according to Bisel. For example, the Cezanne features avocado, corn, black beans, cilantro and lime, all over quinoa, topped with an egg if you like.
Bisel agrees that now is the best time to take a trip to Café Uovo, thanks to the outdoor seating on one of the Susquehanna Valley’s most charming main streets. Bring a bottle and stop by for a leisurely weekend brunch full of international flavor.
Café Uovo 2163 Market St., Camp Hill, PA cafeuovo.com /717-761-6856
