So I was expecting something only sort of Italian. Instead, I found one of the most thoroughly Italian menus in the city, built on great classic dishes. Here is insalata caprese, saltimbocca, gnocchi and fettuccine carbonara in their original, time-tested form. It took two visits for me to appreciate the execution of these dishes. On my first visit, a couple of entrees weren t quite right, but the second time around there was barely a culinary flaw.
Prices are toward the high end.
Those prices ought to go along with a more gracious dining room , however. I found Champ s atmosphere a little cold and unpolished. Rustic Italian touches, like the familiar braids of garlic and glass jars full of colored beans, are not warming. Then there are the distractions. On one side of the room there s an exhibition kitchen, on the other the spillover of neon and pop music from the adjoining sports bar.