When I have dreamt of Venice, I've imagined venturing through alleyways and over bridges, taking in the romance and beauty of the city's canals. I have also thought of great art and the majesty (and many pigeons) of St. Mark's Square.
But, beyond a fizzy glass of Prosecco from the Veneto, I haven't had a specific Venetian culinary craving in mind.
That was a mistake. One that has been rectified.
I have one word for you: cicchetti.
It is a word doesn't describe a single dish. It describes a veritable smorgasbord of them. We're talking about Venetian tapas.
Think thick slices of toasted bread topped with delights that range from sweet-and-sour Sardine en Saor to thinly sliced Mortadella dotted with pistachios to mounds of White Anchovies to aged Sopressa salami with pickled Cipolline Onions. And, then lets add in some fried meatballs called Polpette, and Creamed Baccala on Polenta, Hard-Boiled Eggs halved and skewered with Roasted Plum Tomatoes and Basil.
Bear witness to a typical cicchetti spread at a neighborhood Venetian wine bar...
This was the selection at a spot called Ostaria Al Ponte in Cannaregio. Impressive display - and not expensive. Quite the combo! Order up a plateful of these snacks, add a glass of the aforementioned Prosecco, and call it dinner. A very good dinner at that!
Now, of course I couldn't resist hitting somewhere a bit more grand. And a grand time was exactly what I got at a local Michelin-starred restaurant called Local. Walking in the restaurant door, the kitchen was immediately on full display behind a wall of glass -- and the very handsome kitchen staff was on full display too, more than happy to wave and smile as I walked in with a friend for dinner.
For a Michelin-starred restaurant, there wasn't a whiff of pretension in the dining room. It was warm, airy and welcoming.
Yes. This was a great choice. We settled in, chatted with both the charming owner Benedetta and the sommelier Manuel and knew we were in very capable hands.
What followed was a tasting menu with wine pairings that was - in a word - stellar. The standout dish? Risotto with Smoked Butter, Eel, and Herring Caviar...
The meal was capped off with a tray of elixirs that I feared was burn-your-throat Grappa...
...but instead were bottles of Capovilla Fruit Distillations, all of which we were invited to nose before settling on a glass each - apricot for me and elderflower for my dinner companion.
No breakfast, lunch or dinner came close to topping our evening at Local.
That said, stopping for gelato at Suso...
...and a morning Macchiato standing at a coffee bar next to a few Gondoliers were memorable to say the least. Grocery shopping at the Rialto Market was a highlight as well.
But as soon as I was settling in to Venezia, Rome beckoned. Who was I to resist?
