Food Lover's Odyssey

Best Ways to Savor Venice

What to do in Venice?  I received an email asking this question.  The girl said she would be spending 1 1/2 days in Venice.  Her plan was to take a vaporetto ride, go to the Accademia Gallery and spend an evening in Saint Mark's Square.  Then she wrote, "Am I missing anything?"   Uhmm, yes, you are missing something........Venice.

The email brought back memories of my first few trips to Italy where I had a list of 20 cities to see and an uncountable number of "sites" to check off my list.  Yes, I've been THAT tourist that rushed through cities and trampled through the streets, guidebook, checklist and camera in hand, determined that no one, not even a native out strolling with the family, would get in the way of my checklist. How sad and frustrated I became on those days that I couldn't check off some items because of long lines, slow trains, no buses, or just the normal disorganization that is Italy.

Now, I have a completely different approach to travel.  I see fewer cities and spend more time in each.  I have no guidebook and rarely a firm plan; I talk to as many locals as possible for advice on things to do, and I relax.  If I don't see EVERYTHING, that just gives me an excuse to return. 

My best advice to anyone traveling to Italy is to go to fewer cities,  see one or two "sites" a day, and then RELAX and savor the city like you would your favorite chocolate--lingering over each bite and taking all the flavor in before its all gone.  Find the rhythm of the city and become a part of it.  Below are my favorite ways to savor Venice. 

Eat the Traditional Dishes of Venice

1.  Sardine in Saor and other cicheti

2.  Spaghetti alle Vongole (spaghetti and clams)

3.  Calamari Griglia or Fritti (grilled or fried calamari)

4.  Bacala mantecato (Cod made into a creamy mousse and served with polenta)

5.  Bigoli in Salsa (spaghetti-like pasta in a sauce of onions and anchovies)

6.  Spaghetti in Nero di Seppie

7.  Spaghetti ai Frutti di Mare (also served in other coastal cities in Italy;  it's spaghetti with all the shellfish of the sea in a light tomato sauce)

and Lo Spritz (Yes, Spritz isn't a dish, it's a drink, but it is the spirit and rhythm of Venice in a glass.)

 

 

 

Best Places for Gelato in Venice

1.  Il Doge Gelato in Campo Santa Margherita

    The chocolate and chocolate chip (stracciatella)--my "go-to" gelato during days I had class.

3.  Gelateria Millevoglie in Campo San Rocco

    The cioccolato fondente (dark chocolate) is a chocolate-lover's dream.

4.  Gelato Nico on the Fondamenta Zattere, 922

    While eating gelato, you can sit along the bank and watch the cruise ships leave Venice.

4.  Gelateria San Stefano in Campo San Stefano

    The fruit flavors are very good, especially the limone (lemon).  The pistacchio is also good.

Best Campos to sit, enjoy a Spritz, and watch Venice and its people

I know you're thinking, "Why on earth would I waste my time sitting in a Campo when I'm in Venice?"  Here you not only have the opportunity to relax but this is where you can become a part of the city.  Have a spritz, ombre, cicheti or just sit on a park bench.  You can strike up a conversation with the person next to you or just people watch.

1.  Campo Santa Margherita -- popular with the college students and Istituto Venezia  language students

2.  Campo di San Giacomo dell' Orio--one of the prettiest campos in all of Venice

3.  Campo del Santi Giovanni e Paolo

4.  Campo San Polo -- in the summer you can watch a movie "sotto le stelle" (under the stars)

5.  Campo di Santi Apostoli -- Sit under the bell tower at the end of Strada Nuova and watch the gondoliere

"Out of the Ordinary" but Worth the Time

1.  Rialto Market

2.  Island of Burano

3.  Lido di Venezia (Spend a Sunday at the beach with the Venetians)

4.  Walk in the Canareggio Quartiere on a Friday evening (The old Jewish Ghetto comes alive as the Seder begins)

5.  Isola di San Pietro and the Church of San Pierto (Venice started on this island which might be the most tranquil place on earth---while sitting on a bench here, you would never think Venice was a city for tourists.)

6.  Go grocery shopping at any of the grocery stores---COOP or Billa are most popular (At least once in your life, you must get run over by the rolling shopping bag of a little-old Venetian grandma.)

7.  Sit along the banks of the Erberia (near the Rialto Market) and watch the vaporetti and gondole go by

8.  Walk the Viale Garibaldi on a Saturday afternoon  (Wash day is Saturday and the side streets are filled with clothing and bed linens hanging above.)

9.  Walk over many of the 416 bridges in Venice and get lost in the maze of calles  and see some of 176 little canals

10.  Sit along the banks of Giudecca at night and gaze at Venice ---the view of the city, its lights, and the reflection from the water will make you want to stay forever.

Best Views of Venice at Night (and also during the day)

1.  Punta della Dogana (next to the church of Santa Maria della Salute)

2.  Island of Giudecca

3.  Fondamenta Zattere  (On Saturdays, even Venetians like to watch the cruise ships leave through the Giudecca Canal)

4.  From the Vaperetto along the Grand Canal and along the Giudecca Canal

5. Island of San Giorgio Maggiore (View Saint Marks Square from afar)

6.  Atop the Rialto Bridge

7.  Atop the Accademia Bridge

 

 

 

 

My time in Venice is over and this is my last post from the city.  I feel like I've just settled in and started to feel like a citizen instead of a short-term visitor.  I was able to see a lot of the city, but I didn't see everything.  So....I'll be coming back.

Ciao Venezia!!!  Ci vediamo ancora presto!  (We'll see each other again soon)

What are your favorite memories of Venice---best meals, gelato, favorite spot(s)? Please share them in the comments section below.

Cicheti and Ombra -- Little tastes of Venice

 

 

Cicheti and ombre sound like names of dances, possibly performed during Carnevale. However, cicheti (pronounced chee - ke - tee) are small bites or plates of food (Italian version of tapas) and ombre (literally translated means shadows/shades) are glasses of wine to wash down the cicheti. 

These small plates are hugely popular with Venetians, who pack their local bacaro (wine bar) before and after meal times.  Venice is said to be the most expensive dining city in all of Italy.  Instead, you can get a variety of cicheti and one or two ombre for quite a bargain; many times far less than 20 euros per person.

 

 

 

 

The little bites can be as simple as a marinated artichoke or a more complex plate of mixed seafood.  There are also crostini and an array of fried goods that encompass the word cicheti.  The prices range from 1 euro to 12 euros.

 

 

 

 

The types of cicheti are possibly infinite, but a  seafood version is one that I prefer.  I've been scouring the city looking for the best Sardine in Saor.  Sardines are fried and then marinated in a agrodolce (sweet and sour) sauce of sauteed onions, vinegar, pine nuts and golden raisins.   Baccala Mantecato is another of my favorites.  Baccala (dried cod) is boiled, flaked and then whipped in a food processor or by hand as  olive oil is drizzled in (the same as you would when making mayonnaise) until it creates a rich fish mousse.  Some places also add Italian parsley, garlic, and a bit of milk.  It's either served on crostini or with polenta. 

 

 

 

My top 5 spots for cicheti and ombra in Venice:

La Cantina - Campo San Felice, Sestiere Cannereggio 3689

Run by two owners Francesco and Andrea along with Giacomo, in charge of service.  Giacomo's knowledge of the Veneto wines could match any sommelier.  Francesco is in the kitchen, working behind a glass counter where you can watch him prepare every tasty dish. Andrea is in charge of La Cantina's own brewed beer, Morgana, also tasty.  We started with crostini, had tuna tartar and marinated sea bass and ended with a moist and tender pork tenderloin that was surrounded by a salty and crunchy crust.

 

Antica Ostario Ruga Rialto - Ruga Rialto, Sestiere San Polo 692

Here the Sardine in Saor were my favorite in all of Venice. They perfect the agrodolce (sweet and sour) sauce and add the traditional sultana raisins and pinenuts to the dish. The Baccala Mantecato is creamy goodness and the Cicheti Misti plate always delights the palate with a mixture of sauces from salty to spicy to accompany the various fish preparations.

Cantinone gia' Schiavi - Ponte San Trovarso, Sestiere Dorsoduro 992

It has an excellent variety of wines.  Many of which you can buy by the glass.  The large selection of cicheti, include many for only 1 euro, are mainly crostini and fritti (fried ) vegetables or fish.  Bottles of the wines you like are available for purchase, too, some for under 10 euros.

Ca' d'Oro - alla Vedova -Ramo Ca' d'Oro, Sestiere Cannaregio 3912

I don't think there is a bad cicheti among the abundance offered here.  The polpettine (little meatballs), sepe roste (roasted seppie without its black ink) and folpeti consi (baby octopus boiled with vegetables then seasoned with a vinaigrette) are house specialties.

Al Garanghelo - Via Garibaldi, Sestiere Castello 1621

The seafood antipasto and sarde in saor are my picks for this trattoria and bacaro all in one, situated in the quieter and less touristy sestiere of Venice.

 

 

 

 

A Lesson on Venetian Mask Making

 

A mask finding mission in Venice shouldn't be difficult.  It's easier to find a mask shop here than it is to find a pigeon searching for crumbs under your feet.  However, a hand-painted mask made from papier-mache (cartapesta) is getting harder to find. Too many vendors are littering the calli and campi with their cheap factory-made plastic masks, also making it hard for the artisans.

 

Hidden at the back of Campo San Giacomo dell' Orio is the artisan mask shop of Benor Maschere Venezia.  After much window shopping, I knew I'd be buying a mask there, but didn't know I'd also be making one myself.

 

 

Mario, the mask maker, gave me a hearty, "buon giorno" and welcoming smile as I walked into the shop.  He was behind his work table, which was cluttered with paint bottles and brushes and full of masks in different states of preparation.   A variety of finished masks hung on the walls, and large used mask molds filled the edges of the shop floor.  One mold was even turned upside down and used as a business card holder.   After a short conversation, I told him I had always wanted to learn how to make a mask.  Without hesitation, he pulled a chair up to the table and went about clearing a space for me.

 

 

The process starts with a design which Mario creates and sends to the sculptor to make the mold.  When the mold is ready, it's used to create the blue cartapesta (papier-mache) masks.  They then place a white stucco coating over the cartapesta.  The mask is reading for decorating once the stucco dries.  Because I had never painted a mask before, Mario suggested that I first draw my design with a pencil, as beginners do.  After the paint and additional forms of decoration dry, Mario seals the mask with a varnish. 

He simultaneously finished painting 5 or 6 masks, explained the history of Venetian masks and Carnevale in Venice, and waited on customers hopping from various languages the entire way.   Mario has been making masks for more than 20 years, so he thought nothing of the amount of multi-tasking and language hopping he performed while I watched in amazement and took the entire afternoon just to sketch a very basic design.

 

 

The next day I came back and took the entire afternoon to paint my one mask.  Again he worked on at least 20, putting the finishing crackle (to give the effect that the mask is old and a little "cracked") onto some and starting others that would have music notes and gold detailing.  The gold detailing is done with what is basically a glue gun, then later painted.  Of course, he made the process look easy, which it definitely isn't, especially for an amateur.

 

 

 

 

Two afternoons later, and I had my own personally-made mask.  As you can see, I have a long way to go before I'm anywhere near professional mask-making status, but it's a beautiful memento of Mario and the two afternoons I spent with him at his mascheria.  I also bought one that he made to add to my collection.  It's a character from the Italian Commedia dell' Arte, il capitano. 

 

 

Mario gives mask-making classes that last 3 hours.  The cost per person is 25 euros, which includes a mask, paint, and also a brief history and explanation of the mask-making process.  As I did, you get to take the mask home with you after your lesson.  It needs to dry completely before you can add the varnish, so mine isn't varnished yet.  You can contact Benor Maschere to set up a mask-making lesson at www.benor-masks.com.  

 

Update:  I've heard from readers that some have had a hard time scheduling classes, which is understandable as it is a small shop.  Below are other shops that hold more formal classes.  Carnevale time is the busiest season for maskmakers in Venice.  Classes during Carnevale might be harder, and even impossible to book.  If booking during this time, I would advise to book well in advance. Thanks to Monica Cesarato of Venice for providing the information.

Ca del Sol Maschere

Ca Macana

 

Related Links:

Italian Hot Chocolate and Carnevale in Venice

Chiacchiere - Fried Sweets for Carnevale in Venice

Best Ways to Savor Venice

Cichetti and Ombra - Little Tastes of Venice

A Morning at the Rialto Market

Sfogi in Saor - Venetian Style Sole in Agrodolce

The Italian Teacher, The Friend and a Magical Chocolate Budino

Lo Spritz and Happy Hour in Venice

La Bottega ai Promessi ai Sposi

Burano - Jewel on the Lagoon

Best Places to Kiss in Italy

Italy in Books Review - The Glassblower of Murano

A Twist on a Venetian Spritz and Embracing Italian Culture

When to Ride a Gondola in Venice

The Dish from Venice - Nero di Seppie (Squid in its Ink)