Tag: ItalianWine

March 6, 2026

Venice revisited: shopping, lunch and two dinners

That’s not two dinners on one night. Obviously.

Our partner in crime on this trip was Alison, chef of her own restaurant in Norfolk for many years.

It was her first time in Italy and, as a fellow food obsessive, I was excited to show her the markets. Her husband declined to join us, knowing that food would be the dominant subject of conversation.

He was right. Here we are, photographing Puntarelle (it’s a chicory, dressed with anchovies and garlic and…. alright, we’ll stop now).

We went to Rialto and discussed the price of fish.

We decided against the Goby,

but it was worth it for people watching,

Then lunch at Bancogiro, site of the world’s first public merchant bank. Their terrace overlooks the Grand Canal, a few steps from Rialto Bridge.

There’s a menu, but it’s better to go into the bar and choose your cicheti from the glass cabinet, order a glass of wine, (or it’s always Spritz o’clock) and they’ll bring it all to your table.

Dinner at Osteria alle Testiere, where ‘it’s always SHOWTIME!’

Alle Testiere is an absolute legend. It’s one of those restaurants where the guests are eager to impress their hosts.

It’s essential to make your reservation well ahead. We like to book for the second service, and we’re usually the last to leave.

It’s tiny, founded 33 years ago by Luca di Vita and Bruno Gavagnin, who were formerly head waiter and chef respectively at Corte Sconta, renowned for its seafood.

It’s a long menu. Fish is the point here, they’re closed on Sunday and Monday, because the Rialto market isn’t open.

Luca took our order:

‘Three turbot? I hope we have enough’.

After dinner, Ali engaged Luca in conversation.

‘Bruno goes to Rialto every day, he’s like a child in a sweet shop, he wants to buy everything’.

Ali confided that in her restaurant she listed three choices for each course on her menu.

‘That’s my dream’ said Luca, ‘and the same for the wine list – just three that will go with anything you order’.

With that in mind, we ordered three desserts: pannacotta, zabaglione and a glorious dark chocolate mousse, swimming in a lagoon of Amaro.

Alle Testiere is open for lunch, and two sittings in the evening (book it as soon as you’ve booked your flight).

Trattoria del Local

Ali flew home the next day, and we decided to try the recent offshoot of Ristorante Local, which opened ten years ago and now has a Michelin star.

The young owners, Benedetta and Luca Fullin, were looking for somewhere nearby to store wine for Local, but when the opportunity came up to buy the premises from Olive Nera, the restaurant next door, they couldn’t resist…..

It’s pretty inside and, like Testiere, it’s small.

The wine list offers wines by the 125cl glass or 250cl carafe; the full list is available by scanning a code to your phone (a skill beyond my pay grade).

We had a vermouth, ‘classic from Turin’, and a glass of sparkling Franciacorta as aperitifs, then shared a carafe of ‘Giulietta’, a Garganega/Traminer blend; golden nectar, redolent of greengage, melon and honey.

Starters were a delicate snapper mousse, and an exemplary vitello tonnato.

Mains were lagoon fish with a rich stew of tomato, onion and capers.

I asked for a glass of light red wine, and was recommended a Carmenere by Inama, a favourite producer of fine Soave.

We shared a selection of hard cheeses, then a ‘Bonet’, a dark chocolate crème caramel. I couldn’t resist the waitress’s recommendation of a 10 year old dry Marsala; ‘With the Bonet it’s the end of the world’.

To finish, I was intrigued by Grappa di Tabacco.

Benedetta suggested a smell, ‘for you to understand’, and offered me a sniff of the cork and the open bottle.

Reader, I inhaled it, and accepted a glass. It was the colour of polished brass, quite fiery and the taste had something in common with a smoky Islay whisky.

It may have been my imagination, but it reminded me of the mild hallucinogenic effect of your first cigarette.

Benedetta smiled; ‘as an ex-smoker I don’t want to like it. But I do’.

Opened early in 2025, it’s still being checked out by locals, a lot of whom were clearly in the restaurant business. I think we were probably the only non-Italians there.

As we left, the chef was enjoying a fag break (the real thing) with his mates.

Full disclosure:

We spent more on dinner for two here than we had for three the night before at Testiere, but we did drink very well.

We were over excited, and turned right out of the restaurant – we should have gone left.

It’s easy to take a wrong turn in Venice.

http://www.osterialletestiere.it/

Starters & pasta 26 – 28 euros. Mains 32 euros. Desserts 12 euros. Extensive wine list from 24 euros a bottle.

http://www.trattoriadellocal.com/

Starters & pasta 16 – 25 euros. Mains 24 – 28 euros. Wine from 27 euros a bottle. Grappa di Tabacco – did I really?

January 13, 2026

Amaro. For the avoidance of doubt.

‘It’s bitter, no?

This is the true Amaro’, explained Luca di Vita, the charming maitre d’ of Osteria alle Testiere in Venice.
It’s one of my favourite restaurants.

Amaro in Italian means bitter. It’s also a drink. Most of the commercial brands are a bit too sweet, and Luca has created his own ‘Nostrano’, (Ours).

It’s a drink to savour after a meal, a bit like port, but yes, bitter…..
It’s brownish red in colour, with a hint of green.

There’s sweetness, yes, but with the bitterness of rhubarb, artichoke (try Cynar, if you’re feeling adventurous) and who knows what other alchemy.

It’s stimulating, a punctuation that marks the end of a meal, and it supposedly helps the digestion.

Bitter flavours are prized by Italians in ways that we Brits might find challenging: radicchio, rocket, Campari, and the complexities of aged balsamic vinegar or Gorgonzola Piccante.

I dare you.

December 21, 2025

A postcard from Turin

History is close to the surface

The emblem of Torino is a little bull. I happened upon this one, looking down at me from the wall of a house.

Turin was founded by the ancient Romans; Porta Palatina is a fragment of their city wall.

We stayed on Via Garibaldi, a pedestrianised shopping street in the Centro Storico.

Exploring on the first day, I could hear a drumbeat in the distance. As the drums came closer, fifers started to play ‘The British Grenadiers’, a bizarre choice of tune in this Italian city.

The banner commemorates local hero Pietro Micca, who sacrificed his life in 1706, defending his city against the French.

City of culture

Since the Winter Olympics of 2006, and with the declining importance of industry, Turin has sought to attract tourism. There are free walking tours available from Via Garibaldi, and you’ll happen upon small scale but interesting exhibitions, such as Gli Italiani at the Palazzo Falletti in Barolo, just off Via Garibaldi.

‘The Italians’ was a project undertaken in the sixties by French photographer Bruno Barbey, documenting the lives of ordinary Italians in a country still emerging from the aftermath of the Second World War.

Palermo 1963

Venezia 1962

There are grand museums and galleries too; Turin is home to a collection of Egyptian antiquities second only to the museum in Cairo, and an extraordinary museum of Italian cinema.

Where we ate, what we drank

The restaurants we went to were inexpensive and not touristy. Wines start at around 20 euros a bottle, and are often available in carafe.

La Taverna dei Mercanti

A cosy place with a menu largely based around thinly sliced veal and beef: carpaccio, brasato, tonnato.

If that weren’t confusing enough, I ordered a grappa. Good job I didn’t ask for a large one….

An elegant pour

Tre Galli (three cockerels, not to be confused with its nearby sister restaurant ‘Tre Galline’, three chickens) is a bit of a hipster place near Porta Palazzo market. The highlight for me was this dish of pasta with beans, chestnuts, pumpkin, gorgonzola and a wine reduction; like a big warm hug on a chilly November evening. We followed with a Zabaglione per condividere (a handy phrase, meaning ‘to share’).

Pasta Garfagnano

Pino & Pino was recommended by Giuditta, the owner of our apartment, as somewhere she eats regularly.

(She also has accommodation for skiing and sent me loads of photos, please DM me if you’re interested, and I’ll put you in touch).

We started with a foaming carafe of Frizzante, then demolished a bottle of red Dolcetto.

It was Carciofi (artichoke) season, and there were three specials on the blackboard. We had these ‘fritti’ and a salad of thinly sliced raw artichokes with lemon juice and shaved parmesan.

Anyone for tennis?

I can recommend Turin as a destination for a city break, there’s plenty to see (and eat!).

The ATP tournament is back in 2026, and we’re tempted to go for a return match….

December 18, 2025

Turin: searching for markets

The beauty of renting an apartment in an Italian city is that you have your own front door key, and a kitchen.

We based ourselves in a well appointed apartment on Via Garibaldi.

Even if you don’t want to do any complicated cooking, you can buy some exceptional salame, fresh pasta, cheese and fruit – you’ll even pick up some very acceptable wine for around €5 a bottle.

Turin used to have a reputation for being an industrial city, famous for the Fiat factory and little else, but it’s also the capital of Piedmont, a region with a rich agricultural tradition.

It’s the home of the Slow Food movement, which celebrates small scale producers.

Opening ceremony at the Slow Food festival, 2016

Residents still do their shopping at food markets, and there are excellent independent shops.

Porta Palazzo is the largest outdoor market in Europe and one of the oldest, attracting 100,000 visitors a week. Located on Piazza della Repubblica in the city centre, it consists of roughly half food stalls and half clothing.

There are three permanent food halls on the perimeter; the fish market has closed since I was last there in 2016, but there are still fish vendors in another building.

Best of the three is ‘L’Antica Tettoia dell’Orologio’, with a distinctive clock on its glass and iron façade. Inside you’ll find butchers (including horsemeat), cheese, and all kinds of speciality delicatessen.

Behind it is a little gem, the covered farmers’ market.

‘Mercato Centrale’ opened in 2019 on the northwest corner of the piazza. It’s a food court with a long bar at the centre, and plenty of choices for a lunch or snack: Brazilian or Moroccan food, a seafood bar, and of course food from the Italian regions. It was packed on Sunday, easier to negotiate the following day.

Upstairs there’s a cookery school, and a fashion mall.

The central bar at Mercato Centrale

There’s a counter devoted to the local Agnolotti del Plin (see my previous post, weren’t you paying attention?). ‘Plin’ are smaller than ravioli, and filled with meat – but I’ve never seen them offered fried before.

I was looking for something a little lighter.

I chose a warm focaccia with guanciale (cured pork cheek in melting slices) and potato, from a large bakery stall.

Mercato Centrale has outposts in Florence, Rome and Milan.

You’d think Porta Palazzzo would be enough for any city, but no. I was struck on this visit by the excellent street markets in other locations.

Perhaps best of all is the Sunday producers’ market in Piazza delle Erbe, aka Piazza Palazzo di Città. Star turn was the fresh pasta lady, who was enthusiastically offering tastings. I chose the goats’ cheese and caramelised onion.

The aforementioned wine producer was also happy to give tastings of perfectly decent Spumante, Dolcetto and Nebbiolo, mostly around €5 or 6 a bottle.

If food isn’t your thing, there’s a flea market, Balôn, to the northwest of Porta Palazzo.

On the second Sunday of the month it becomes the ‘Gran Balôn’ with seemingly endless stalls selling vintage posters, clothing, antiques, furniture, even bikes.

If all that’s not enough, on a clear day you can see the Alps from the city centre….

December 3, 2025

Turin: in Search of Stanley Tucci

My travelling companions were going to Turin for the ATP year-end tennis tournament.

I was there for the food. My last visit was in 2015, and I had some unfinished business.

Hollywood star Stanley Tucci, ‘Italian on both sides’, was a source of research in the Piedmont episode of his TV series ‘Searching for Italy’, available on Amazon Prime.

First stop, coffee

We followed in his footsteps for coffee at Al Bicerin, an institution on Piazza della Consolata since 1763. They run a queuing system, and once you sit down there’s a short wait while your drinks are made, and the complimentary biscotti are plated.

Al Bicerin

Pronounced Beech-erin, the eponymous drink consists of layers of espresso and dark hot chocolate, sipped through cold cream, a perfect start on a chilly morning. ‘We suggest not to stir it’.

So far, so good. Where to for lunch, Stanley?

Piola da Celso, an unassuming place on a quiet residential backstreet. Piola translates roughly as a tavern serving home cooked food.

Chef Elisabetta prepares everything herself each day, and Stanley was assured she makes the best Bagna Caôda in town. Traditionally eaten during the grape harvest and pressing, it’s a warm dipping sauce of garlic and anchovies, served with vegetables.

‘It has incredible flavour, and will give you incredible breath – the garlic kills everyone in front of you’.

I had to try it.

I walked there to work up an appetite, which was just as well. I was shown to a table next to a group of five men of a certain age, who were already deeply engrossed in pasta, tripe, roast rabbit, and carafes of red wine.

Elisabetta’s son Carlo was called over to speak to me in English. I did my best, and he quickly reassured me ‘your Italian is perfect’. (He’s as charming as he appeared to be on TV).

‘My name is Carlo, like your king’.

He recommended the mixed antipasto to start, with the last portion of Bagna Caôda.

I ordered un quartino dell’ Arneis, a 25cl carafe of the local white wine.

Bagna Cauda

The antipasto was a lesson in Piemontese dialect: vitel tonné, salame cotto, insalata russa, tomino with two sauces*.

*sliced veal with tuna & caper mayonnaise, baked salami, Russian salad, and tangy, creamy cheeses with red & green sauces – all specialities of the region; the salame you will only find there.

Tomino cheeses

Elisabetta came over, unbidden, to give me a taste of a mysterious green purée; I asked what it was, and she showed me a raw floret: ‘e broccolo, con un po di patate’…..

I ordered the agnolotti con salsa arrosto, ‘then you can decide what to do….’

An enormous pan of pasta arrived, dressed with parmesan and the rich juices of roast meat. ‘It’s ravioli, but here in Piemonte we call it agnolotti’.

I reluctantly declined the offers of meat and dessert, and opted for an espresso. Lunch was 28 euros.

Carlo asked my name, took an interest in where I was from, what was my work, and offered to call me a taxi.

Two days later I returned, this time with reinforcements.

I had phoned ahead, and Elisabetta recognised me, greeting me with a little curtsey.

Two of us shared the antipasti, then Tajarin, similar to spaghetti but fresh pasta, with tomato, followed by a slice of Bonet, a dense dark chocolate mousse with crumbled amaretti and mandarin jam.

Bonet with Amaro

Carlo recommended a glass of Amaro San Carlo (‘like me’) as a digestif, a bittersweet drink with flavours of alpine herbs.

Lunch for two came to £47.

He recommended booking for dinner a week in advance. There’s no website, just a Facebook page, so phone and practise your Italian; ask for Carlo, or ask your hotel to call.

Back at home, I watched ‘Searching for Italy’ again.

With the help of subtitles, it was Elisabetta who stole the show:

‘This will be the best Bagna Caôda you will have in your life.

It will resurrect a dead person’.

April 9, 2020

Wine & food matching at Murano

Not everyone wants to know what I’ve been drinking (so to speak).

I usually post this sort of thing on what’s categorised by WordPress, the template that’s the framework of this blog, as a ‘Page’.

The page is called “And to drink?” and you’ll find it here: https://wp.me/P7AW4i-aV

I update it as a cumulative drinks diary, so if you’re interested in the world of beverages, it’s worth checking in from time to time.

This time, with 8 wines, carefully chosen to go with 8 courses, (plus canapés, and salumi and breadsticks in case we left hungry) I thought the liquid aspect of dinner at Murano warranted a standalone Post.

We were greeted with a glass (or two. Well, several) of Champagne.

Canapés: Parmesan churros (a savoury doughnut); Mushroom & mozzarella Arancini: Mackerel tartare; Pickled beetroot.
A. R. Lenoble, ‘Intense’ Mag 15 Brut, non vintage.

The cuvée is unusually 45% Pinot Meunier (for fragrance), 45% Pinot Noir (for body) and 15% Chardonnay; a crisp and appetising apéritif with the canapés.

Vitello Tonnato followed.
Angela Hartnett’s 2017 Sangiovese Rosato, a dry, pale pink Tuscan from Tenute Fertuna.

Creamy textured; strawberry, white fruit & sour cherry notes cut through the richness of the veal.

Artichoke fagottini, pecorino fondue, Perigord truffle.
2018 Greco, Pietracupa, Campania.

Declassified Greco di Tufo; savoury, nutty, orchard fruits & citrus, low acidity. A successful match for the difficult combination of Artichoke and truffle.

Halibut, carrot, buttermilk, fennel & Pernod velouté.
2018 I.G.T. Marche Bianco, ‘Terre Silvate’, La Distesa, Marche.

100% biodynamic Verdicchio: medium bodied, aromatic, with fennel notes and a salty, funky character.

Rare breed pork (roast loin & smoked belly), fermented cabbage, quince, mustard.
2012 I.G.T Toscana, Póllera Rosso, Fattoria Ruschi Noceti, Tuscany.

The sommelier Ali told us this was a rare & obscure grape variety from somewhere in Italy. Emboldened by the champagne, I asked to taste it blind. ‘Pelaverga from Piemonte?’ I ventured? No. ‘Corvina from the Veneto, perhaps?’ No.

‘I know! A Sicilian from Mount Etna!’ I said with (ill-advised) confidence.

It turned out to be Pòllera, a grape native to Maremma in Tuscany (I’d never heard of it). The pork brought out flavours of cherry & plum in the wine.

Selection of cheese from La Fromagerie (Isle of Mull cheddar, Vacca Blue from Piemonte, Epoisse and Fleur Marie).
2016 I.G.T. Vinetti delle Dolomiti, Teroldego, Foradori, Trentino Alto Adige.

Biodynamic wine, Teroldego is a relative of Syrah. Fresh acidity and dark fruit made friends with a fine selection of cheese.

Caramelised Amalfi Lemon tart, with a texture like crème brûlée.
2016, Jurançon ‘La Magendia’, Lapeyre, Southwest France.

The intense acidity of the lemons went head to head with the orange and lemon citrus in the wine.

Chocolate marquise, confit orange. Chocolate mousse, rhubarb.
2007 Passito di Malvasia, ‘Vigna dell Volta’, La Stoppa, Emilia-Romagna.

Chocolate is notoriously tricky with wine. This unfiltered wine (decanted) worked a treat: nutty and savoury, intensely sweet with refreshing acidity.

There. We made it to pudding.

April 3, 2020

Dinner in Murano

I should have been in Venice.

Our flight was booked for 27 March, for a short break before my operation that was scheduled for May 1^st.

Still, we can look back to dinner in Murano a couple of weeks ago; that’s Angela Hartnett’s restaurant in Mayfair, not the island.

View of the kitchen from The Chef’s Table, Murano

My brother-in-law Richard is a director at Smart Catering, where Angela is executive chef; a dinner at the chef’s table was his birthday treat.

Tuscan Rosato with the veal

The head chef came out of the kitchen to introduce herself, and the menu.

‘I’m Lauren; I’m not Italian, as you can probably tell’,

she said, deadpan, in a Scottish accent, before running through the meal: canapés, a starter, pasta, a fish course, a meat course, cheese, and no fewer than three puddings.

‘Let’s hope we get through to pudding’, said Richard.

Ali, the Sommelier, who chose the wines for the evening, loving her work

Between courses, a chef came out of the kitchen to explain his or her dish.

“I love it when the chefs have to come out and describe their dish, in fully formed sentences”

commented Ali, as Harry emerged with his outstanding Vitello Tonnato.

Vitello Tonnato

Lauren invited us into the kitchen to plate our own fish course: halibut, carrot. buttermilk, fennel & Pernod velouté.

Lauren setting us the Halibut Challenge

The pressure was on.

On the pass: ‘Yes, chef!’

Ali was wearing a gold bunch of grapes as a brooch. Asked if it was her sommelier’s badge,

“Yes, I bought it on eBay – it’s bigger and more feminine than the official one”.

Rare breed pork, fermented cabbage, quince, mustard

The pork was so good, I forgot to take a picture before getting stuck in.

We were presented with a menu at the end of the evening (to make sure we had been concentrating)

It was an outstanding and truly memorable experience. The different dishes were subtle, concentrated, beautifully executed – and the wines were marvellous, and thoughtfully chosen.

I’ll write about the food and wine pairings in my page ‘And to Drink?’

The team, led by the terrific duo of Lauren and Ali, is exceptional.

Murano by Angela Hartnett, 20-22 Queen Street, London W1J 5PP.

A calm and happy kitchen, and a real sense of welcome and hospitality front-of-house.

https://www.muranolondon.com/

Café Murano: St James’s; Covent Garden; Bermondsey Street

January 16, 2020

2019 – the Food Stuff

There’s a weekend to be planned here – nothing that couldn’t be achieved with the services of a private jet, and perhaps a bit of time travel.

You could have breakfast in Paris, take a coffee in Stockholm, then lunch on Torcello, or Borough Market in London if you prefer.

Dinner? Back to Paris, on to Amsterdam? Or (my choice) Stockholm again for a magnificent steak.

I’ll let you take in an hour’s TV to recover, then if you still have the stamina, we’ll head over to Venice for a nightcap.

Best Breakfast of 2019?

It has to be The French Bastards, for ‘A croissant worth crossing Paris for’

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-Kj

Best croissant in Paris?

Mid morning coffee

A seriously good cup of coffee is one of life’s great pleasures for me, and they don’t get much better than at Robert’s Coffee, in the Saluhall market, Stockholm.

The cinnamon buns are a bonus. (They take cards only, not cash, so you won’t even have to bother buying kronor).

Fika at Robert’s Coffee, Stockholm

What have the Swedes ever done for us?

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-Cv

Lunch in the Lagoon….

Osteria al Ponte del Diavolo on the island of Torcello; all the better for being unexpected.

Torcello is about an hour from Venice; you can reach it on a scheduled service, changing at Burano, using your vaporetto pass.

Osteria al Ponte del Diavolo, Torcello

The ancient basilica on Torcello predates the city of Venice. To reach it from the quay, you walk along the side of a canal. The most famous restaurant on the island is the Locanda Cipriani nearby, but you pass three others on the way.

We weren’t looking for a grand lunch, but something to fortify us for the basilica.

The first place looked fun, but was packed with families queuing for pizza.

The second was a fairly standard Trattoria. We walked on.

The third had a big dining room with a covered terrace at the back, opening onto a garden. The menu looked as if we could find something suitable, so we went in and were greeted with smiles and shown to a table.

It was a good decision, even the bread basket was exceptional. We had a pretty antipasto of colourful steamed vegetables, all tasting intensely of themselves, served warm to bring out the fruitiness of the olive oil dressing.

Then black squid ink pasta, with crab, samphire and rosemary; orecchiette with turbot and cherry tomatoes.

We drank Arneis, a white from Piemonte.

After lunch we wandered round the garden and may have dropped off on a bench in the pergola. Just for a moment….

Osteria al Ponte del Diavolo is open for lunch Tuesday to Sunday, and dinner on Friday and Saturday.

Contatti

….and at Borough Market

Closer to home but equally unexpected was discovering the new Brindisa Kitchen at Borough Market. It’s inspired by the bars in Spanish markets.

I saw it had opened the day before I’d arranged to meet a friend for a day of shopping and sustenance (Instagram has its uses).

A perfect scallop

A glass of Manzanilla with a single perfect scallop.

Hake & mussels.

I love watching chefs happy in their work, interacting with their customers, and the bar staff were charming.

The head chef, Brindisa Kitchen

Hake & mussels

https://boroughmarket.org.uk/traders/brindisa-kitchen

Dinner?

Honourable mention for the Sweetbreads at Frenchie’s Wine Bar, Paris.

So good, I ate them twice.

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-Kh

‘Everything, I want to eat everything’

Caffé Toscanini in Amsterdam for the whole experience of food and hospitality; a perfect aperitif followed by an accomplished Italian meal, delivered with good humour and expertise.

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-Kh

The bar at Caffe Toscanini, Amserdam

The prize goes to A.G. for the best steak of 2019. I’ll be lucky to find one as good in 2020.

Most of the tables were occupied by groups of men sharing massive steaks.

There were also a few couples on date nights, sharing massive steaks.

‘Vegetarians, look away now’.

https://wp.me/p7AW4i-Oh

A.G. – ‘vegetarians, look away now’

TV Show: Remarkable places to eat, Episode 1, in which chef Angela Hartnett takes Maitre d’ Fred Siriex to her favourites in Venice.

It’s a full hour of television, so they have time to show you the dedication and hard work that goes into delivering the best ingredients and food experiences in the city. These are not cynical tourist traps. Nothing is done without effort: wading chest deep in the lagoon to harvest seafood; delivering vegetables by boat and trolley to Bruno Gavagnin, the quietly spoken but demanding chef at Alle Testiere; walking half a kilometre over bridges carrying boxes of perfect patisserie to Caffe Florian, from their production kitchen to Piazza San Marco – several times throughout the day.

At the time of writing it’s not available on BBC iPlayer, but it’s sure to turn up on your TV sooner or later.

Here are the fishermen:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0006vw3

Here’s a clip:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07g3dkl

FANCY A NIGHTCAP?

Let’s head back to Venice, for a glass of wine at Vino Vero.

You’ll find it here, on my page ‘And to drink?’

https://wp.me/P7AW4i-aV

November 26, 2019

Drinking with Chip ‘n’ Dale

It’s your first evening in Venice, and you’ve booked dinner at Al Zucca, ten minutes walk from your hotel. You’ve been there before, you fancy a drink first, but you can’t remember anywhere on the way to the restaurant. There’s a street in the other direction where you know there’s a simple pizzeria on the corner, with a well stocked bar, so you set off.

As you approach, there’s the sound of lively conversation that grows louder as you get closer, and it’s not coming from the pizza place.

Turning the corner, there’s a tiny new bar, and it’s buzzing. On one side it opens onto the calle, inside is the bar: a glass cabinet of cicheti, some bottles of wine, and a display of your favourite bitters above. There are two bar stools, a couple of barrels outside, and that’s about it.

‘Un spritz al Cynar, con prosecco, grazie’

There are two guys behind the bar, the service is friendly, and so are the prices:

A spritz is €2.50, or €3.50 con prosecco – a generous pour over ice, topped up with prosecco and a splash of soda. They have Cynar and Select, as well as the usual Campari and Aperol.

You prefer wine? €1 for un ombra, or €2.50 for un calice, a proper glass. Cicheti are €1.50 a piece.

The seemingly never-ending pour

We enjoyed it so much, we went back for a drink after dinner….

‘Later that night’

In fact, we were back the next morning too, for coffee this time, although there were spritzes lined up on the bar by 11am.

The morning spritz, Cip & Ciop

Demographic: all ages, from a babe in arms upwards; a mix of visitors and locals.

Playlist: energetic salsa.

What’s it called? Cip e Ciop. In English, that’s pronounced (approximately) ‘Chip Eh Chop’. None the wiser, I looked it up; apparently they are Disney cartoon characters, two chipmunks whose names translate as ‘Chip ‘n’ Dale’.

Where to find it: the closest Vaporetto stop is Riva di Biásio on the Grand Canal; it’s the first stop from the train station, which explains the flow past the bar of visitors with luggage. Turn right off the vaporetto stop, until you have to turn left into Calle del Pistor, and Cip e Ciop is on the corner of Lista dei Bari.

I’d say you can’t miss it, but this being Venice, of course you can….

The Grand Canal near Riva di Biasio

http://www.hotelcazustovenezia.it/en/

Ristorante La Zucca: http://www.lazucca.it/en

My review https://wp.me/p7AW4i-zv

October 22, 2019

Dalla Marisa, by way of Buckingham Palace

Her Majesty the Queen owns the largest collection in the world of paintings by Canaletto. This was celebrated in November 2018 by an exhibition at The Queen’s Gallery, Buckingham Palace: Canaletto and the Art of Venice.

One of the events organised at the gallery was a conversation on Venice with art historian Andrew Graham Dixon and restaurateur Russell Norman.

When asked in the Q & A which painting in the room they would like to take home, Russell immediately laid his claim for a large canvas depicting the basilica of Santa Maria della Salute.

Andrew confessed that Canaletto, although a fine painter, was not his favourite. If he were to be transported back to the 18th century to meet him, his first question would probably be ‘what can you tell me about Caravaggio?’

Another questioner asked what the pair thought of the food scene in Venice today.

Andrew agreed with Russell that if you see a restaurant with linen tablecloths, each place set with two knives, two forks and two glasses….

‘Don’t go there’

Instead, Russell Norman made reference to Dalla Marisa, a Venetian institution. He recently described it as

“The cacophonous canteen that is Dalla Marisa.

32 seated inside and close to 60 outside (no women inside at all). Everything cooked by a kitchen brigade of two, who both look like they’re in their 70’s. One washer-upper and two waiters. Three choices of pasta & 3 choices of meat course (it’s famous for its carne, being situated next to the old abbatoir) There are international art dealers side-by-side with paint-splattered labourers, gondoliere, politicians and a few cops”.

Outdoor tables at Dalla Marisa on the Cannaregio Canal

It seemed churlish not to follow his advice

I had read that there’s a fixed price of €35 for three courses including wine. It was to be lunch before an evening flight, so we decided to go for it. While they take bookings, it was Monday and the weather was good, so we took the risk and turned up to take our chances. Arriving at 1pm it was busy, so we loitered optimistically by the door, and a table outside soon became available.

Inside it’s a busy dining room. At the back you can catch a glimpse of the chef in her domain, an elderly lady in a white jacket and equally elderly slippers. She emerged to talk to a table of eight regulars (with a woman in charge) about their order.

There’s no printed menu, but a blackboard at the entrance indicated a more attemptable lunch for €17.

The lunch menu, Dalla Marisa

We opted to order in Italian. Three choices of pasta were offered by the waitress, ‘today we have tomato, ragú, or (something or other) with Bresaola’.

We both chose the Ragú, and I asked for 1/4 Vino bianco, a 250cl carafe of white wine.

The pasta arrived quite quickly, but the wine needed a reminder.

Half a litre came; it would have been rude to complain

it was was slightly frizzante, with a good head of froth.

The froth subsiding rapidly on vino frizzante

The pasta were conchiglie, little shells that were the vehicle for the mildly seasoned, oily sauce.

Perfetto.

Pasta al Ragu

Next up, per secondo: “stew”, pork chop, steak, chicken cutlet, pork with wine.

The stew looked great on neighbouring tables, chunks of meat in a rich sauce, and the chicken was simple and good, hot from the grill.

Pollo grigliato

Contorni (vegetables on the side), a choice of chicory or peppers. The chicory was silky and savoury, the colour of the Cannaregio Canal.

Cicoria

We finished with two perfect espressi.

Towards the end of lunch, a grizzled ruffian shuffled out of the restaurant. I surmised he might be Marisa’s husband; bearded, with long hair, a crucifix earring and flip flops.

He picked up some leftover bread from a table, and threw it disconsolately into the canal for the gathering crowd of pigeons and gannets. He spent the next half hour or so ineffectually flapping his arms, trying to shoo them away when they inevitably came back for more.

A flapping contest

Russell Norman again:

‘The portions are huge and the wine on other tables seems to be bottomless (are these people going back to work?!) There is nowhere else quite like it in Venice or, indeed, beyond. I’ve heard that it, like so many Venetian institutions, is changing hands soon. I hope its philosophy and legacy remain…’

I like the Cannaregio Canal. The Guglie Vaporetto stop is on the Allilaguna route to the airport, and a few tourists stray from the Strada Nuova, but it feels like a working thoroughfare. There are no gondolas, there’s a small fish market by the canal, and a Jewish café is a clue to its proximity to the Venetian Ghetto (the first in the world).