As much as I love Italy, Venice was never high on my “to-do” list. However our Spring Onion is studying in Venice for the fall semester, and when she said “You’re not going to visit me???” we rearranged our schedules and went. Departing on Wednesday night from BOS gave us nearly a full day on Thursday. Our return early Monday morning afforded us 4 full days with our daugther.
A couple of first-time observations. The scene outside the main train station is rather chaotic - it reminds me of a Roman traffic circle with boats. Venice may be the only Italian city with out motor scooters or bicycles. Cars are limited to very small parts of the island. It is not very handicapped-accessible: the entrance to the train station lacks a ramp so there is no option other than navigating stairs (not great with wheeled luggage). The old bridges (and most are old) also lack ramps. Another observation is the affect around the word “campo” (literally “field”) which Venetians use to describe certain squares (there are criteria for a square to be termed campo, apparently it has to have a well and a filled-in canal).
That said it has an undeniable charm. There appear to be so many impossibly cute enotecas, bacaros, and chiccetterias you could spend many months trying them all. Our daugther is staying on the university “camplus” - not jus a campus, a campus - in the Santa Marta area, and we booked an AirBnB in the nearby Dorsodouro neighborhood. It is much lest touristy and yet convenient to much of the island.
Day 1 we had lunch nearby at Resorante Adriatica, in the Il Palazzo Experimental Hotel. This was a great choice for unwidning after the long trip. Modern, uncrowded, and a relaxed vibe with slightly different riffs on Venetian classics. Foccacia with anchiovies and mascarpone and a board of mixed charcutterie were favorites.
Day 2 we met our daugther and two of her classmates for lunch at Ai Mercanti, tucked away of a courtyard hidden from the bustle. Michelin (I discovered later) describes it as a “gastrosteria”. Favorites included pasta with fresh porcini, and a delicate piece of cod in brodo. My spouse claimed they served the best Cappuccino she had this trip. They also had an impressive collection of grappa, for sipping or cafe coretto.
Day 3 we visited Glam, just 3 of us. This is apparently the only Michelin two star restaurant in Venice, and we were blown away in more ways than one. The dishes were inventive both in conmpostition and presentation (some bites hiing in a “tree” of rosemary). I opted ahead of time for the “shorter” 7-course lunch (a 9-course menu is offered) and the only down side was the amount of food and the length of time (3 hours) to get through it. That said it was far more memorable, and relaxed, than the 3-star Enoteca Pinchiori in Florence. I really think Enoteca Pinchiori should give Glam one of their stars. So many memorable tastes and presentations. Here more than elsewhere local vegetables were celebrated. An array of tiny tempura vegetables, each supported in its own tiny “dot” of sauce came out looking like a field of stars on a large paller. This was finger food, as were many dishes. Local oysters, a rice cracker “sandwich” of creamy liver paté (this was hidden in the rosemary bush), a risoto with ras el hanout (perfectly paired with a sweet wine that came as a bit of a surprise). Near the end a perfectly medium rare piece of venison was so tender it must have been aged for a month. They offered several wine pairings, including one with blockbuster wines spanning the globe, but I opted for the “Giro d’Italia” option, which focused on wines from the region and was a delight. This was very memorable but it may take us a day of walking to recover!
