Gourmet stroll in Venice and Chioggia

 

 

 

To continue your culinary stroll, just cross the Grand Canal in Rialto or take a gondola from the courthouse side to the Santa Sofia side.

 

In a recess on Strada Nuova, La Cantina might not catch your eye. Just one rather nondescript window, a modest sign... And yet for 12 years, Francesco Zorzetto has been serving a personal selection of wines by the glass here and cooks according to his whim, using exquisite ingredients.

 

His means – limited to a grill and an oven – don’t prevent him from serving up excellent meals for his regulars, according to market availability. The fresh fish, crustaceans and shellfish from the region, local charcuterie and even sometimes game, are of superior quality. No rules or real menu: trust the host, he will guide you depending on his mood.

 

Don’t be in a hurry, or take offence at his sometimes offhand manners, and be aware that quality comes at a considerable price. A dish of succulent grilled shrimp and scallops, a glass of an amazing white Frioulan – the result of grape skin maceration – will dissipate any regrets.

 

 

 

 

At dinnertime, you reach the height of pleasure. From Piazza San Marco (St Mark’s Square), go along the Riva degli Schiavoni then take an alley adjacent to the Gabrielli hotel.

 

At Campiello della Pescaria, you will see a simple, elegant terrace: the Al Covo restaurant is known to all the gourmets of Venice. Many of them consider it to be the best restaurant in the city, particularly as far as fish is concerned.

 

Since 1986, Cesare and Diane Benelli have been putting the spotlight on the fruit of an almost miraculous draught of fishes, fed by the confluence of the sea and lagoon. “It’s in these channels, called ‘ports’,” says Mr Benelli, “that the waters are the most clear and rich in food. Here you find an incalculable variety of fish and crustaceans that the whole world envies.” For lack of fishermen and in the face of growing competition, supply is becoming increasingly difficult. “I like to talk of a cuisine ‘of subtraction’,” explains the boss. “This means that we remove from the recipe anything that is not useful for showing the main ingredients to advantage.”

 

It is, of course, a triumph for fish: sea bream, bass, eels, John Dory, but above all produce from the lagoon such as moéca, a little crab caught during the moulting period, then fried. You can check the origin and price of the fish: the purchase invoices are on public display. The menu is merely to give you an idea because the dishes vary depending on the market. It is completed by a highly specialised selection of meats from Piedmont and cheese.

 

Cesare Benelli is also a wine buff. His wine list is rich and varied and on it you will find excellent Italian and French wines. A small symbol denotes the boss’s favourites.

 

To finish your meal, a glass of Moscato d’Asti, Vin Santo or Recioto will wash down the charming sweetmeats concocted by the lady of the house.