Travel most tourists will flock into. Very close by is Do Mori, dating back to 1462. Stone floor, low ceilings and atmosphere. No wonder Casanova used to drink here! Moving on to the Cannaregio district, we’ll pass a number of good, reasonably priced eating places, especially around the Ponte del Cavallo, but a good choice would be red-shuttered Ostaria al Ponte directly across from the immense Gothic Basilica dei Santi Giovanni e Paolo and with a regular clientele of priests who enjoy plates of mixed meats, butter beans and white cheese, Musetto (a rich fatty sausage) and grilled radicchio. We’re close now to the Rialto market and it’s across the Grand Canal to find family bar Ca’ d’Oro, open now for over 130 years. Time for a change of pace and along the busy Strada Nuova for La Cantina for great wine or the house beer. Time finally for some proper sized plates of food so it’s off to small restaurant Alle Testiere, close to Santa Maria Formosa, where recipes back to the Middle Ages are used, such as Gnocchetti with cinnamon-perfumed baby squid. The place is a hidden gem and is well worth seeking out for when you want to do more than just snack. The key to eating well in Venice is to keep on the move, trusting the knowledge of the locals to find the small, unpretentious places that deliver great tasting food. Dsplayed on numerous small plates, you’ll discover the real Venice, reflected in its food and its far-reaching trade routes and cultural connections. La Serenissima indeed.
The beauty of the Grand Canal; the shadow of the Campanile over Piazza San Marco; transport via hand in a city without streets; and the small chillies that add heat to Venice’s dishes, on sale everywhere.
58 53-60 Travel.indd 58
9/26/12 10:52 AM