dining GUIDE FOOD | DINING
Trestle Tavern . . . . . 124 Martine . . . . . . . . . . 126 Sicilia Mia . . . . . . . . 128 Bombay House . . . . 130 Rocking V . . . . . . . . 132
Tasting the Place Veneto Ristorante
PHOTO ADAM FINKLE
Tender pockets of pasta folded around pear, pecorino and mascarpone are glossed with a reduced cream. Thick strands of bigoli—almost chewy but not quite— are tangled up with deeply savory duck ragu one night, shredded boar another, both dishes tomato-less and less saucy than is usual in AmericanItalian restaurants. Irregular nuggets of “mountain gnocchi” (like spaetzle) are coated with butter, sage and plenty of Monte Veronese cheese,
giving the dumplings a sweet, almost caramel flavor like mild ParmigianoReggiano. Fritto misto is pure Venetian— slivers of onion, beans, olives and vegetables in a lacy coating of crispy batter sparkles in the mouth like the Prosecco you should drink with it. The food at the much-anticipated Veneto is excellent. Part of the reason is that in Veneto Ristorante, Salt Lake—finally—has a restaurant that focuses on the food of a specific Ital-
ian region. “Italian food” is really 20 different cuisines. Well, if you want to get picky, every Italian village and city has its own style of cooking. Instead of the usual encyclopedia of Italianesque dishes, everything from spaghetti and meatballs to veal parmigiana, Veneto’s menu is a concise and focused list of specific dishes. No mix and match, no American spins, no mingling of Sicily with Alto Adige, and although Tartare de carne Piemontese, minced beef from cattle
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