I chose a cafe down the street from the hotel, and ordered my first cappuchino and a corneto, or brioche as they are also known. It's basically a croissant, filled with various sweets such as ricotta, marmalade, chocolate, or cream. This one was filled with orange marmalade. I stood at the bar and devoured both. The coffee was so good that I ordered a second, hoping that it would eliminate the jet lag. The two behind the bar drank Heineken (at 10am!) while Led Zeppelin played over the stereo system. I like this place.
I then began to wander through all of the narrow streets and canals. Fortunately, all of the main tourist destinations in Venice are well-marked, so I didn't have much trouble finding St. Mark's Square and the Basilica, which I toured, along with the Palazzo Ducale, which is where the supreme head of the Republic of Venice lived. Both were incredible, although no pictures were allowed in either. I then wandered over and took a look at the water.
I did stop at Harry's Bar, which is right around the corner. Frequented by the likes of Ernest Hemingway and Charlie Chaplin, it has a rich history, and the bellini is their signature drink. That's why I ordered a Negroni; I prefer to be a non-conformist. Although they bring you free olives and croquettes, the drinks are not worth the price. However, if you're big into arts and literature, you just might be willing to pay to sit among history.
Okay, now for the reason I'm here. It's time for lunch.
My guidebook highlighted a restaurant called Osteria al Bacareto, and after a few failed attempts (remember, this is Venice!), I found it. Restaurants in Italy are open for lunch from approximately 12-3pm, so you have plenty of time for a late lunch.
I started with the ciccheti for the appetizer, and I absolutely loved this dish. There were a variety of items on the plate, including an omelet with vegetables such as peas and carrots, fried zucchini, and my absolute favorite, baccala (cod) on toast. I don't know what they do with the cod, but it almost seems to be whipped, and it's creamy and delicious.
For my main course, I attempted the spaghetti in squid ink, a Venice specialty. To my surprise, the flavor is incredibly rich. This was also my first experience eating spaghetti in Italy, and it was cooked perfectly. Al dente, with a wonderful bite. I made it through half of the dish before it got a bit too rich for me, not to mention that my mouth was probably completely black from the ink! An espresso, and I was on my way back to take a nap.
For dinner, I headed over to the section of Cannareggio called the Jewish Ghetto, and came across a restaurant called Ai Bentigodi. While this place definitely caters to tourists, there was a rather raucous table of Italians in the back, so I figured that the food must be pretty good. They also had a man playing an upright piano, and the host and staff were extremely friendly.
I started with the proscuitto with fruit, which ended up being kiwi and pineapple. I was a bit put off by this, since neither are native to Italy. But then again, Venice is a bit odd; nothing is local and everything is shipped into the city. The meat was salty and savory, with the fruit a nice touch of both sweetness and acidity.
And for the main course, I had ravioli filled with buffala mozzarella in a tomato sauce with basil. Very, very delicious. I had a great glass of red wine too.
As I was waiting to get the bill, I overheard a British man behind me, talking to some other tourists at the next table and picked up the words "Charles Schwab". I eavesdropped a bit to figure out what was going on. Here he was talking about Schwab's checking account and how you can use the debit card internationally and Schwab rebates the ATM fees. I apologized to him for eavesdropping, but excitedly said, "I work for Charles Schwab!" and showed them my debit card. We had a good laugh over that. Turns out he and his wife (an American) lived in Allentown, PA. Small world!
On the way home, I stopped at a small little bar just up the street from my hotel, and ordered a drink called a "Spritz". I had seen other locals drinking this, and was very curious about it. A spritz is a combination of Campari, prosecco, and seltzer, with a slice of lemon or orange. It's incredibly refreshing, and I drank two of these before heading back to my room.
Another successful and satisfying day in Venice.
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