Veneto
Luckily for the-traveler, many of the best Merchants of Venice purvey food.
The spreading eastern hip of the thigh-high Italian boot is a rich and diverse land called Venecia. Bordering on three neighboring countries, and with a topography varying from Adriatic lagoons to the majesty of the Dolomites, it is far too complex to be compressed into a single region. Cartographers have simplified matters by dividing it into three Veneros, one mountainous, one coastal and controversial, dominated by Trieste, and the third flat but memorable, crowned with the most romantic jewel of Italy, Venice itself.
It is this latter area, subtitled Venero Euganea, which here consumes all our available space, and not surprisingly. It is as richly full of the good things of life as the proverbial fruitcake. In addition to the unique, incomparable Venice, the awed traveler finds three other famous Italian cities in this small area: Padua, site of a venerable university, Vicenza, shimmering center of Palladian architecture, and Romeo and Juliet's Verona.
In retrospect, St. Mark's and Tintoretto's fabulous murals may well outshine the epicurean phase of Veneto Euganea. Who has the impudence to speak of baby octopus fried in deep oil, or polenta, or scampi, when the Palace of the Doges still dazzles the eyes with its opalescent splendor and the spell of Veronese and Tiepolo and Titian remains unfaded? But impudent or not, impressionable people find it impossible not to indulge in reminiscences of Venetian food and wine. We find it difficult to don artistic blinders and hew straight to the gastronomic line in this charmed land, directing hardly a glance at a gondola or a Gothic palazzo, but that's what we've got to do. So we'll turn your artistic guardianship over to a chap named Ruskin and get down to Venetian fare, and where to find it in full flower. Although the keystone of Venetian cooking is the magnificent sea food of the upper Adriatic, its most celebrated dishes are founded on simple things, the lowly liver and onions, for example, or rice and peas. A skilled cook from Veneto transforms these into unsuspected delicacies, and we think you can do the same by following the recipes at the end of this story. But the basic treasure, Adriatic fish and shell fish, is less transportable. The impressive scampi, and their fragrant smaller cousins gamberetti, leave one groping for superlatives. Calamaretti, those succulent baby octopuses fried quickly in deep hot olive oil, and bisato alla veneta, an aromatic stewed eel, are two other specialties which make immediate converts. The subtle savor of sea food runs through rice and pasta dishes. A Venetian risotto may be studded with scampi, squid, cockles or mussels, and spaghetti is often ensconced in a gentle anchovy sauce. There are conventional fish too—sole, mullet and the toothy dentex. The ever-present dried stockfish is transformed into a rarity in Vicenza. Stewed in milk with finely chopped onions, garlic, parsley, butter, oil. anchovy paste, cinnamon, pepper and salt, it becomes baccalà alla vicentina, a noble dish for ruddy, unprejudiced people. The hearty and unassuming polenta thrives more in Venecia than in other parts of Italy, and corn meal has rarely been put to better use. Polenta e oséi, corn meal served with small, spit-roasted birds, will delight all but the too tender hearted. In the domain of wines, Venetia is one of the four outstanding regions in Italy, luxuriating in such noble names as Bardolino, Valpolicella and Soave. But this is another story, one which will be told by Frank Schoonmaker in a future issue of Gourmet.
Venice
There is much more to be said about epicurean resources, but the subject of dining in Venice just won't wait any longer. It is a pleasant ritual to contemplate, and there is no more auspicious place to discuss this delicate matter than a table at the CAFFE FLORIAN on the Piazza San Marco.
A landmark among the great cafés of the world, Florian still retains its ancient marbletopped tables which swivel as readily as a lazy Susan, its red velvet wall benches, and horse-hair chairs under its arcades. Elaborate gauche murals on its walls have been preserved under glass. On a rainy day (and there were plenty of them during our visit last April!) it is a providential retreat. The client&$232;le is varied. There arc oblivious lovers, camera-laden tourists, lonely women, and businessmen scribbling figures on the tabletops. The waiters are quadrilingual but less attractive than the enormous brindle cat with a red ribbon around his neck who lounges about the place. Florian is essentially an open air café however, and when its vast acreage of tables is fully occupied on a holiday afternoon in summer, it is truly fabulous. Immense banners fly from three flagpoles, St. Mark's glistens with color and the Campanile towers over thousands of citizens congregated in the square.
If your time is limited and you don't wish to waste it over a protracted meal, Florian serves a quick lunch of sandwiches and pastry, with good coffee to go with them. They can even make a good dry Martini, something which generations of American travelers have requested.
Within a short stroll of this animated terrace are several pleasant prospects for the inquiring gourmet. Directly across the square is a rival café, somewhat smaller, but distinguished by a smart little dining salon under its arcade and a siring quartet to add a touch of gaiety. It is called QUADRI and is a charming spot worth remembering. Behind you, occupying a choice local ion on the Grand dual,is HARRY'S BAR, a celebrated cultural center boasting the best mixed drinks in Venice, and a patronage top heavy with Anglo-Saxons. If you're homesick for the dulcet tones of American voices and in search of commendable food as well, Harry's Bar is a good, if somewhat expensive, solution.
Across the piazza from your table in Florian's is the clock tower, under which is the BAR AMERICANO. It resembles hundreds of Italian bars except chat it also serves a picturesque and satisfying lunch for the visitor whose spare time is limited. There is delicious pasta, lasagne verde, small anchovy-encrusted pizze, and baby sandwiches of ham or of shrimp squiggled with mayonnaise in the more florid Italian manner. Finally there is fruit, and pastry to go with your cup of caffè espresso. Add them all together and the check is still small.
If you feel in an effulgent mood, it is hardly any walk at all to one of the leading hotels. The ROYAL DANIELI has a wonderful rooftop terrace where you may dine overlooking the Grand Canal and admire San Giorgio etched on the horizon. The GRITTI PALACE, the GRAND HOTEL and the BAUER GRUNWALD all have dining rooms with Superlative views. They are inclined to international cooking and to dancing, but you can find Venetian specialties if you ask for them. In the expensive category, you will find a whole cluster of restaurants, most of them acceptable, in the maze of narrow streets just beyond the clock tower, During a fortnight's foraging we went farther afield than this immediate area, however, and were richly rewarded. There is no question about it-Venice rejoices in many restaurants capable of brightening a gourmet's existence. We would like to propose four of them for your delectation, mindful of the fact that our omissions are sinful.
Taverna la Fenice—Campiello Fenice 1938
This, to our way of thinking, is the most gratifying dining place in Venice, and deserves to be the epicure's number one choice. Finding it for the first time, however, is a tare feat of map reading and instinctive orientation. Once you discover it, you will wish you had unrolled a ball of string so that you might be sure to find it again. But on the back of the parchment-like menu there is a map which will serve almost as well. It will lead you to the most celebrated theatre in Venice, the Teatro La Fenice. Just behind it is our ristorante, facing a quiet open space. Here an immense summer dining terrace has been installed, free from the noise of scooters and motor exhausts, with only the ripple of a passing gondola to furnish animation. During the colder months the Taverna is not so quiet. The ceilings of its interior rooms arc low, and the conversational pitch runs high. But it should be remembered that the Italians like noise, and prefer reverberation to discreet quiet. Summer or winter, calm or chatty, the Taverna La Fenice has an immense attraction for luxury-loving people. You'll be sure to meet your American friends here, and you may see some celebrities too, judging by the gallery of famous patrons on the wall. Here are Clark Gable, inscrutably admiring the way Signor Zoppi tosses his noodles, Tyrone Power looking very manly and in need of a shave, the ageless Mistinguette showing all her teeth, and assorted opera singers, accordion players, violinists and ladies with low necklines.
La Fenice is more expensive than the average Venetian restaurant, but we believe it is well worth the price, and for a variety of reasons. The service is excellent, for one thing, largely because alert and fairly comely maids serve [he tables, and not noisy, hissing waiters. We are getting to be more of a feminist every day in the matter of table service. Signor Zoppi is a very attentive host, and a picturesque one. With his line, snowy mane he resembles a concert pianist, and you arc tempted to address him as Maestro. You arc aware of his artistry at once. A magnificent phalanx of boiled lobsters greets you at the door, and the full repertoire of Venetian delicacies is listed on the menu—the flavorful scampi boiled, roasted, grilled or fried, or served with an aromatic sauce if yon prefer, and Adriatic sole, red mullet and filet of beef, among other things. The famous risi e bisi and polenta are superb, as are other classic temptations—osso buco, a worthy rival of any French ragoût,saltimbocca, the perfect marriage of veal and ham, and that Venetian sublimation of calf's liver and onions known as fegato alla Veneziana. The wine list is impressive; the atmosphere is charming and friendly. A joyful evening is inevitable at the Taverna La Fenice.
Alla Colombo—Frezzeria 1148
Although this is essentially a place for food-loving Venetians, particularly writers, poets and musicians, the roving voluptuary from far away will find a warm welcome and grandiloquent fare if he seeks out the Sign of the Dove. This restaurant is also near the Tearro La Fenice, and its dining terrace almost blocks the street on a warm summer night. Inside there is a string of seven dining rooms, and one is struck immediately by the profusion of paintings on the walls. Signor Arturo Deana, the owner, is an ardent patron of the arts. Many of his acquisitions do real credit to contemporary Italian painting. None of them, however, can approach the real still life of recumbent fish which greets each guest as he enters. The whole piscatorial parade is here, fresh from the Adriatic and glistening on a center table. 'I here are overpowering lobsters, deep orange langoustes, prickly red crabs, sleek scampi and gamberetti in profusion. Ah, this rhapsodic Venetian fish! Here are squads of squid and sole and pinkish mullet, overflowing baskets of oysters, datteri or razor clams, and vongole, those small, two-necked clams best known in Naples.
Aside from the paintings there is nothing unusual about the décor of La Colomba. It has the white napery and bright lights common to so many Italian restaurants. But exceptional cooking comes from La Colomba's large and spotless kitchen, and the service is prompt and courteous. At one time, before Signor Deana's day, this was a small and unpretentious trattoria, and it still keeps this designation on its menu. But it has long since outgrown the name, and should be considered one of the top dining places in Venice. Care should be taken not to confuse it with another restaurant called Al Colombo. The names are closely similar. Alla Colomba proved to be a treasure to this scouting party, and we think you'll feel the same way about it.
Trattoria Antica Carbonera—S. Luca 4648
They do things differently in Venice—numbering houses, for example. Numbers run inexplicably into the thousands, and it takes a slide rule, a compass, and a garbled conversation with the corner policeman to figure the system out. We became rapt converts of the Antica Carbonera once we had wandered through a maze of side streets, over canal bridges and under vaulted passageways to find it. Its street is obscure and just about six feet wide, and you have to look hard to find number 4648. But you encounter pure Venice when you finally get there. The place has the long-established atmosphere of a smooth-running place which has no pretense and no particular décot, but which has been dedicated for decades to wholesome food. It is inexpensive and a bit rough-and-ready, but eminently worth your visit. In this busy, popular trattoria the kichen is right in the middle of everything. Choose a table where you can watch the venerable chefs in action behind their plate glass window. They arc experts at their trade, and quick enough to have spare time to exchange witticisms with favored customers. One of them needs bifocals, for he wears his horn-rimmed glasses continually on the tip of his nose. We watched him with fascination as he whipped up a fegato alla veneziana in a few swift minutes.
Almost everyone was having risotto as a first course that day, and it was superb, nuggeted with shrimp and rings of octopus. Fragrant and fattening, it was precisely the dish for a disconsolately rainy day. There were three different fish soups for dissenters from the risotto, and a fine array of conventional meat dishes to supplement the matchless Adriatic fish. Good red Bardolino and white Soave came in flagons holding inure than a quart and costing less than forty cents. For substantial nourishment and pure Venetian cuisine, Antica Carbonera is surely one of the best, and worth many times the effort you make to find it.
Al Peoceto Risorto—Calle della Dondella 250-251
This is ristorante was revealed to us as a favorite among Venetian gourmets which is not too well known to the traveling public. You approach it by crossing the Rialto Bridge and walking through the hurly-burly of umbrella topped cheese stands, vegetable carts, and pastry and fruit pushcarts which make up the Rialto market. The experience can serve as a fascinating hors-d'oeuvre all by itself. It all depends upon how many acres of raw meat and miles of uncooked sausage you can look upon with equanimity.
A neon sign points to the narrow sidestreet where Al Peoceto Risorto is located—a neat little place, unpretentious and clean. On our first visit there all the other clients were well-upholstered Italians with napkins under their chins. The atmosphere was congenial, in spite of two doleful guitarists who broke in on the scene.
Fish soups and deep fries are the specially here. One of our fun-loving gastronomic quartet accosted fritto misto dipesce and found it not too heavy and totally delicious, even though he couldn't identify a single fish which came from that hot cauldron of olive oil. Another tried calamaretti al limone, those fabulous baby octopuses, hardly bigger than your thumbnail, also fried in deep olive oil and served with parsley and lemon. Nothing could be simpler or more satisfying. Can they rival New England's famous fried clams? Well rather! For one thing, they don't have to be shucked,and we believe they are more tender in texture and subtler in taste. A third individualist ordered risotti espressi alla veneziana, a sublime risotto truffled with scampi, gamberetti and tiny firm bits of fish. We indulged in an old favorite, vermicelli alla vongole with total success. The pasta had the perfect consistency, and the tiny clams, their necks forming a Churchillian V, were the foundation for a salubrious sauce. After this, a bit of grilled beef, cheese and coffee, accompanied by generous beakers of wine from the Verona hills, and our evening was complete.
Without resorting to superlatives, we think this restaurant, whose destinies arc guided by a cordial man named Pietro Polo, will meet with the approval of most gourmets, especially those who are interested in the piscatorial treasures of the Adriatic.
Verona
Hurried travelers who shuttle nonstop between Florence and Venice arc depriving themselves of one particularly rich experience—a visit to the ancient walled city of Verona. A charming, civilized community, filled with architectural treasures which range from an oval Roman arena to a Renaissance market place, Verona is too good to be missed, especially since its hotels arc adequate and its restaurants are Better than merely good. If you find yourself in the city of Romeo and Juliet (her famous balcony is still there, gracing the façade of the tourist bureau), you might make the Piazza Dante your starting point.
Here is an ancient café straight out of the eighteenth century, one to suggest to all sentimentalists as a place to enjoy an aperitivo during a preprandial stroll. Anyone who appreciates atmosphere will he heartened by the CAFFE DANTE. Its marble-topped tables are the ancient, immovable type. The banquette against the wall are covered with a deep plum-maroon velvet worn thin at the edges. The crystal chandeliers and Louis XV wall mirrors are in perfect harmony. Venerable chess players spend hours in its mure remote corners, and dignified gentlemen of the old school read their newspapers over a caffè espresso and a thimbleful of Strega.
After the formality of a dry vermouth in these nostalgic surroundings you should have luncheon or dinner at the Restaurant of the Twelve Apostles. To get there, you must pass through one of the most picturesque and animated market places in Italy, the Piazza Erbe. Irs architectural backdrop is breathtaking. A Venetian lion perches proudly on top of a column at one end, a fountain gushes forth in the middle, and a mushroom growth of umbrella-covered stands Occupies the rest of the market square. A fantastic bazaar booms under these disks of canvas. One dealer sells canaries, pigeons and parrots, another dispenses goldfish and delivers them to delighted buyers in little plastic bags filled with water. If you want lingerie or flowers, artichoke bottoms or dark glasses, kitchenware or cannelloni, you come to this gay and theatrical square, as people have done for two thousand years. There are bars, cafés and inexpensive restaurants around the edge of the square, a perpetual enticement to snackers. If you can resist them, a worthy restaurant is nearby—
Ristorante 12 Apostoli—Via Corticella San Marco 3
It takes considerable poking around through thick clusters of abandoned palaces to find this celebrated dining place, but it is worth the poking. Half hidden in a vine-grown alley, it is very ancient, a small, semivaulted hall, gay with wall paintings and rich in uncontrived atmosphere. If you are limited to a single meal in Verona, this restaurant would certainly be a good choice.
There are plenty of robust, conversational businessmen here, invariably a good gastronomic omen, and they attack the ample fare and full-blooded Valpolicella with obvious gusto. The food is varied, mostly cooked to order, and devoid of pretentious frills. The young proprietors speak fluent French and acceptable English, and are truly solicitous of the happiness of their guests. We found the Twelve Apostles uncrowded at midday, but well packed in the evening. Go early, before eight, and enjoy a pleasant blend of courtesy, atmosphere and fine Italian cooking.
The urban life of Verona centers around the broad and populous Piazza Bra. Here, facing the Roman arena, arc varied sidewalk cafés with striped umbrellas and nonchalant waiters, and two restaurants worth remembering. One is the RlSTORANTE DELLE TRE CORONE, a conventional place occupying a handsome building. The Three Crowns turns out to be all you expect from a formal Italian city restaurant. We recall a handsome fettucine with peas with particular affection. The wide, thin, steaming noodles were quite as good as those bearing the Alfredo label in Rome. The other restaurant on the Piazza Bra is the PEDAVENA, an enterprising establishment which serves coffee and afternoon tea. Things are a bit commercial here. A can of glittering hors-d'oeuvre is wheeled in before the guest has time to adjust his spectacles. Four waiters and a maître d'hôtel hover about at once, making it a bit difficult to decipher the menu with due dignity. The place is gay, urbane but quiet, however, and the food is above the average. Pedavena specializes in its own beer, but there is a fine wine list also,
For slightly pinched purses there is a good little restaurant just around the corner at Via Dietro Distone 15. This is the RlSTORANTE FIORE. We liked the atmosphere and the cheerful waitresses, and found no fault at all with the prix fixe meal of pasta or soup, meat or fish, cheese or sweet, for 350 lire, service included. That's less than sixty cents, and a small carafe of honest red Valpolicella costs less than a dime. It just proves that Italy has its charm for all purses.
Vicenza
One could almost call this bright and beautiful city a monument of architecture dedicated to its favorite son. Palladio. The work of this great Renaissance architect, which dominates the city in which he was born, has had a profound influence. Just think of the Palladian windows in American stair halls alone! The full measure of his genius can be observed in the magnificent basilica in the heart of the city.
Motorists who pass through Vicenza at midday arc in luck, for they can combine the charm of Palladio with the felicity of a good luncheon at the HOTEL ROMA. We asked for and obtained an authentic baccalà alla vicentina, and found it substantial and delicious. Some native asparagus, cheese, giant cherries, coffee and Aurum terminated a noteworthy meal.
North of the road between Verona and Vicenza the observant motorist may see two gaunt ruined castles crowning two neighboring hills. According to legend these belonged to the rival Montecchi and Cappelletti families around the year 1300. In one castle lived the dashing Romco and in the other pined the lovely Juliet. The story is irresistible, and it is not surprising that the two castles have been dressed up a bit for the tourist trade. Now you can visit both castles in an American Express bus, enjoy some vivid frescoes recording the immortal love affair, and partake of a more-than-adequate meal at the RISTORANTE GIULIETTA E ROMEO, now installed in Juliet's castle. Although an obvious contraption for the tourist, it is interesting enough to merit a detour, especially for those who are romantically inclined, and don't mind hobnobbing with their fellow traveler,
Padua
Some twenty miles from Venice, this busy city is the seat of a thirteenth century university, one of the oldest in Italy, and the setting for the extraordinary Basilica of St. Anthony, crowned with multiple domes and turrets in the best Turkish manner. Countless pilgrims come to this sanctuary on June 13th, the anniversary of St. Anthony's death. Padua seems clamorous after the rippling quiet of Venice, and many travelers leave after a short visit. It deserves more than that. For one thing, it boasts one of the most remarkable cafés in the world, which came into being when Antonio Pedrocchi, a modest coffee roaster, decided to transform his coffee shop into a large and beautiful café. The building was inaugurated in June, 1931, and it remains a rare, neoclassic monument to the Empire décor of (he time. The café has Greek, Etruscan, Gothic, Pompeian, Egyptian and Imperial salons, and they still exist in pristine freshness. Most of the intellectuals, musicians and better-heeled students of Padua gravitate here, and we urge you to do the same. Sandwiches and snacks supplement the usual café' fare, and they are served on round-topped tables surrounded by chic Empire chairs upholstered in period pink, sage green and honey brown. Everything is spotless, and there is an unobtrusive orchestra to lend further charm.
For our luncheon in Padua we chose the ALBERGO PALAZZO STORIONE, a big-city hotel in the heart of everything.We found a very complete menu but unfortunately two large wedding parties absorbed most of the service, and we had CO wail some lime for our scampi alla griglia. But they were toothsome when they did arrive, and after all, a wedding party does deserve a certain priority.
Here are a few favorite dishes from Veneto Euganea which should adapt themselves well to your American kitchen. The first one is basically our time-tested liver and onions, but it is done with a flourish and a delicate bouquet of supplementary flavors.
Fegato alla Veneziana
Cut ½ pound calf's liver in small, very thin chips. Slice 1 good-sized onion and sauré it until golden in I tablespoon butter melted with an equal amount of oil. Add 2 tablespoons dry white wine and reduce the sauce over a high flame. Add the liver and over a good hot fire brown the chips briefly on both sides.Add more salt and pepper if necessary, 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon and a few drops of lemon juice. Serve immediately.
The second celebrated Venetian specialty rarely travels far from its home territory, and a great pity it is. This dish of rice and peas could become a favored fixture in many an American home, and we hope you will give the recipe more than usual consideration.
Risi e Bisi (Venetian Rice and Peas)
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and ¼ cup butter in a heavy kettle, and in it brown I small onion, chopped, and ½ slice bacon, cut into dice. Add 2 cups freshly shelled green peas and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add ¾ cup raw rice and cook for 3 minutes longer, stirring constantly until the kernels are well coated with oil and butter. Add 1 ½ cups chicken stock and salt and pepper to taste, cover the kettle and cook over a low fire for 15 to 20 minutes. The rice should have absorbed all the liquid, and it should be tender, but not mushy. Toss with 1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese. More cheese may be sprinkled on the individual servings.
Baked Fish Veneziana
This recipe calls for a 3-pound weak-fish, but any good fish may be used. Pound in a mortar 3 shallots and I small clove of garlic, both chopped, 2 teaspoons chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon chopped chervil, and 1 teaspoon chopped chives. When the ingredients are well mashed and blended, add 2 tablespoons butter and the juice of ½ lemon. Work all together again and press through a fine sieve.
Split open the fish, remove the backbone and lay the fish, skin side down, in a shallow buttered baking dish. Season the fish with salt and pepper and spread it with the delicious green butter. Bake in a moderate oven (350° F.) for about 30 minutes, basting often with the butter.
Venetian Soup
Beat 3 egg yolks well with ½ cup cream and stir this into 6 cups cold beef stock. Heat the soup slowly, stirring, until it reaches the boiling point, but do not allow it to boil. Serve with a slice of toasted Italian bread on each serving, and pass grated Parmesan cheese separately.
Pasta and Beans alla Voneta
Soak ¾ pound of dried beans overnight. Drain the beans and cook them slowly in a large saucepan with 2 quarts unsalted water. Before the beans are tender add salt to taste.
Heat 4 tablespoons oil in a deep saucepan and add a sprig of rosemary. Cook slowly about 3 minutes and discard the rosemary. Add 3 chopped cloves of garlic and 1 tablespoon chopped parsley to the oil and brown lightly without allowing the herbs to burn. Stir in 1 tablespoon flour and cook for several minutes, stirring until the roux is smooth. Add a generous tablespoon of tomato paste and cook until the mixture has the consistency of a thick sauce. Add the cooked beans and about ¾ cup of the liquid in which the beans were cooked and bring to a boil. Add a little less than ½ pound of the pasta known as ditalini, or of any other small pasta. Cook the pasta until it is barely tender, cover the pan and set in a warm place for 10 minutes before serving.
Brodetto di Pesco alla Veneziana
This fish stew or soup contains a variety of fresh fish from the Adriatic.Sole and eel should be present, and any other fresh fish you may be able to obtain. preferably those not too full of small bones.
Reserve about 2 pounds of the choicest pieces of fish. Pound all the scraps in a mortar and sauté them in hot oil in a saucepan with 1 sliced onion, a good sprig of parsley and a bay leaf. When they have taken on color add a good spoonful of tomato paste, 1 cup water and ½ cup dry while wine. Cover the pan and cook the sauce slowly for 20 minutes. Add salt and pepper. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve, pressing it to force the solid parts through. Serve with slices of crusty bread fried in olive oil.