Venice {Where to Eat}

On my recent trip to Venice to see the 55th Biennale, my friends did all the where to sleep and seeing art organizing and research.  They left the where to eat in Venice research to me. Thankfully my pal Elizabeth did all the hard work for me and all I had to do was download her App, Eat Venice and I was pretty much set. I also called on my other well traveled pal Rick, who shared some of his best recommendations.  


Trattoria alla Rampa
Castello 1135/ Via Garibaldi
Mon - Sat, 5am - 3pm
39.365.649.0277

We liked this rustic spot near the two main Biennale sites so much we went back twice.  We tried simple plates of squid ink pasta and stewed octopus on one day and cold octopus salad and  a completely different stewed octopus and squid dish the next.  The tiramisu is heavenly and the service funny and swift. 

Al Portego
Castello San Lio, 6014
041 522 9038

The front section of this small spot was crowded with locals having a quick drink and a plate of cichetti. We had reserved one of the six tables in the back. The menu, written on a blackboard, was all almost all unknown to me. Thankfully, my Milanese traveling partners were there to translate. We ordered plates of baccala manecato and polenta, a Venetian style fish lasagna and a seafood pasta. All washed down with jugs of a cold local white.

Ristorante a Beccafico
Campo S. Stefano 2801

041 527 4879

Part Sicilian part Venetian and served by a Neapolitan, this restaurant served one of the most memorable things we ate in Venice.  After an epic and very unusual thunderstorm we made it to the restaurant and got a table inside. I love Zuppe di Cozze, but really only one Zuppe di Cozze.  The one served at Da Adolfo near Positano. Rick insisted that this one was worth trying.  Served piping hot from the wood fired pizza oven, the mussels  tomatoes and basil are steamed under the thinest, most delicious bread cover that is cooked in a wood fired pizza oven.  You crack it open like the crust on a creme brule and dig in.