TALIA & BRUCE DINE IN VENICE
Gerald's Note:
Our friend and neighbor, Dr. Talia, took off for an
Italian vacation in 2001, having been asked (tasked) with taking some notes on
places worthy of recommendation.
She finally got around to writing a review of a special place she and Bruce
encountered/discovered while in Venice.
Under the "It's a Small World" category, she sends along this review
of the Vecia Cavana. Meanwhile, several years ago, the fellow who owns
this place, Stefano Monti, was visiting the United States with a friend of
his. I invited the both of them to dinner at my place and served them a
lavish feast of Dungeness Crab Cakes and my famous Twice-Cooked Rack of Lamb
(not to mention the wine list, a Bacchanalian marathon!)
Stefano's friend recently sent me a note saying he opened a new restaurant and
this one isn't too far from Friuli (the others have been in Rio de Janeiro,
Miami, Paris, etc.): in Venice.
You can imagine my surprise when Talia's review arrived and IT'S
STEFANO'S RESTAURANT.
So...here's a review from 2001 of Talia's and Bruce's favorite Venetian
restaurant.
IL SOLE SULLA VECIA CAVANA
Formerly Ristorante A La Vecia Cavana
Rio Tera' SS Apostoli 4624 -
Venezia - Italia
Tel +39.041.528.7106
Fax +39.041.523.8644
Written by Dr. Talia
One can arrange ones travels in Italy in any number of
waysby regional cuisine, by favorite geographic features, etc.
Our travels began in Baveno, on Lago Maggiore, continued in Bellagio on
Lago di Como, and concluded in Venice.
While we had several memorable meals (and wines) in each locale our
favorite dining spot became Il Sole Sulla Vecia Cavana in Venice. This restaurant is off
the tourist circuit, located in the Cannaregio, where many native Venetians
live, shop, and dine. The
neighborhood is still close enough to the Rialto Bridge to make your journey an
interesting and rewarding trek through the winding streets of Venice.
We
were told that cavana is a place where gondolas are parked, a sort of
water garage. The site of this restaurant is purported to have been such a
place during the Middle Ages.
Immediately
upon entering the restaurant, when one takes in the brick arches and stone
columns, one can readily envision that the place long ago served as a corner
garage for water taxis. That
youll be taking in an amazing mealrather than queuing up for a gondola
ridebecomes more apparent when you consider the terracotta floors and the
warmth of the rich, mustard-colored walls.
We found it to be a refined, contemporary, quiet, and romantic spota
perfect venue in which to enjoy an incredible meal and reflect on the days
adventures in Venice. With its
ample windows and corner location, one never loses sight of where you arein
the heart of perhaps the most historic and enchanted of Italian citiesas the
locals pass by.
During
both visits, we received extraordinary attention from Angela and Fabrizio,
a newlywed couple (hes from Venice, shes from Sicily, they met while in
London a romantic story so typical of Europe!) who truly enjoy their work
and take particular pride in providing outstanding service. Perhaps the level of care and attention we received was in
part due to Angelas mistaken (but flattering) belief that I was a native of
Rome. This notion was rapidly
dispelled as she began to welcome me in rapid Italian and I blankly stared back
mental notelearn Italian before next visit!
Perhaps because we made reservations for our first meal through our
hotel concierge, we somehow became the focus of attention for Stefano Monti,
owner and resident wine expert. Stefano
graciously provided us with meticulously detailed wine recommendations, blended
with a style of warm hospitality one rarely finds in this day of hurry up
decide-style dining.
The
menu at Il Sole Sulla Vecia Cavana
focuses on local seafooda mixed grill from the nearby Adriatic, fried scampi,
fresh sole, squid, a variety of risotto, and spicy zuppa di pesce.
Everything we tried was made using fresh fish purchased earlier in the
day from the local fish market. This
market has been in operation, in its current form and location, for the past 600
years. The market is open to the
public each morning beginning at sunrise, and anyone curious enough to view in
fresh (raw) form what will be served at the local restaurants later in the day
need only to pay a visit. Be
forewarnedwhat you see is what youll get.
Our
first meal there began with the zuppa di pesce and the piccolo fritto
di calamari e gamberetti (deep-fried calamari and shrimp).
We followed with the risotto al basilico e capesante saltate
(risotto with basil and sauted scallops).
This was by far my favorite risotto of the trip (my research was
conducted quite thoroughly!). Next up was the farfalle allo zafferano, rucola e scampi
(bowtie pasta with shrimp,
arugula and saffron sauce). Our
perfect meal then concluded with the perfect dessert: a coffee mousse with
chocolate and white chocolate sauces, accompanied by Drambuie.
Our wine for this meal, recommended by Stefano, and which we thoroughly
enjoyed, was a 1999 Jermann Capo Martino.
Since
we enjoyed this meal, the people, and the atmosphere so incredibly, we decided
to make our last night in Veniceand Italy, at least for this tripbegin
with a repeat performance at Il
Sole Sulla Vecia Cavana.
Our second experience was even more compelling than the first!
Our last supper got underway with prosciutto dOsvaldo e
melone in cestino di frico (thinly sliced Osvaldos ham with melon
in a parmesan cheese basket). Bruce
particularly enjoyed the sarde in saor (a Venetian specialty of fried
sardines marinated in vinegar with onions and pine nuts).
Hes still hoping that Ill try to make these at homestay tuned.
Our next course consisted of risotto with radicchio and red wine sauce,
as well as another helping of 
risotto
al basilico e capesante saltate (I couldnt resist!).
The piece de la resistance (or the Italian equivalent) was the grilled
lobster straight from the Adriatic, caught earlier that morning, and in
limited quantity. We got the first
of two lobsters that nightit pays to arrive earlyand these two were
proudly displayed to the early-bird patrons, together with a collection of other
freshly caught fare on the Specials platter, by Fabrizio.
The lobster was accompanied by a potato gratin with spinach and carrots
(YUM neither one of us had had a lobster quite this tasty!).
The chef preparedjust for us a platter of very fresh grilled
veggies done to perfection (the tomatoes were exceptional not like any
youd ever find in California said Bruce the Mid-Westerner).
We ended our meal with cappuccinos followed by Limoncello (an incredibly
delicious and powerful local lemon liqueur typically served as an aperitif) and
Drambuie. Angela and Fabrizio just
left the bottles at our table. Stefano
recommended Livio Felluga's 1996 Terre Alte Colli Orientali del Friuli Rosazzo
bianco with this dinner. We enjoyed
this wine even more than the Capo Martino from our previous visitholding out
on us, Stefano??.
We
cant wait until our next trip to the enchanted city of Venice.
When we get there, well head straight for Il Sole Sulla Vecia
Cavana
to
get an early bird fresh seafood treat. Weve
recommended this restaurant to those who we knew would truly appreciate what it
has to offer, and theyve all returned with stellar reviews and their own
unique experiences to relate. All
in all, Il Sole Sulla Vecia
Cavana
offers authentic, fresh local food, prepared for the very experienced Venetian
palate. As such, the total food and
wine presentation is a one-of-a-kind, highly memorable dining experience for the
discerning traveler who seeks a slice of the real Venice.
