The Mighty Bacari Of Venice

  Back in September, we took a little trip over the pond to Venice. I am a fan.

  We have been twice before, to explore the wonders of the biennale, the awe inspiring contemporary art exhibition which takes place in Venice every two years. I am a fan.

  I will admit here and now…as much as I love the non stop viewing of amazing art….I gotta say, it's pretty much all about the food for me. I am a fan.

  I am especially a fan of the eateries known to Venetians as "Bacari"…sort of like tapas bars in Spain. The bacari serve cicchetti, small bites of different tasty treats that are perfect with a sip of wine. 

  This being Venice, the cicchetti are often some type of seafood, often fried, or in a sweet/sour dressing. We enjoy the bacari because we can always find interesting vegetarian items, and these places can be fun for people watching.

  

  

Our very first Bacaro, which we stumbled on one night in 2007.
We always return. It's crowded and you can sit or stand outside
watching the world go by…..

Another shot of Bacaro da Fiore, a different night.

  We will typically ask the server to just fix a couple of plates for us, without fish or meat (pesci or carne). Here, we just look at the chalkboard to see what wines are being poured on this day. We sometimes get just a small glass, but most often will opt for a half carafe…. We like to share it all.

A veggie combo of fried, grilled, marinated and broiled….
The funny greenish disk on the right plate is an artichoke heart.

  A favorite bacaro is Osteria alla Vedova, aka Trattoria Ca' d' Oro. It's near the Rialto, down a very narrow street. I'd read about this place on many blogs and websites. The specialty are the polpette, little fried pork meatballs. They are handed over the counter/bar wrapped in a small, thin napkin. 

  We saw people gobble these down like there was no tomorrow. And yet, you knew that the same people would be there tomorrow, doing the same thing. It's one of the classic local favorites, you can tell. Everyone seemed to know each other. 

  We sat at a table, enjoying our treats…sipping our wine, watching as person after person grabbed a polpette or three, downed a small glass of wine, and out the door. Quick. No fooling around!

You have to really search this one out...

All waiting for their polpette…..

  We found lots of yummy things to enjoy here, despite not trying the polpette. 

  I guess most people are just stopping for a little something before the main event, dinner. Or maybe they are like us, stopping at a few places in one evening over a couple of hours. We did see some familiar faces on one Saturday night. Seemed we were all hitting the same spots….

Peppers pan roasted…they reminded me of our padrone peppers here. Loved these…went back
more than once this trip. Also, artichoke hearts with a garlic/parsley marinade
and a broiled tomato...

Marinated cannellini  beans, roasted potatoes and caramelized baby onions.

A different night, we just had to have the peppers, the beans, and the onions again….

  I shouldn't be writing this here, at work, with nothing to eat but my sad uninspiring lunch. Sigh. It's killing me, and my tummy is growling in the most embarrassing way…. Good thing no one is coming in today….




  We found a new favorite bacario tucked away in this sweet little campo….close to a very main "drag", but set back far enough to be away from the foot traffic. Plus, the guys were delightfully fun to hang out with. They were a bit stressed when we told them we were vegetarians… The main fellow…."Ma, mangiate pesci, si?"(but you guys eat fish, right?) "Ummmm…no….mi dispiace…!"(no, I'm sorry!) His hands up to each side of his head as he shakes it, exclaiming…"no, no, no….!" All done with humor and sly smiles, of course. We know that not partaking in the eating of fish is a sin in Venice…but they know we know…..and it's all good.

  So on with the bites…"Osteria dal Riccio Peoco" (the bald hedgehog, we were told) specializes in "fritti", fried treats. We had some potato and onion bites, and the dear fellows made us some beautiful bruschetta with mushroom spread, too.

Everything from fried squash blossoms to fried radicchio-filled pasta.
We returned mainly because we got such a kick out of the owners.

Just hangin' with the locals…some we ran into a few times that night.

The Bald Hedgehog, himself. See you next time!

  We walk ourselves silly while in Venice, I must say. It's really the only way to get around…you just see so much more, and it gives you a chance to discover off the track areas you would never see from a boat/taxi… well, it's also a great excuse to just keep eating, right? Must have strength, and all that…
  One day, walking back from the Arsenale where we had spent hours enjoying the biennale, we just took some turns here and there….and found/lost ourselves in this small campo, Campo do Pozzi.
  The tour groups most likely pass this one by….but it was perfect for us. One tiny corner bar, outside seating, little kids on bikes and skates... and yummy food and wine at a super reasonable price.

This is pretty much a locals place. Not even sure it had a name…..

Mr. J being a local, with the paper and all…..
Fits right in, doesn't he?

  They had games to borrow, like dominoes and such, books, magazines and newspapers to read… The music was 80's "alternative"….Perfect! We camped out here more than once.

  One visit included a table of students, one who whipped out a guitar and got them all singing. Sweet.

A perfectly tasty shared lunch…veggie pie,  a zucchini "lasagna" type thing,
and little pouches of porcini mushrooms….

On another visit, we shared an eggplant casserole that was to die for.
This was "home cooking" style, just like Nonna makes.

  In Campo Santa Margherita, where we often end up for a glass of wine and some good people watching, we ordered some plates to share. Too bad there weren't ten of us! We just asked the nice woman who served us for some mix of veggies, and maybe a little cheese...

Johnny's idea of Heaven on a plate.
Eating too much at "Osteria alla Bifora"

Just a few grilled vegetables….
There are two of us, dear woman…..

A tiny bit of marinated delights….

  Though everything was wonderful, it was more than we could ever finish….(note to self: next time meet some friends here).



  Mostly it's the little bites of goodness we go for…We love this little gem located right next to a  picturesque canal in the Dorsoduro neighborhood. Always filled with a mix of locals and visitors, "Cantine del Vino gia  Schiavi" is another favorite spot. Great wines by the glass, and an amazing selection of crostini. We like to walk over at sunset for just a nibble before heading home or going out for dinner.

  The location is so great…I love that locals will pull up in their boats, tie them off, and hop over the wall for a glass of wine and some nice crostini! Plus, it's a joy to watch boats go by while leaning or sitting on the wall. Sigh.

One of our very favorite places for cicchetti/crostini…..and why not???

An idea of a typical evening's fare.

Some of the best crostini ever!
Always an interesting variety to choose from, and very reasonable, too.

  I must say, though…...I kind of fell hard for the simplicity I found at "Al Ponte".  Located just over the "ponte", or bridge, from the Basilica San Giovanni e Paolo,  this place is tiny, loud and fun. The gentlemen behind the bar are a hoot…quick with a joke and a smile, and just flirty enough to make me feel like a teenager again.
  I love that I can go in, goof with the guys a little, and take my wine and whatever up the steps to lean on the bridge. Another great place to watch the boats and gondoliers go by, as well as lots of people.

Just look for the red exterior. 

  Inside, it's small. They do put some barrels for tables and a few chairs on the steps outside, which is a nice way to go. Inside, I found it to be just rowdy enough with the locals to make it real, with everyone getting into everyone else's business. Really fun.

  The cicchetti here is simple, with lots of fish items, but also grilled veggies and fried goodies. I go here for the wacky atmosphere. It felt very comfortable to me.

The cicchetti on display for the evening.

  For some reason, I was here by myself for quite awhile. I can't remember why….Johnny finally came along, but for me it was a perfect spot to relax on my own, enjoying a feeling of complete contentment with a touch of joy.

  Well, wouldn't you…?

Perfection.