Eating in Italy - Venice

I have spent an unnatural amount of money on food in Italy. That being said, I haven't had a bad meal yet. Lets take a look:

My first meal in Venice was a chicken Scaloppini (I think). It was good (I've never had it before and thought I was ordering scallops, sooo...) but I was worried about the restaurant being the precise kind that is a nasty tourist trap - you know, the menu as thick as a bible with pictures showing you what each item is supposed to look like, right on the main drag.  But exhaustion was setting in, the hunger resulting from not having eaten since the airplane breakfast at 7 in the morning, uncertainty of where a good place to eat could be found, and unfamiliarity with the protocol of ordering food in a different language all played a part in the restaurant choice of convenience over everything Rick Steves' would advise.

 I did buy a chocolate croissant for breakfast the next morning, and it had what tasted like crushed almonds in it - a surprising and delicious addition to a fabulous European standard.

Italian restaurants bring bread to the table. Then they charge a service charge. Water - gassed or not - is brought out in sealed glass bottles. Then they charge you for it. Spendy! If you order a coke, you will get a can (smaller than the US standard) and a glass without ice and a 3 to 4 Euro price tag.

Italians have a cappuccino and maybe a croissant for breakfast. They might have a glass of spremuto, freshly squeezed orange juice. We have nice, big breakfasts at our hotels, but not because its what the locals do.

I've skipped a few lunches, but not galato. I've had pistachio, chocolate (multiple times), lemon, watermelon, lime, mango, chocolate chip, and my favorite, coconut. So far, my favorite galateria is Riva's in Varenna. Just look:

My friend from my early teens, Christa, recommended a restaurant in Venice. I was able to find it. We went back twice. The first time I had a buffalina pizza: mozzarella, fresh buffalo mozzarella, and basil. And a coke, of course. Ann got a spicey shrimp spaghetti. She shared. Sooo good! For dessert, I had a chocolate soufflé. It was so chocolatey and so light. Ann had tiramisu. Hmmm!

Like I said, Ann and I didn't stop for lunch, but we did stop for gelato. On our last day, twice. And before I finished with the second gelato, we saw cannoli in a window, so I had to get one. Yes, I had two sweets in one hand. And there were candied orange slices in the cannoli. Devine!

My second dinner at the previously mentioned restaurant was actually a seafood appetizer plate. But guess what was on it - cuddle fish cooked in its own ink! It's one of those regional dishes that I would never have ordered and thought it was more of a tourist gimmick anyway. I actually liked it! Kinda tasted like clams or calamari. It turned my tongue black.  Also included was polenta, a prawn, a large scallop, a crab paste (I think), sliced hams, and a sardine wrapped in cucumber.  This was one of the most fun meals I've ever had!

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