The Venice Guide:

Trattoria Da Silvio

While having lunch with a friend of mine the other day, I ran across a hidden little place in Dorsoduro, Trattoria da Silvio. This cozy and wonderful restaurant offers a small breath of fresh air from the hustle and bustle of "tourist Venice". Hidden near the University on a back road it boasts a wonderful variety of typical Venetian dishes as well as the traditional pastas and pizzas that you can expect while visiting the area. The inside is warm and comfortable, but the best part of the...

March 22nd, 2008 | Venice | Read More

Buona Pasqua!

I remember Easter as a time of colored eggs, chocolate bunnies, and a basket made of real wicker filled with green grass that hid an amazing amount of colored jelly beans. However, here in the Veneto, the most elaborate easter gift that I have found is the massive chocolate easter egg. Ranging in size, from something that will fit in your hand to something that can fill a chocolatier’s front window, they are a truly wonderful thing to see. Some of them are carved with fantastic scrolls on the...

March 22nd, 2008 | Venice | Read More

Pasta Of A Different Color

Italian food is considered some of the best food in the world by just about everybody in the world. Think about it, if you are going out to a nice restaurant anywhere, you consider the Italian one, right? There are a large number of things that you could consider on the menu; pasta, spaghetti, wonderful slices of meat, cheeses, and of course wine. One particular dish that I have not seen on any Olive Garden menu is a Venetian specialty, Pasta al Nero di Seppia; which means Pasta with...

March 15th, 2008 | Venice | Read More

There’s No Place Like Home

Having experienced many things in Venice as well as the surrounding area, I have heard my fair share of Venetian lore and tales. One in particular that fascinated me is the story that I had heard about San Marco (Saint Mark) originally being buried in Egypt. So, in an effort to find out what really happened I took a trip to the basilica this morning to get some answers. What I found out is that San Marco is not the original patron saint of Venice. In fact, San Teodoro is. San Marco became...

March 15th, 2008 | Venice | Read More

To All The Girls I’ve Loved Before…

March 8th, is known as International Women’s Appreciation Day and no other country that I have visited during this time of year celebrates this day quite like Italy. Being American, I (we) don’t celebrate this festival; we have Mother’s Day where we honor Mom and Grandparent’s Day, where we can honor Grandma, but nothing for women in general. The Italian women that I know felt that I needed an education in this area. The day started by me buying Mimosa, this is the...

March 8th, 2008 | Venice | Read More

Spritz Is The Spice of Life

When I first arrived in the Veneto, the northeast region of Italy, everybody I met told me that I had to try “The Spritz”. Since I had never heard of this before in my life, I was inclined to ask, “What’s a spritz?” The answer, simply enough, is the local, orange colored, aperitivo that is enjoyed casually during the evening before dinner…think of it as a before dinner drink. The spritz originated from Padova, but has transcended many of the towns within...

March 8th, 2008 | Venice | Read More