US Airways - April 2013 - (Page 54)

W ith its intricate network of canals and arched bridges, gliding gondolas, priceless artworks, charming islands, and stunning architecture, car-free Venice is unique in all the world. It’s a bucket-list destination for travelers, who come from every corner of the globe and usually outnumber residents. For better or worse, the city’s food scene is also unique, with its better restaurants notoriously expensive and its middle-ofthe-road eateries famously sub-par. Much of Italy’s culture revolves around regional foods, be it risotto in Milan, pizza in Naples, pesto in Liguria, or T-bones in Tuscany. Venice is no exception, except that visitors have to be a bit more savvy to enjoy its most rewarding and authentic specialty: cicheti. Cicheti (pronounced chee-keh-tee) are to Venice what tapas are to Barcelona: bite-size delicacies offered in staggering variety. Historically, Venice was a city of merchants, and it’s believed that cicheti came into existence as a way to sate the appetites of hardworking traders on the move, a bite here and a bite there, more than five centuries ago. The word’s origins are debated — some say it’s derived from the French for “to chew,” while others cite the Latin word for “trifle.” Either way you can’t go wrong by dining on cicheti as a midday snack or a complete meal, which locals often do in lieu of a sit-down lunch or dinner. Cicheti are usually a bargain, with most dishes going for two to five euros, and it’s entirely possible to have an assorted platter and a couple of glasses of wine for the cost of a single plain pizza. You can find cicheti throughout Venice, at snack ★ Clockwise from above: the wine list at Cantina Do Mori, tramezzini at Enoteca al Volto, bacaro all’arco, an aperol Spritz at the Westin Europa & regina Hotel, and fish for sale at the rialto Market 54 april 2013 usairwaysmag.com bars and full-service restaurants, but the traditional home of this local specialty is the bacaro, a bar serving wine and cicheti. The bacari are quickly identified by their cicheti displays, usually behind glass at the bar or spread on a counter, and ombre, small glasses of prosecco or other wine. Ombre are the house-wine equivalent of cicheti, half-pours that typically cost a euro and are served in diminutive glasses or plastic cups, since many patrons take their food outside. Most bacari also have an extensive menu of Italian wines by the full glass, along with Venice’s signature cocktail, the Aperol Spritz, another classic cicheti accompaniment. Aperol, an aperitif containing bitter orange, is mixed with a splash of sparkling water and white wine or prosecco, very refreshing and so Venetian that six o’clock is often called “spritz o’clock.” Cicheti come in myriad forms, from small toasts covered in spreads to unadorned chunks of cheese or salami, from grilled fish to shrimp salads. And there is an entire class of tiny triangular sandwiches with crusts removed known as tramezzini. Cicheti can be small portions of more traditional dishes such as risotto, stuffed mussels by the piece, small plates of olives, or fried items such as fritters and crunchy cheese sandwiches. But there are three typical cicheti every visitor should know: baccalà mantecato, sarde in saor, and polpette. Baccalà is cod, and the most traditional preparation is a mousse or pâté of dried cod spread on sliced bread, found at virtually every bacaro. Equally ubiquitous is sarde in saor, the signature dish of Venice, also on most restaurant menus: sweet-and-sour whole sardines, usually served with the tail (but not the head), sautéed and marinated in vinegar with raisins and pine nuts. Polpette are small meatballs, traditionally veal (but they can be any meat or seafood), often mixed with some mashed potato filler. Be precise when ordering these because polpette sounds almost identical to polpetti, or whole baby octopus, another common cicheti. Fortunately, most any neighborhood bacaro is accustomed to tourists, and most bartenders, who take your food orders, speak English. When all else fails, pointing works perfectly well. Bacari, like bars anywhere else, vary widely in character. Some have a neighborhood feel and are frequented by regulars; others cater to students; some are boisterous, with crowds spilling into the http://www.usairwaysmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of US Airways - April 2013

US Airways - April 2013
Table of Contents
CEO Letter
From the Editor
Did You Know?
Making It Happen
Hot Spots: Best Ballpark Food
Hub Crawl: San Francisco International Airport
Wine & Dine: 20 Wines Under $20
Wine & Dine: True Brew: Puerto Rico Coffee
Great Tastes: Luna Red
Great Escapes: Couples Resorts
Adventure: Cape Ann, Massachusetts
Great Escapes: Fairmont San Francisco Hotel
Adventure: High Springs, Florida
Gear Up: Golf
Special Section: Cabarrus County, North Carolina
Travel Feature: Grazing in Venice, Italy
US Airways Feature: 50+ Year Employees
No Strings Attached: Brad Paisley
The Rise of Hotel Restaurants
Phoenix Flair
Celebrate New Orleans: Art. Culture. Music.
Great Dates
Puzzles
Readers Resource Index
Your US Airways Guide
Video Entertainment
Audio Entertainment
U.S. and Caribbean Service Map
International Service Map
Airport Terminal Maps
US Airways Fleet/Customs & Immigration
Passenger Info/Contact US Airways
US Airways MarketPlace®
Window or Aisle?

US Airways - April 2013