In search of Venice/Treviso advice, also agroturismo recommendations in Venice area

[Dave MP]

I am visiting Venice and Treviso in early November, and I thought I'd post here to see if anyone has any recommendations for me.

I am going to be staying in Treviso, and from what I've read and heard, this could be an advantage for me food-wise, since it's likely to be a lot less touristy than Venice proper. I am mostly looking for less expensive restaurants, though a mid-range type place could be nice for one night (probably don't want to eat anywhere that will cost more than 30 euros per person, and for cheaper meals 10-20 would be better)

I arrive on a Saturday night (in time for late dinner, or at least dessert), and will be there Sunday-Tuesday. So here are some specific questions I have, so I'd really appreciate answers to any/all of them.

1) I am considering taking a day trip out to the countryside from Treviso - probably this would be a Sunday. Are there any fun towns/villages that are easy to get to by train that might be nice foodwise (or otherwise)? Any agroturismo recommendations, or farms/cheese/meat/vineyards/etc. that are worth visiting? Probably we would be traveling by public transit only....

2) Best ice cream in Venice and/or Treviso?

3) Are there any foods that are particularly worth seeking out in Venice (as opposed to Treviso?) Or is it so touristy that I'm really better off eating in Treviso, where I'm staying anyway.

4) Is Padova worth a visit for food? And how would it be going there on a Sunday?

5) Best inexpensive restaurants (for any meal) in Treviso/Venice?

6) Best bakeries/desserts in Treviso (I read in a chowhound post that Treviso is known for sweets I think)

7) Any particular markets that are worth visiting, in either Venice or Treviso? Perhaps we will end up cooking one of our meals, since I'll be staying in an apt. with a kitchen.

That's about all for now, any help would be greatly appreciated! I am quite excited for this trip, and I'll be sure to report back

Thanks
Dave MP

[jen kalb]

given your price range, you should check your the slowfoods osterie guide for the area - they recommend a couple of places in Treviso, many in the region and several in Venice (but there are alot of other moderate eating recommendations on this site for Venice) . Treviso is a "Classic Town" for the Veneto in Fred Plotkins book which also describes several restaurants , a bakery (Pasticceria Ardizzoni) drinking and shopping info (including a description of the Treviso market, the Pescherie, but even more it would give you some orientation on what to expect. Im sure you are going to have a lot of fun. So get to the library , do some preparation and hopefully someone will give you the benefit of their own experiences.

[Dave MP]

Do you mean his book "Italy for the Gourmet Traveller?"

[jen kalb]

yes, worth checking for with your library, not sure if its in print in a recent version but even the older versions are good for basic orientation.

[loudjazz]

Trattoria Antiche Carampane specializes in seafood so may be a little above the budget but, importantly for Venice, I found it great value for money. Spanking fresh fish, the soft shell crabs brought alive and kicking to the table looked amazing.
my blog http://salvos.co.uk/diary/blog/index.... has a review of this and another couple of good places in Venice. Buon viaggio.

[PBSF]

The food at Antiche Carampane is very good and one of our favorites, but it is expensive. Antipasti/primi are around 15-20E and secondi are 25E.

[Dave MP]

Great, I just ordered a used copy on Amazon, so I'll have that soon. Thanks!

[jen kalb]

Im assuming you are talking about plotkin, not the slowfood osteria guide? Plotkin is a huge heavy book - I always copy the relevant pages from this and similar books, dbl sided to avoid the nuisance of carrying them on trips.

The slowfood recommendations is geared to moderately priced restaurants. If you cant find the Osterie book, its not impossible to go onto their website and read reviews if you can figure out how to register and login.
I will tell you that in my 2008 guide, they list Il Basilisco, Via Bison, 34 and Vineria, Via Castellana, in Treviso (Toni el Spin is a former listing), L'Anfora, Via dei Soncin 13 and Al Cancelletto, Via Corsico 4 in Padova, and Anice Stellato ( a personal favorite), Dalla Marisa, and La Bitta in Venice, as well as the following in Venice Mestre on the mainland to which many Venetians have moved - many think the food is better and cheaper there; Ive not explored it yet -: Ostaria da Mariano , via Spalto 49: Moro, Via Piave 192 and La Pergola, Via Fiume 42

Personally, we liked Padova very much, with the Giottos, St. Anthony, the market square and a very nice bourgeois businessman's restaurant where we lunched (too ong ago for a restaurant rec to be valid. Hope to visit Treviso someday - its supposed to be a lovely small venetian city and it certainly has the most beautiful radiccho of all.

[PBSF]

The many towns around Treviso and Venice are worth visiting and each has a central market. I’ve been to Asolo, Bassano Del Grappas, Belluno and Vicenza, mostly on day trips from Venice where I spend a month or two each year. The train system is excellent, therefore, you will have no problem getting around. But visiting vineyards, farms, etc. without a car might be difficult. My comments are mostly on Venice as my experience with other towns is limited.
1) If you want to make a food excursion to a nearby town, I would choose another day besides Sunday when just about everything is closed. Below is a link by a very knowledgeable poster on couple of nearby towns.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/605395
2) Good ice cream in Venice: there are many and each is good for certain flavors; for lighter style, Alaska and Grom; for the rich old-fashioned creamy…del Doge for their signature del Doge flavor (remind me of the 50/50 vanilla/orange bar of my childhood), almond, anything with chocolate, especially the bittersweet; Nico is good for nutella, peach, raspberry and their rococo concoctions; Paoli has great limone; the baci and coffee are good at Gelateria Lo Squero.
3) Below is a link to an earlier post on some of the traditional food of the Veneto. http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/648199
4). Padova is a wonderful strolling city with a very good central market at the Piazza della Frutta and Piazza delle Erbe. Good produce, wonderful delis and butchers including those specializing in horsemeat. Not much in terms of seafood. Mornings only, closed Sundays.
5) If I am on a tight budget in Venice, I would do lunch where most osterias and trattorias still cook for working Venetians. In the evenings, much of Venice is left for visitors as most Venetians head back to their home in the mainland. Some decent places (don’t expect spectacular food or top notch seafood as they are very expensive): Osteria al Bomba, Al Promessi Sposi, Deluca et Fred, Anti Mola, Al Timon, Paradiso Perduto, all in Cannaregio. I would also feast on cicchetti at La Cantina, Cavatappi, Vini de Arturo, La Mascareta (no lunch), Ai Vini Padovani, Cantinone Del Vino Gia Schiavi and the atmospheric places around the Rialto: Do Mori, L’Arco, Al Marca. I would buy local cheeses (don't overlook the fresh cheeses such as burrata, mozzarella, crescenza; they taste totally different from what we get in the States) cured meat and deli items in lieu of restaurants. To stay within budget, order one or two courses and skip dessert. There are some good pizzas in Venice though I would skip it if you are visiting Rome or Naples.
6) I don’t know any of the pastry shops in Trevisio but in Venice: Marchini, Rosa Salva, Ballarin, Didovich, Tonolo.
7) As for markets, nothing can compare to Venice’s Rialto and the shops around it. Open only mornings; pescheria closed Sundays and Mondays; produce closed Sundays and some stalls on Mondays also. The shops around it follow that schedule.
General comments: with only three days, I would probably keep traveling to a minimum since that might not be even enough time for Venice alone. Leave time to experience the cultural stuff and not just the food. If your apartment is stocked with basic food items, you might consider cooking fresh seafood that are unique to Venice and the lagoon such as moleche, baby squid, seppia, small gray shrimp, scampi, scallops with roe in their shells, wild fish such as rombo, San Pietro, seabass (skip the farmed stuff). You will be able to eat the wonderful unique seafood without blowing you budget.
Inexpensive to moderate places for decent food in nearby towns. I’ve eaten at theses places only once. Padova: Gigi Bar for wine and cicchetti; L’Anfora, Trattoria al Pera; Vicenza: Dai Nodari

[Dave MP]

Wow, thanks for this reply. Lots of good info. Yeah, I was worried about the Sunday thing - so if we do go on a trip to Padova or somewhere like that, it'll be on Monday or Tuesday....although, I don't know if those days would be all that much better?

I am just going to Italy for 3 days (from London), and my cousin lives in Trevisio (she has only been there a few weeks so far though).....so, there is a kitchen. I like the idea of shopping and cooking one of the nights.

I would never dream of "overlooking" fresh cheeses like burrata! :)

Pizza recommendations could be good - sadly, I have no plans to go to Rome or Naples any time soon.

The places you listed in Venice - are any of them likely to be open for dinner on Sunday? I can look into this further myself too....

Anyway, thanks very much! I'm excited!

Dave MP

[PBSF]

For visiting food markets, any day is better than Sundays. Most markets are opened Mondays and there will be enough going on to enjoy them. Given your schedule, Tuesday morning would be the only day to visit the Rialto (the amazing pescheria is closed Sunday and Mondays). The Rialto market is a must even if you buy nothing. Besides the amazing variety of seafood, produce etc, there is the setting, the history, the bustle, the shops and wine bars nestled among the nearby narrow side streets. Just watching the Venetians interact with the vendors is a wonderful glimpse of their personality and character.
Since your kitchen is stocked with basics and if you enjoy cooking, I would definitely shop and cook. The food would probably be just as good or better than most osterias. My experience shopping for seafood at the Rialto is that the vendors are very experienced and savvy. Don't get taken in by their display of putting the most beautiful in the front so I always check what is behind. The stalls are very competitive and if the price of a particular seafood seems too cheap compared to the others, I stay away from it (probably inferior quality or not fresh). Buy the best, otherwise, seafood is not worth cooking or eating. Most fish are sold whole but the vendor will gut, fillet, etc at no extra cost, if requested.
I love pizzas but for some reason, I rarely crave it in Venice; especially now that the absurdly number of new pizzerias have opened where I live. In Venice, Al Nono Risorto in San Polo have very good pizzas, a nice patio and decent antipasti and pasta. Casa Mia in Cannaregio is also good but the setting is simpler. Prices for the pizzas are about the same and open on Sundays. Il Refolo also has very good pizza, a charming location and setting but the pizzas are a few euro more.
If you are looking for other places open for Sunday nights (check to make sure): al Bomba, Al Promessi Sposi, Paradiso Perduto; also couple I didn't mentioned: alla Vedova and Osteria al Diavoloa et L'Aquasanta which specialize in offals. Most of the above will have cicchetti as well as other dishes. If that is the case, cicchetti eating is usually stand up in the front, dining room in the back. Most enotecas and bacari such as Cavatappi, Do Mori are closed Sundays. For Sunday night wine, my favorites are Bancogiro and the nearby Nazarania, located near the Rialto with a back loggia set up with tables on the Grand Canal. Both have excellent wines by the glass, serve simple cicchetti on the first floor (blackboard menu inside). The second floor is reserved for table service. The food at Bancogiro is good but not inexpensive. There is a menu posted outside with secondi around 20e. Nazarania food is a mix of Asian and traditional Venetian. Both are fun places, especially on warmer evenings, when it is crowded and lively. The crowd is younger and mostly locals, a welcome change in Venice. Another good one is Un Mondo di Viino in Cannaregio.
Venice is very expensive for eating out but the simpler things such as coffee, gelato and pastries are no more then elsewhere and very affordable. And wine in restaurants is "cheap" compare to the States. I rarely spend much more than 2e for a glass in enotecas and bacari.

[yuko]

Hello Dave MP. This may be too late of a post... have you already returned from Treviso? I have been in Treviso on business since last week and will be here until end of next week. I've been enjoying all the meals so far, so although you may not need my input, here is where I ate that I actually have the names & address:

1) Ristorante Buranelli on Sottoportico Buranelli 11, street behind the main square. Great resotto ai funghi. I think I had the best tiramisu here too. No English spoken.

2) Not in downtown Treviso, but driving distance - Antica Trattoria Alla Fassetta on Via Fossetta 31, 30024 Musile di Paiave. Had excellent steak with arugula with cheese. English spoken.

3) Grillos in Roncade: Texas companions took me here. I did not order TexMex, which they serve (i.e. fajita, nachos, etc.). Had a really good appetizer of poached egg with grilled radicchio and bacon. English spoken.

4) Not food, but my B&B (Tenuta Santome - tenutasantome.com) is also a winery. I was able to join another group who was doing the tasting. Particuarly recommend their Prosecco and Raboso.

[Dave MP]

Just got back from Treviso and Venice - had GREAT food. Will report more soon, and include a link here.

yuko, I didn't see your post till now, so I didn't eat at any of those places....but I'll pass on the info to my cousin who is in Treviso!

More soon
Dave MP

[yuko]

I will be here until the end of this Sat... what am I missing??

I went to Ristorante Galli in Roncade last night. Amazing food. We had a great meal there (Pigeon soup, fish egg pasta, which reminded me of Japanese cod roe pasta, grilled pheasant dish were all outstanding.

[Dave MP]

More detailed reports soon: but, in Treviso, I ate at:

El Sestin, which is at Viale Burchiellati 48-31100 TREVISO, tel [phone]
http://www.elsestin.com/

At El Sestin we had four different antipasti - the baccala mantecato was quite good, as were the sarde in saor - sardines w/ pickled onions. The salsiccette and soppressa were nice as well.

I had the pasta amatriciana for my main course, and it was good, but my other dining companions had tagliatelle al ragu d'anatra e radicchio, which was even better.

Also had a late night meal at Muscoli (i think). It's right across from the fish market. Had the baccala mantecato here too, which was good, as well as baccala alla Vicentina, which I liked OK, but wasn't amazed by. But the best was squid ink pasta - REALLY REALLY good here. After our meal we had fragolino w/ small biscuits, also very nice.

Finally, I had gelato at both Grom and Venchi. Venchi has superb gelato - in my opinion, noticeably better than Grom, which is excellent too - mainly a texture and perfectness of flavor balance. But it's like comparing a really really good apple to a really really really good apple. At Venchi I had a dark chocolate, and also pistachio. Best pistachio flavored dessert I have ever had I think. Prices at Venchi are about the same as Grom, but serving sizes are much smaller.

At Grom, one of the current flavors is persimmon, which is excellent. Also liked the flavor of the month that is some combination of almond/chocolate.

Also, the shops in Treviso near the market are quite nice. Bought some very nice prosciutto and cheeses from one of the shops. Not to mention the market itself! I was amazed how great looking and cheap the produce was - we went shopping for a meal we cooked, and bought: 1 lemon, 1 grapefruit, 2 oranges, 1 big bulb of fennel, 1 red onion, 1 head of garlic, a big bag of spinach, 2 pears, 6 small Roma tomatoes, and 2 bunches of Treviso radicchio - all top quality and all for 7 euros!

Hope this helps! Enjoy Treviso!

[summerUWS2008]

Might be worth adding, hope you don't take it amiss, that in Italy, persimmons are called "cachi"