How to eat out in Italy
Getting that table may not be as easy as you think! Plus spritz intel and more Venice addresses.
Happy Saturday, itinerant cook! My apologies for delivering this note a day late.
How sweet is this little aperitivo stand? I happened upon it in Venice, in the Canneregio district, away from the madding crowds. Thierry and I didn’t stop for a spritz or chicchetti, as we were on our way to dinner, but I found it adorable. (In case you missed last’s week’s missive, it included part 1 of my Italian road trip.)
Maybe the spritz menu (right side of the counter) is too small to read; on it are five spritzes: Aperol, Select, Campari, Cynar and Hugo — 4 euros each, except the Hugo, at 5.
I had fallen in love with Select spritzes a couple months before our trip, having learned that Select — a brand of aperitivo liqueur born in Venice — is favored in that city. It’s similar to Aperol but less sweet, with higher alcohol and, to my palate, with more complex, interesting flavors. Best of all, a Select spritz gets garnished with a green olive or two, so the vibe is more savory.
If you look closely at the aperitivo stand, you’ll see a branded Select napkin dispenser on the counter to the right of the menu, and a branded ice bucket. Venice does love Select!
The city also loves Cynar, the artichoke-flavored aperitivo liqueur created there in 1952; both Select Spritzes and Cynar Spritzes appeared on every spritz menu we saw. Cynar makes a really good spritz, with deep flavor with more bass notes than either Select or Aperol, and a roundly bitter edge. This would be the spritz for amaro lovers.
Now I need to get my hands on a bottle of Cynar. Here in Dallas, it’s still breaking 90 degrees most days, so I’m calling that extended spritz weather. Look for recipes at the end of this missive.
I want to pick up where I left off on the last newsletter, and give you a couple of other Venice highlights.
Everything Cookbooks Podcast
But first, I’m super honored to be featured on one of the coolest podcasts around — Everything Cookbooks, from
, Molly Stevens, and . In our episode, Kate, Molly and I talked about cookbook criticism, a hot topic these days, and a strong focus of Cooks Without Borders. Kate and Molly, both outstanding cookbook authors, are also gifted interviewers, and I loved our conversation. I hope you do, too!