Verona, Mantua, Padua

(October 1-4)  Leaving Ferrara, we had decided that we wanted to spend one night on the Po Delta and therefore booked a nice B&B called

Ristorante Arquade, outside Verona

37020 Pedemonte, Via Quar 12 ;
39  04 56 80 06 81;
www.hotelvilladelquar.it

(October 2, 2007) This is a two star restaurant in the traditional Michelin mode. There are two small dining rooms, elaborately decorated, massive floral arrangements, and elegant linens and place settings.

Venice notes – May 15 to 20, 2007

Transport:

We arrived at the Venice airport in the early evening. We were met by a transfer agent arranged by our hotel; he took our luggage and drove us to the dock. He had a water taxi ready which took us right to our hotel, a spectacular entry to the city.

La Colomba – Venice

La Colomba is sort of like “21” or Sardi’s in NY; one goes for the tradition, not the cuisine, although the cuisine can be surprisingly good. Our dinner on May 19, 2007, was our fifth time at La Colomba, the first was in 1983, and it did not seem to have changed one bit.

Fiaschetteria Toscana – Venice

The last time we were in Venice we came across Fiaschetteria Toscana by chance and liked it so much that we went back the next night. The clientele was mostly local then; now it is mostly tourists, as its reputation has spread, but there were Venetians the evening we were there, May 18, 2007, including two tables with well-behaved small children.

Alle Testiere – Venice

Everyone’s dream is the little seven-table restaurant with great fresh ingredients bought every day and prepared by a talented local chef with the simple culinary traditions of the area. That’s what Alle Testiere sounds like in many articles and food blogs, including Gastroville, one of the most discerning, which declares it, along with Da Fiore, one of the two best restaurants in Venice and “one of the very best Italian seafood places.”

Da Fiore – Venice

On May 16, 2007, Linda and I dined at Osteria Da Fiore, the only restaurant in Venice with a Michelin star.