Looooog Lunch

We discovered todays fabulous lunch spot mid last September, Osteria in S. Marina, it's about a 6 km round walk from our apartment on one end of Venice to the osteria at the other!
 Over 2000 little bridges!! leg muscles getting a real work out today.
Thankfully soooo far away from the 60,000 tourists that crowds through Venice on a daily basis.

 

A taste of the quiet side of Venice
 

The small canals weaving their way through the old building
 

  

Last September we sat out the front, but today was an indoors day, Italian's are scared of the prospect of a little rain!! They could catch their death and or worse be infected by the Black  Plague!!.
Real Drama Queens!
One beautiful lady stroking the streets of Venice 

 Always like a few little stickers on the restaurants front door.

  

A Warm welcomed back by owner/chef Agostino

 

 

Inside was just simple Italian

A few bubbles is a nice way to start the 8 course degustation and decided on the matched Italian wines. 

Didn't eat yesterday, knew today's lunch was worth fasting for.

 

One of the nicest waters we have had in Italy, funny thing to say but some of the bottled water even in restaurants are dreadful.

 

Nice Coperto! individual sundried tomato focaccia.

 

 A little welcome from the kitchen.
Baccala tempura, interesting and yum.
Small tempura prawns from the Venice Laguna,
just like crispy prawn crackers.
Tempura "Pizolle" pizza.
 

   The menu has a little bit of a Japanese fusion thing going on. 
(I'm not a lover of some fusion) here a great couple of fusion inspired dishes done to absolute Italian/Japanese perfection.

 Tataki, daikon, sprouts of leek & teriyaki sauce.

    

The onion jam roasted slow and low ... sooooo sweet.

Beautiful typical Japanese flavours in an Italian restaurant.

Soave, crisp and slightly sharp, to wake the palette!

Creamed cod "baccala", soft potato, olives and dried tuna roe "bottarga".

 

The baccala was thinly coated with a creamy potato , the salty/fishy taste from the shaved bottarga and olive tepanard all blended perfectly.

I would go back and have a whole bowl of this any day.

Sand's I think a variation of this dish needs to find a new home
@ The Retreat. 👅

Scallop, green peas, lemongrass and crispy bacon.

Cold spaghetti, with raw blue shrimp, pistachio and wild salmon roe.

 

For me after having the raw red prawns here in Italy I'm more a fan of their fresh sweetness.

However this dish with the blue shrimps was more about the play on the salty flavours from the pesto and the salmon roe with a fishy prawn flavour.

This dish was certainly more for the foodie with a palate for different tastes, washed down will with a creamy! chardonnay.
Real nice drop, no wood.

  

Risotto with lemon, rosemary and red prawn carpaccio.

 The other Japanese inspired dish was the

Eel with leak and potato.

Amazing how a food flavour can transport you out of Italy and straight back into Japan.

The plate says it all, wiped clean, Italian style of course with bread,
that impressed the chef. 

 Veal cheek with black truffle sauce.

Pete in Food Heaven.

 

Cooked over several hours, just so succulent. 

 

Finally a red, an excellent pick to go with such a rich dish. A big Italian red, done in the Italian Amarone style, perfect.

 

 

A present from Agostino, so, scrambled eggs with truffle tomorrow back in our apartment overlooking the Grand Canal.

Bliss

 

The earthy smell ...... hmmmmm for me heavenly, for other not so! 

White chocolate foam with variations of apricot and amaretto biscuits

Variation's ... was apricot granita with apricot sauce.

great Loooong Lunch