Dinner at Ristorante Quadri

The first day on any vacation that requires substantial travel is usually pretty rough, and this one was no exception. My trek to Italy was by way of Boston and Newark, and consisted of two back-to-back red eye flights. Despite the fact that I actually slept the entire duration of the San Francisco to Boston leg, by the time I landed at Venice's Marco Polo International Airport, I was a shattered man.

A brief water taxi from the airport took me directly to my hotel - the lovely Hotel Luna Baglioni - where I rendezvous with my Mother who was my partner in crime for this trip. I immediately crashed on the bed for a few hours, waking up just in time for lunch. A brief stroll took us to Trattoria alla Rivetta, a busy little eatery recommended to us by a foodie friend of Mother's. After lunch, we continued to walk around St. Mark's Square, but rain prodded us to head back to the hotel. This allowed me to take yet another nap, and soon it was time to head to dinner. Tonight we would be checking out Ristorante Quadri, located in St. Mark's Square.


Ristorante Quadri is located on the second floor of the Grancaffè Quadri: one of the cafes located in St. Mark's Square featuring outdoor seating and live music. The outdoor cafe and indoor ABC Quadri restaurant are casual options, complimenting the fine dining on the second floor.

The restaurant is owned by the Alajmo group, a family owned company with holdings primarily in the Veneto region. Executive chef Silvio Giavedoni has worked with the Alajmo family for over a decade, and has carried out Max Alajmo's menu that highlights contemporary interpretations of traditional Venetian and Italian dishes. The results speak for themselves, as Ristorante Quadri has been awarded a Michelin star since 2012.

Selection of amuse-bouches from the kitchen:
(L) Quail eggs with tuna mousse and anchovy;
(M) Pizza with tomato;
(R) Tartlette with beet gorgonzola.
2017 Ristorante Quadri. Venezia, Italy 

Taking the stairs to the second floor, one passes by a glassed-off wine cellar that immediately fills the mind with options for the evening's wine service. After checking in with the hostess, we were led to a small table in the 'W' shaped dining room. Walls are covered with a beautiful red wall covering that exudes a cozy and sensual ambiance when lit from the overhead chandeliers. Just so perfect for a special occasion, or with that special someone.

Pumpkin and persimmon mousse with toasted pumpkin seed
2017 Ristorante Quadri. Venezia, Italy

First to come out from the kitchen was a selection of three amuse-bouches, including their take on deviled eggs with tuna mousse and anchovy, little pizza with tomato, and a tartlette with beet and gorgonzola cheese. All three bites were served in beautiful little Murano glass dishes, featuring all sports of different colors that really was a festive touch.

The second little dish to be presented was a pumpkin and persimmon mousse, featuring toasted pumpkin seeds and fried celery leaf. The mousse itself offered a velvety smooth texture, conveying the delightful squash flavor from the pumpkin. This was buttressed by hints of sweet from the persimmon that was perfectly in balance with the earthy squash notes. Layering on complimentary toasty and nutty notes were the toasted pumpkin seeds, while the fried celery leaf offered some nice herbaceous flavors that completed the dish. Quite an impressive assortment of flavors in such a small dish!

Maxpacho
2017 Ristorante Quadri. Venezia, Italy

Following up the mousse was a beautifully presented bowl of maxpacho: Max Alajmo's take on a classic gazpacho. Two different vegetable purées provide vibrant red and cornflower yellow visuals, along with fresh flavors that form the the backbone of the soup. Eggplant offers nice body to the soup, while fried green bean adds crispy texture. Finally, olive tapenade lends earthy olive flavors that rounds everything out. Just excellent!

Dentex fish carpaccio
2017 Ristorante Quadri. Venezia, Italy

Moving on, next is a fish carpaccio dish featuring common dentex, a fish common to the Mediterranean. The fish was marinated in a beet marinade, and served with a seaweed mayo, caviar and puffed rice. Similar to previous dishes, the carpaccio is plated on a beautiful Murano glass plate.

The beet marinade lends a nice earthy sweetness to the fish that pairs beautifully with the fish's subtle saline notes. The saline flavors were further enhanced by the little bombs of caviar that explode with every bite. Seaweed mayo provides a rich creaminess, while the puffed rice adds a nice texture compliment.

Baccalà! Baccalà! Baccalà!
(T) Salt cod pasta with ham, Venetian style
(L) Salt cod with tomato & cream
(M) Salt cod "salad" with rice puff strips
(R) Fried salt cod with jam and mousse
2017 Ristorante Quadri. Venezia, Italy

Following the dentex was a unique homage to baccalà - salted cod - featuring three small dishes and a pasta dish containing the ingredient. The first I tried was salt cod with tomato and cream (bottom left). This dish offered a delightful fresh balance between the saline flavors of the fish, and fresh herbaceous notes of the tomato, while the cream offers a touch of richness.

Next was the salt cod "salad" (bottom middle) with rice puff strips. In this offering, the fish was balanced by a mascarpone "dressing," while the rice puffs adds nice texture to the dish.

Following the "salad" is fried salt cod, featuring jam and mousse/aioli (bottom right). The jam offered nice sweet elements, which paired nicely with the saline of the fish. The mousse/aioli and fried preparation introduced two different textures and a touch of richness.

The final dish in this homage to baccalà is a pasta dish (top), featuring ham, and prepared Venetian style. This dish offers nice balance of creaminess, saline, and herbaceous notes. A fantastic crescendo to an awesome assortment of dishes.

Black cuttlefish coconut curry risotto
2017 Ristorante Quadri. Venezia, Italy

After the barrage of salt cod dishes, the next dish - a delightful langoustine coconut curry risotto -  was a much needed change of pace. Black cuttlefish and peaches joined the scampi to round out the main ingredients of the risotto.

Overall, the risotto exhibited an incredible collection of flavors. The langoustines offered a nice balance of sweet and saline notes. This makes for a nice pairing with the saline cuttlefish, and sweetness of the peaches. The curry flavors - not something I would associate with Italian food - offered a vibrancy of flavor that took the dish over the top. Bellissima!

Golden grouper with cracker "sandwich"
2017 Ristorante Quadri. Venezia, Italy

Finishing up the seafood portion of tonight's meal was a golden grouper fillet, served in a cracker "sandwich." This was sitting over a red cabbage jelly, and topped with a black garlic seaweed sauce. To the side was some greens, tossed in a mustard vinaigrette.

The grouper itself was perfectly cooked, with its wonderful flavors enhanced by the delightful texture of the cracker. The black garlic sauce offers some rich, creamy and savory notes. This was partnered with herbaceous notes of the red cabbage jelly. Finally, the greens and their mustard vinaigrette offered a refreshing foil that rounded out the dish. Excellent!

Goose leg "alla Milanese"
2017 Ristorante Quadri. Venezia, Italy

Next up we find ourselves with a poultry dish: fried goose leg "alla Milanese", accompanied with an "egg yolk" dollop of saffron aioli, as well as some beet slaw.

The fried goose reminded me of State Bird Provisions' signature dish: fried quail. Perfectly fried, the exterior had that nice crisp, while the flesh was still moist and tender. The saffron aioli added a nice exotic element to the dish, while it's creamy texture paired nicely with the crispy goose. And when the palate was overwhelmed by the richness of the goose and aioli, a bite or two of the beet slaw was just the ticket. Its nice pairing of acidity and earthy sweetness of the beets was exceptional, and really rounded out the dish.

Venetian-style chicken livers with balsamic and chickpeas
2017 Ristorante Quadri. Venezia, Italy

Tonight's final dinner entrée is a Venetian-stle chicken liver dish. Here, sautéed chicken livers are topping a bed of chickpea purée, and covered with a combination of balsamic, sautéed red onion, and whole chickpeas.

Full honesty, this dish may have been my least favorite of the evening's lineup. The chicken livers just didn't exhibit a combination of vibrant flavor or outstanding texture that most of the other dishes offered. The balsamic did provide nice earthy sweetness, while the chickpea purée more overt earthy texture. The red onion even lent some nice complimentary flavors. This combination of flavors made for a good, but not great, final dinner entrée.

Gelato smorgasbord
2017 Ristorante Quadri. Venezia, Italy

Finishing off the meal was a wonderful array of desserts, with the centerpiece a sizable bowl of hazelnut gelato. These included a hot chocolate, cold chocolate drink, candied hazelnuts, piroulines, and a hazelnut macaroons. The warm chocolate itself was decadent, while the cold chocolate had licorice notes that cut through the richness of the other dishes. Hazelnuts themselves are awesome, so candying them made them even more incredible. Finally, the hazelnut gelato was a balanced offering of sweet and creamy hazelnut flavors. In totality, not an extremely complex dessert, yet satisfying nonetheless.

Mignardises
2017 Ristorante Quadri. Venezia, Italy

And as I sample the collection of mignardises, I collect my thoughts on my first dinner in Italy for 2017. Ristorante Quadri offers an exceptional dining experience in the heart of Venice. Service is impeccable, and the ambiance is incredibly alluring: perfect for celebrating a special occasion with that special someone. Aside from the chicken liver dish, everything was exceptional.

Prices range from 3 dishes selected from the three prix fix menus at €120, to the eight course 'Tartufo' menu at €325, with options in between. This places Ristorante Quadri towards the high-end of the middle price spectrum of American Michelin-starred restaurants.

I feel Ristorante Quadri is perfect for those occasions that call for a combination of seductive ambiance and excellent cuisine. The atmosphere and service are both top notch, and the food is excellent. But at the current menu price points, I feel that one is paying a premium for the ambiance. For those looking for less posh digs, Venice has some other options at better price points (see my review of nearby Il Ridotto).

Dining date: September 24, 2017.