Dinner at Il Ridotto

Nearby Burano offers picturesque compositions of color and canals
2017 Burano, Italia

Venice day three featured a delightful mourning tour of the island of Burano, which is located north of Venice, and past Murano in the Venetian lagoon. While predominantly known for its lace work, I was especially captivated by the beautifully colored homes lining the various canals that crisscross the island. For those who are artistically inclined, I highly recommend making a sojourn with camera or sketch pad, and just lose one's self for a few hours.

Burano, with Venice in the background
2017 Burano, Italia

Making our way back to Venice, our next stop was the island of Murano, with its famous glass furnaces stoked by some of the most talented glass craftsmen in the world. Originally in Venice, the glass makers were asked to leave in the 13th Century due to the high risk of fire. Murano had a monopoly on glass production until the 16th century, when trade secrets found their way around Europe.

Losing their monopoly did little to change the perception of Venitian/Murano glass, as artisans on the island still employ centuries-old techniques to this day. Taking a slight tangent: Dale Chihuly worked at the Venini factory in Murano early in his career, where he learned the team technique for blowing glass. This technique would serve as one of the pillars that would define his work. If you are ever in Seattle, you can see one of the largest collections of Chihuly's work at the Chihuly Garden & Glass Museum.

The afternoon took us back to Venice, first for a quick lunch near the hotel, and then to the nearby Arsenale - the former shipyards and armories of the City of Venice - to check out the Biennale di Venezia. Held every odd year, this exhibition transforms the old Venetian arsenal into a giant collection of contemporary visual art. While not my cup of tea - I prefer impressionist and realist works personally - it's a must-see exhibit for those who enjoy contemporary art.

Today's final adventure - the culinary sort - took us a block or two outside of St. Mark's Square to a small restaurant nestled in the Campiello (small square) Santi Filippo E Giacomo called Il Ridotto. Named after the nearby Ridotto Theater, a small Venetian theater that shares a similar sense of size, this nine table restaurant is the passion of Chef Gianni Bonaccorsi who wanted to open a fine dining restaurant. Featuring both five course prix fixe fish and meat menus, as well as a la carte options, Chef Bonaccorsi and his team have been rewarded with a Michelin star since 2013.

 The Madre and I were led to our small two-top in this small, two-chamber restaurant. The first chamber, slightly larger, features a small bar where the beverage service is directed. We were seated in the second dining area, where a far mirrored wall really opened up the space. Exposed brick walls, accented by white tablecloths and light tan leather chairs, offer a nice balance of elegance and coziness.

Given this was our last night in Venice, and that the menu would most likely pivot to feature more terrestrial delights,  we both decided on the 5 course prix fixe fish menu. To pair with the fish dishes, we selected a 2016 Ronco del Gnemiz Chardonnay from nearby Friuli-venezia Giulia. After a moment of respite, which allowed us to enjoy the first sips of wine, our first dish was served and our culinary journey commenced.

Squid and mushroom over chickpea purée

2017 Il Ridotto. Venezia, Italia

Out the gate we were served a bowl of squid and mushrooms over a chickpea purée. The dish was garnished by a crunchy element, the name of which escapes me and my notes.

The mushrooms and squid were sautéed in garlic and white wine, which yielded an incredible fragrance and outstanding flavor. The squid itself was superbly prepared; tender with its delightful signature slightly sweet and a touch saline flavor. The chickpea purée was exceptionally creamy, offering an earthy foil that balanced the rich garlic and white wine notes. Finally, the crunchy element added a nice texture foil to the creamy purée and tender squid, adding depth to the dish.

'Sardine sandwich'
2017 Il Ridotto. Venezia, Italia

Following the squid dish in our all-seafood lineup was an entrée entitled "Sardine sandwich." Here we have sardines stuffed with carrot, shallot and zucchini. They are served over ricotta and confit tomato, with dots of pimenton and squash.

Tea seared scallop with two sauces
2017 Il Ridotto. Venezia, Italia

What a wonderful combination of flavors in such a small dish. As you can see in the picture to the right, the sardines still had their tails on! The fish itself offered its fishy saline flavors, accented by the shallots that were sautéed in sherry vinegar. The ricotta brought some creaminess, as well as a different texture from the practically whole sardine. Finally, the zest of the pimenton, and fresh herbaceous flavors of the confit tomato brought incredible depth. Bravo!

Following the sardine entrée was a scallop dish. The scallops were seared with black tea, and featured two sauces, one carrot cream, the other beetroot mango.

Perfectly seared, the scallops featured a beautiful black tea crust, while inside they were just beyond translucent. The black tea was a nice touch, yielding visible yet not powerful herbal notes that paired well with the sweet scallops. Both sauces used their sweetness, either from the carrot or beet, to merge nicely with the scallops, while also offering depth of flavor with earthy and creamy richness.

Seafood soup
2017 Il Ridotto. Venezia, Italia

Tonight's penultimate dinner entrée was a seafood soup, featuring fish and pasta. The broth itself used puréed squash and seafood stock as a base, accented by lemon grass and curry.

Seabass with cabbage and garlic sauce
2017 Il Ridotto. Venezia, Italia

Just outstanding. The pasta was a perfect al dente, adding nice body to the broth that was both light and airy, yet full of substantial flavor. The seafood stock was excellent, yielding nice saline-fish flavors without being too salty, or detracting from the delicacy of the squash. Lemon grass offered a nice touch of herbaceous notes, while the curry added something exotic to round out the flavor profile. And finally, despite its small size, the fish was very flavorful. Excellent!

Clearing the wonderful seafood soup, our final entrée soon followed. Here we have seabass, served over cabbage. Drizzled in a circle around the fish is a green garlic sauce, looking very similar to a thinned basil-based pesto.

What a nice, balanced dish to end the dinner portion of the menu. The seabass itself was moist and flaky, being perfectly prepared. Cabbage offers nice herbaceous notes, as well as a bit of different texture to compliment the fish. Finally, the garlic provided strong garlic notes that, given its placement around the fish, I could determine just how much I wanted.

Ice cream with pistachio crumble, candied orange
and chocolate sauce
2017 Il Ridotto. Venezia, Italia

Switching gears to desert, we were offered ice cream with pistachio crumble. This was served with candied orange, and chocolate sauce. When the pistachio crumble was combined with the chocolate sauce, the result was similar to a piece of amazing toffee. The candied orange was paired nicely with the chocolate sauce, yielding flavors similar to a orange infused Lindor truffle. These rich flavors - the toffee and truffle - were balanced by the creamy ice cream. It's vanilla flavor did a nice job resetting the palate between the other two components, allowing everything to be enjoyed in harmony. A simple, yet completely satisfying desert.

Mignardises
2017 Il Ridotto. Venezia, Italia

When it comes to fine dining in Venice proper, it's hard to beat the offerings at Il Ridotto. It may not feature the overly posh digs as nearby Ristorante Quadri, but it's also a fraction of the cost. Its five course prix fixe menu is €95, roughly 40% to 50% of the cost of offerings with the same number of courses at Ristorante Quadri. Thus, from a value perspective, Il Ridotto is a true jewel. For those who find ordering prix fixe a bit intimidating, Il Ridotto also offers a la carte options with an average price of €30 for an entrée, and €12 for desert.

If I had to pick one restaurant to visit while in Venice, it would still be Venissa. For those who don't want to break the bank, or schlep to another island, Il Ridotto should garner your attention. The food is absolutely outstanding, ambiance intimate and sophisticated, and service excellent. And with a sub-one hundred euro price point, one doesn't need an excuse to make the reservation.

Dining date: September 26, 2017