Our final grand dining night in Venice was still a day away from departure, but our last dinner was a family one with Samuel and not worth mentioning. With our dearest friends, Mel & Juan, we headed to LINEA d'OMBRA (www.ristorantelineadombra.com) in Dorsoduro with a gorgeous view over the lagoon and yachts at harbor. We had made this final one month vacation farewell dinner through our friend Fabrizio Aielli in Washington who hails from Venice and as we discovered was born just meters away on the island of Giudecca. We are grateful to him, his friend, Marco and maitre d' Alberto who all made our evening an even more special treat. Getting to Linea d"ombrea is much harder than it should be depending on the time ofv year. It is only a stone's throw from Piazza San Marco, but it is right across the Grand Canal, which has no bridges at all except a 15 minute walk back up the canal (making for an over 35 min. walk). We had hoped to take the Traghetto, which is a gondola service that operates across the canal at various points where there are no bridges, like a ferry. We walked to the Traghetto station and a real rude guy told us the traghetti stop at 2pm! I tried to ask why, but he kept cutting me off. He and a gondolier finally said that if we wanted to get across we could pay 100Euros ($140) for the 2 minute crossing on a gondola! We proceeded to the vaporetto (water bus) stop and took it one stop across the canal for 6 Euros($8.40) per person...or a total of $34 for the four f us for a 2 minute ride! Someone needs to rethink the prices when
folks are only going one stop!
We arrived within minutes walking to the restaurant and immediately were warmly greeted by Alberto and all the staff for a very wonderful "last supper."
We wanted a prosecco, but had been disappointed with many we had tasted recently, so Alberto brought out a Spumante from CA' RUGANTE called "FULVIO BEO" from the Veneto region that was so amazingly like a French yeasty champagne with which we were all in love. Sadly, this wine is not available on the market and virtually ALL of the minimal production makes it to this restaurant!
It was impossible to decide on what to eat, so we decided to share a number of appetizers (antipasti), shar pastas(primi piatti) and then proceed with our entree (secondi). The first to arrive were plates of excellent quality raw seafood from the nearby Adriatic. Alberto insisted that Venice created the idea of raw seafood or sashimi style, not Japan; we did not argue. On the plate were branzino (sea bass), bluefin tuna, swordfish (which I had never had raw before and adored), scallop tartare and two types of prawns: the local Ciannocca (called Panocchia elsewhere in Italy) which was bizarre as we could not seem to separate it from its shell, and the much easier to nhandle scampi. With this came a plate called "grilled chrome" as it was prepared on the very hot chrome grill and included Scampi, Baby cuttlefish, scallops and a cream of celery to cut the burn on the grilling. These were all served with an amazing SANCIN MALVASIA 2005 from Friuli that was super-aromatic and almost creamy yet soft and perfect with the raw fish.
Next came the house specialty (it has even been written up in the NY Times): a MILLEFEUILLE of SCAMPI and ONIONS "Saor" Style with Green APPLE & Raisins. This has a somewhat sweet and sour antithesis going for it, but in the sense of what we call Chinese "sweet & sour sauce." We all agreed the dish was one of the most interesting combinations of ingredients and one of the best dishes we EVER had anywhere. Alberto asked if he could pair it with a rare wine called BUCCIATO made from the Garganega grape. We said "sure" and were blown away by the CA' RUGATE 2004 from VENETO that may have been the best pairing of wine and food in existence. There is an apple essence in the wine, but the food not only mimics this it complements it with the sweet onion and raisin elements.
Next came the pasta courses which were also sublime. We chose our favorite named pasta, STREZZAPRETI ("strangled priest") with SCAMPIU, PINE-NUTS & BASIL while Mel & Juan Chose the TAGLIONE with SICILIAN RED SHRIMP, Lemon Skin and Mint. For wine, Alberto suggested we try an amazing magnum of BENANTI Bianco Superiore from PIETRA MASINA 2003 at 400 meters up the slopes up Mt. Etna in Sicily. The grape was mostly Carricante and it really had an amazing mineral nose and taste, a true wine of terroir that reminded us of our wonderful days in Sicily earlier on the cruise and really just brought everything on this vacation full circle. It's really odd, but I am starting to choke up just writing this; the entire experience was so awesome.
Our entrees were less varied since three of us opted for the FILET OF SWORDFISH with e Reduction of COINTREAU and Fresh FIGS and WILD PEACHES. This was a perfect summer fish dream dish come true, and again the wine pairing was perfect. teh BITES OF SAUTEED TUNA with AUBERGINES(actually Melanzane Affungetto-eggplant) and Puree of CELERIAC was also quite excellent.
We could not even think of leaving without trying desserts, and we were happy we did. The TIRAMISU got rvaves and came with gelato to boot, while my CHEESECAKE with Chocolate was no less entrancing. Dessert wine came in the form of MUEGGEN Moscato Passo di "Pantelleria" 2002 from Salvatore Murau in Sicily--again closing our recent new love of the island, and also finding a new dessert wine we must try again.
I have one more report from Perugia..but that must wait until my return home as I am now in Munich Airport with Samuel and we board for DC soon!
CIAO BELLI!
