Tavernetta San Maurizio – A gem of a find in that maze of Venice

We’ve heard about how easy it is to get lost in Venice; it’s true!  The beauty of it is that, in getting lost you’re actually making new discoveries – there’s always a surprise around the corner, like the tiny tavernetta playing Verdi.  We quickly joined the fast-forming queue, which snaked out of the tiny entrance onto the narrow footpath.  The wait for a table was more than two hours (!), but no one seemed to care as the buzz of happy diners and a singing chef and maitre d’, and delicious aromas meant it would be well worth the wait.

We weren’t disappointed.  Starting with house-bread with olive oil and balsamic and the rigatoni tavernetta – a speciality of the house of fresh tomato, basil, and garlic, we were sure we had stumbled upon a gem in that maze.

Our generous entré of grilled octopus soon arrived.  Fresh, succulent and grilled to perfection – it was flavourful just with its marinade of herbs and olive oil, with a squeeze of lemon over it.

The homemade pasta with seafood in rich tomato sauce was nothing like we’ve had before – there must’ve been a secret in that sauce.  It is rich without being too tomato-ey nor tart, just nicely balanced with the right amount of sauce on the (very) fresh seafood.  The scaloppini di vitello alla Valdostane – veal schnitzel with prosciutto and parmigiano is nicely done and succulent.

After a couple carafés of house-wine, it was time to go.  Now, to find our way back to our hotel…in the dark.

Tavernetta San Maurizio
Calle Zaguri
San Marco 2619, Venezia, Italy.
Phone: +39 (041) 5285240

~Food Trails.net
(2006)

Tags: Dining, Homestyle Food, Italian Food, Italy, Restaurant, Venice

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