What great fun! Tonight the partners of my favorite restaurant, Enoteca San Marco (and the best-looking guys in town), opened a second restaurant. Actually, they re-opened a landmark osteria on the Erberia: Bancogiro.
Only a couple of years ago this area behind Rialto Bridge was my best Venetian secret – a string of really good restaurants with lots of outdoor seating right on the Grand Canal. It was easy to get a table and while away the afternoon with some great chow and some interesting people. But the secret got out (some of that was my fault) and it has become more and more difficult to elbow in here, especially on a warm day. If I’m any judge, it will only get worse with these guys around.
I cannot possibly oversell the restaurant experience they offer at Enoteca San Marco. My jaded palate is always amazed by everything that comes out of that itty-bitty kitchen. Their menu is sophisticated and innovative, their ingredients always super-fresh and very special. And the service is top-notch – knowledgeable and attentive without being stiff or snooty. Others I have sent to the restaurant report back the same. As for me, I always feel like a pampered princess there.
At Bancogiro they have a much larger kitchen, and a vaulted dining room overlooking the Canal. In candlelight it just oozes history and romance. I haven’t seen the new menu yet, but I’m certain it will reflect their admirable standards. My friends are sure to make a fortune here. And the Erberia is bound to be even more crowded now. Rats!
Oh well… If I had to lose my secret spot, I can’t think of anyone I would rather see profit from it.
Buona Fortuna, ragazzi!
