Surf and Turf: Lunch at the Bar of Hotel Metropole, Venice, Italy

Hotel Metropole is one of the hospitality jewels in Venice. This I knew before my last visit to Venice. What I did not know was that for two years now they serve some real food dishes (not only sandwiches and salds) in the bar of the hotel every day of the week from 1230 to 1430. Taking into account that the famous gourmet restaurant of the hotel (with two Michelin stars) does not serve lunch except on Saturday and Sunday, the bar is a practical solution for a visitor who wants to have lunch.

Hotel Metropole, Venice

The Hotel commands a fantastic position on the promenade of the “Riva degli Schiavoni”, a few meters away from St. Mark’s square.

Lunch serving area of the Bar at the Hotel Metropole

The Bar is located on the ground floor, on the left side as you enter and before you reach the reception. It has beautiful wooden panels which are used as displays for the owner’s collection of objects.

Being in Venice, it is proper to start with the surf side of the menu.

Gamberi "in saor" - Hotel Metropole, The Bar

Gamberi (prawns) “in saor” (sweet and sour). A delightful appetizer. The prawns are seared for one or two seconds, literally, and then served on a bed of cabbage and pickled red onions, with raisins and raspberries (lamponi). On top the chef placed a few finocchio leaves. The flavor combinations are incredible! And if you do not have all the rest, go and get prawns and taste them with raspberries.

Prawns "al saor" detail - Hotel Metropole, The Bar

The red onions are pickled and caramelized, adding the mild sweet and sour background to the taste of the prawns.

Cod with asparagi and potatoes with mustard sauce - Hotel Metropole, the Bar

Merluzzo is “cod” of the Adriatic Sea. It was served on a bed of mashed potatoes with mustard seeds, and asparagus.

Cod - detail

The Merluzzo was seared on the side of the skin for a couple of minutes in very strong fire, that made the skin crispy and the flesh juicy, firm, and succulent. The fish was served with fresh oregano and dill. Wonderful execution!!!

We now move to the turf side of the menu: Italian Delicacies are the first chapter.

Prosciutto crudo di Sauris is the prince of this dish of mixed cured meats. Sauris is a locality near Udine, where this tender and tasty prosciutto crudo is produced. It tasted like it has more character than the prosciutto di Parma.

Soppressa di Valdobbiadene

Salsiccia del Veneto (deer and pork)

Speck di Alto Adige. Perfect balance of salty and sweet. When the pig has had the proper food, the fat is sweet and flavorful.

Salame del Piave

The silky and full of flavour “Veal Carpaccio (di Manzo)” completed the tasting experience.

After the qualitative parts of the food, it is time to come to the value for money summary. Not only is the food of top quality, not only is the service excellent, the value for money of the Bar’s Lunch Menu is unbeatable, the best not only in Venice, but in most of Italy!!! But please please please, keep this little secret to yourselves.

Red Meats of Italy – A selection – Part 1

All of a sudden, I decided to post some images of red meats and red meat dishes from Italy. I call this Part 1 as I expect there will be more in the future.

I start by stating that I am not a fan of red meat. In an average place I usually do not order red meat. I prefer to eat vegetables, or chicken, or even better, a nice sald with cheese!

But I am a fan of exceptional red meat and its by products, flavours and colours and juices.

And this is what I will try to post here, the red meat beyond, creations that take the primary material and tranform it to something that is and is not the original. Transformation and transfiguration.

All the items included in thepost are”classics”, ie they have been around for a lond time and are here to stay. No meteorites, no short-lived stars, only treats that cut across the years.

Culatello di Zibello

I start with the Emperor of the Italian cured meats: Culatello di Zibello!

Storage Area

This is the storage area where Miriam Leonardi (owner of “Trattoria La Buca” in the small town of Zimbello) keeps her treasures.

Slicing machine

When I saw this machine I thought that it only befits the marvelous culatello to have such a beauty for slicing it.

Salame artigianale tipico di Cremona

I tasted this beauty in “Caffe la Crepa”, in the small town of Isola Dovarese. It was juicy, almost sweet, and its texture allowed it to melt in the mouth. Apparently Cremona does not only produce the finest violins in the world! Soppressata

Soppressata

Dekicious “Soppressata” from the “il Latini” restaurant in Florence.

Filetto di maiale affumicato

Smoked pork filet from “Locanda San Lorenzo”, in the small town of Puos d’Alpago, near Belluno, Veneto.

Lardo di Mora Romagnola con zucca

An excellent treat, from “Trattoria Amerigo dal 1934″ in the small town of Savigno, near Bologna. Lardo is transparent, sweet, and it melts in your mouth leaving a sense of olive oil! The zucca is the well know paumpkin, that here is grainy, tasty, and providdes support to the heavenly taste of the lardo!

Selection of antipasti

 

A selection of antipasti from the “Vino e Camino” Ristorante in Bracciano, near Rome.

 

Steak Tartare di Vitello

This tartare steak  comes from the wineshop of Pallatino in Roma. It is served without egg and the other regular trimmings. Just lemon, pecorino and light greens. The meat taste was clear, fresh and the firm texture of it made the pleasure complete. I was afraid that it would be a rather boring dish, given the absence of taste enhancing materials that accompany a Steak Tartar. I was wrong! Top quality veal does not need anything more than just some lemon to cut the protein surge, and a light cheese to provide a salty stimulus to the palate.

 

Display of meats in Dario Cecchini's Macelleria

This is part of the diaply in Dario Cecchini’s Macelleria in the small town of Panzano, near Firenze.

Renaissance Salame

Dario’s shop is full of surprises, including this one!

 

Ramerino in culo

Marinated beef cubes (it could be called beef sushi) served with rosemary, from the restaurant of Dario Cecchini, Solociccia, although Dario does not call it a restaurant, but the home of a butcher!

Bolitti

A selection of boiled meats with vegetable and herb sauces, prepared by the team of Amerigo dal 1934.

Porcini e fegato di vitello

A divine combination, porcini mushrooms with tender ultra sweet calf’s liver, from “dal Pescatore”, in the Park of River Oglio.

Fiocco di Manzo

Roast beef from Dario Cecchini’s restaurant.

Roast Pork

Roast pork from Dario Cecchini’s Antica Macelleria in Panzano.

Animelle co i funghi

 

Sweetbreads with porcini mushrooms offered by Osteria di San Cesario, near Rome.

 

Bistecca Fiornetina

Glorious juicy bistecca from “il Latini” in Firenze.

Capello da prete di manzo

Cappello da prete di manzo al barbera e polenta gialla belgrano! This is the full name of the dish offered by “dal Pescatore”.

Wine Bar dei Frescobaldi – Aeroporto di Roma, Fiumicino, Italy

 

Genuinely polite service

I believe that civilization is an everyday affair. Of course saying is not practicing. One of the occasions when I felt that practicing is not that difficult, was when I by chance visited the Frescobaldi Wine Bar at Fiumicino.

I had a couple of hours to kill before catching my flight back to Athens. This time is usually spent shopping things I do not need, or being bored to death.

This time I got lucky. I opened my eyes and there it was: an oasis of civilization.

I has the seafood crudo misto and felt that I was by the sea. I accompanied it with a full bodied glass of chardonnay to establish some balance with the strong raw seafood flavours.

 

 

Crudo Misto

The very nice lady serving me offered me at the end some nice biscottini (cookies) and I washed them down with a divine glass of Grappa di Brunello. There is no better way to prepare yourself for a flight!