Mangiare: Eating in Italy 2006 (cont'd, Week 3)

More restaurant choices from our trip to Italy (Jan. 2006).

VENEZIA
*Pizzeria Antico Panificio - S. Polo 945/A/B, 30125 Venezia. Tel. (+39) 041/277.0967. Closed Tuesday. Open 12:00-15:00, 19:00-23:00 (that's 12p.m.-3p.m., 7p.m.-11p.m.).
We found this place by luck. It has pages and pages of pizza and pasta, but mostly pizza. Very friendly service. Get there early, because it gets packed. Prices are inexpensive and food is good. I think this was one of the better meals we had. Cover charge was 1.60 euro/person, water 1.90 euro bottle, and pizzas ranged from 5-7 euros/each. The total bill was about 17 euros for lunch. And we were full.

MILANO
I'm trying to recall our resplendent meal options in Milan, but right now I can only remember McDonald's, AutoGrill, and other fast food choices because we were in the mood for window shopping and shopping. Maybe we did enjoy a meal, but if we did, I can't remember it now. If it comes to mind, I'll post it later. I have been to Milan twice before and did enjoy some meals there. Once, at a restaurant in Brera, but of course I didn't write down the name of the place.

Oh, now I recall we did have a very good meal at a place where you wouldn't think of having one. Very nondescript caffe' actually. Kind of random story. We were walking around, getting hungry and our restaurant options were looking pretty pathetic. We didn't want to do Mickie D's again, so we a "nonna" (Italian grandmother) for a restaurant recommendation. We thought she would recommend someplace with a bit of "Italy, homey" y'know, all those cliches.
Anyway, this woman was really friendly and asked us what we felt like eating. I know my sister wants pizza and I wanted pasta, so I repsponded "un po' di pasta e pizza, per favore." So she scurried her body through the rush hour traffic and took us to a caffe'/ristorante. The menu was outside (it was basic pizza and pasta, and the prices were cheap), but I was thrown by the decor and ambience. You know, you travel thousands of miles and don't expect your last meal in Italy (ok, so it's not technically the last meal) to be in a diner-style place.

We had to go with our gut. Did this nonna know what she was talking about? She said she ate here whenever she came to visit her friends. We bid adieu, thanked our gracious guide, I looked at my sister and we decided to take a chance. It was still early for Italians to dine -- there weren't that many customers. Our waiter was from Nepal. His English was very good. He actually had command of phrases of several other languages. I think Milan, like other major Italian and European cities, has seen an influx of immigrants. As a tourist, you will have them serve you your gelato, drive your taxis, and so much more. (Even though where I come from is so much more heterogeneous, I'm used to the homogeneity of Europe, Asia and other parts of the world (through travel)... in a strange way. So it's weird to see immigrants there. Sometimes I have to think that immigrants go to other countries other than the US.) Anyway, the whole restaurant staff was multicultural. I think the only ethnic Italian was the owner or manager.
My sister ordered pizza and I had risotto. They have inexpensive daily specials, in addition to their menu. We were both really full, because our plates were large (compared to other Italian restaurants we had been to). I ordered risotto w/ radicchio. It was really good, and I'm not saying that because I had no expectations. It was good, cheap, grub. It started getting busy around 8 pm, when Italians consider it the beginning of their dinner hour. There are some single diners who come earlier. Even though it says "caffe" on their card, I would say it's more like old style American diner, but it serves good Italian fare, such as pizza and pasta. I don't recall if they have entrees (meat/fish). But they do have dessert, and we did order because our main plates were so inexpensive. We ordered tiramisu, which was great. I also had house wine and a caffe' (espresso) to finish it off. The coffee was cheaper to drink sitting down at the restaurant (and pay the coperto), than to go to a real "bar" (in Italy). That's how inexpensive this place was.

*Grand Italia Caffe' - Corso Garibaldi 9, Milano. Tel. 02/8646.2414