Exploring Venice with Bellino

 

EXPLORING VENICE

VENETIAN TRAVEL GUIDE - COOKBOOK

Daniel Bellino Zwicke

AMAZON.com

How to Experience Venice Like a Local: Food, Hidden Wine Bars, and Timeless Romance

Venice is one of the most magical cities on earth, but if you only stick to the crowded paths between St. Mark’s Square and the Rialto Bridge, you’re only getting half the story. To truly fall in love with La Serenissima, you need to step off the beaten track, wander along quiet canals, sample authentic Venetian cicchetti, and experience the soul of the city.

Whether you are planning your first trip to Italy or dreaming of returning, here is your insider guide to experiencing Venice like a true local.

1. Skip the Tourist Traps: The Art of Venetian Cicchetti & Bàcari

One of Venice's best-kept secrets isn't a museum or a cathedral—it’s its vibrant food and wine bar culture.

In Venice, traditional wine bars are called bàcari. Instead of sit-down multi-course dinners every night, locals meet at these cozy neighborhood spots for an ombra (a small glass of local wine) and cicchetti—Venetian-style tapas served on small plates or atop crusty bread.

Must-Try Venetian Specialties:

• Baccalà Mantecato: Creamed salted cod whipped with olive oil, served over warm polenta.

• Sarde in Saor: Sweet and sour sardines marinated with onions, pine nuts, and raisins.

• Polpette: Tender Venetian meatballs made with beef, pork, or tuna.

• Casanova's Venetian Maccheroni Pie: A rich, celebratory baked pasta pie layered with pork, porcini mushrooms, and béchamel—a dish worthy of Venice’s most famous lover.

2. Get Intentionally Lost in the Quiet Sestieri

Venice is divided into six historic neighborhoods (sestieri). While San Marco draws the biggest crowds, the true charm of Venice reveals itself when you get lost in the residential quarters.

• Cannaregio: The historic Jewish Ghetto neighborhood, known for quiet canals, charming bakeries, and authentic wine bars.

• Dorsoduro: The artistic heart of Venice, filled with artisan workshops, student cafes, and stunning art collections.

• Castello: A peaceful district where laundry still hangs across narrow alleyways (calli) and locals gather in sunlit squares (campi).

Pro Tip: Put away your phone GPS for an hour. Walking without a set destination is the single best way to discover Venice's hidden archways, secret courtyards, and ancient footbridges.

3. Experience Venice After Dark

When the day-trippers leave and the sun sets over the lagoon, Venice undergoes a breathtaking transformation. The mist rolls over the canals, church bells echo across quiet waters, and the city’s rich history comes alive in the lamplight.

Take a moonlight stroll along the Fondamenta della Misericordia or sit by the Grand Canal with a glass of Prosecco to take in the unmatched romance of the Floating City.

Discover the Ultimate Guide to La Serenissima

Want the ultimate insider roadmap to Venice’s best trattorias, historic cafes, romantic spots, and secret culinary haunts?

Look no further than Exploring Venice by Daniel Bellino Zwicke.

Daniel-Bellino-Zwicke .com

Written by renowned Italian-American author and culinary authority Daniel Bellino Zwicke, Exploring Venice is far more than a standard travel guide. It is a heartfelt love letter to the city, packed magic. The magic of a city whose palaces have been preserved, and exist for enjoyment by people of the World. There's no place on Earth quite like Venice. It is unique unto itself, so enjoy.

Curated Dining & Travel Recommendations : The absolute Best Trattorias, Osteria, and Bacari to eat and drink like a local.

• Authentic Venetian Recipes: Bring the flavors of Venice directly into your home kitchen with classic, time-tested recipes.

• Neighborhood Walks & Cultural Insights: Insider secrets, historical anecdotes, and practical travel tips to help you navigate Venice with ease.

Whether you’re packing your bags or traveling from the comfort of your armchair, Exploring Venice is your mandatory companion for experiencing the romance, flavor, and soul of Venice.

GRAB YOUR COPY TODAY !!! - On Amazon.com

BACK in VENICE

Author DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE

At VENICE'S Most FAMOUS WINE BAR (Bacaro)

CANtiNA Do MORI

"VINO & CICHETTI"

PALAZZO DUCALE

VENICE

Maps of Italy

ITALY

ITALY 

VINTAGE MAP

 

ITALY

WINE MAP of ITALY

HOTELS - ITALY

MAP of ITALY

HOTELS & FLIGHTS to ITALY - EUROPE

And WORLDWIDE

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ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVEL

TRAVEL GUIDE - COOKBOOK

ITALY'S FAVORITE RECIPES

TRAVEL INFO - STORIES

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MAP of EUROPE

HOTELS & FLIGHTS to EUROPE

RENTAL CARS & VACATION PACKAGES

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Affordable Hotel Venice Italy

The DOGE'S PALACE

VENICE 

PALAZETTO PISANI GRAND CANAL HOTEL

VENICE

Info & Reservations 

    

LUXURIOUS GUEST ROOMS

RESERVATIONS & BOOKING 

LUXURIOUS COZY ROOMS

PALAZETTO PISANI

RESERVATIONS

HOTEL PALAZZETTO PISANI

LUXURIOUS COMMON SPACES & GUETST ROOMS

VENICE, ITALY

HOTEL PALAZZETTO PISANI - GRAND CANAL

VENICE

Palazzetto Pisani is a 16th-century building near Campo Santo Stefano, with direct access to the Grand Canal. It offers elegant accommodation with free Wi-Fi. The Accademia water-bus stop is a 3-minute walk away. Most rooms and suites overlook the Grand Canal or the Rio del Santissimo canal, some are located in an annex building. Each is air-conditioned and comes with a flat-screen TV, and a private bathroom with Etro toiletries. The style of the accommodation is typically Venetian, with wooden decorated ceilings, tapestries, and original frescoes. Some suites have a balcony. Breakfast is served daily in a common lounge of the Pisani, to the sound of music from the nearby Benedetto Marcello music academy.

HOTEL INFO

And RESERVATIONS

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Anthony Bourdain in Italy - Food Travels

BOURDAIN iN ITALY

ANTHONY BOURDAIN'S FAVORITE RESTAURANTS 

ITALY

ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVELS

"ROME VENICE PIZZA PASTA & ?"

TRAVEL GUIDE - COOKBOOK

Daniel Bellino- Zwicke

AMAZON.com

ITALIAN FOOD & TRAVEL

"ROME VENICE PIZZA PASTA" & ?

SPECIAL SECTION - BOURDAIN in ITALY

Italian Food & Travels "Rome Venice Pizza Pasta &? Travel and Eat throughout Italy, with Bestselling Italian Cookbook / Travel Writer - Daniel Bellino Zwicke. Take a journey with Daniel on his many journeys in Italy, from Rome, Venice, Verona, Florence, Naples, Capri, Positano, The Amalfi Coast, Sicily, Puglia and more. Daniel Bellino has 40 years experience, spending time in Italy, eating, drinking wonderful Italian Wine, living among the locals, gathering a brigade of stories and tasty Italian recipes from every region of Italy. Daniel has a great perspective of Italian Food knowledge, of Italy, and how to travel in this the most beloved travel destination in all the World, from the Ancient Roman ruins of Rome, to the singular uniqueness of Venice, to Sicily and it's people, food, Roman & Greeks ruins, and some of the most beautiful churches in all the World. Daniel weaves wonderful stories of Italian adventures, with many tasty recipes to accompany the stories, Travel Info, and knowledge of Italy, its sights, peoples, landscape, and it's food, the most beloved cuisine in all the World.

Included are Recipes for 40 of Italy's most beloved dishes, and a few extra surprises. Italy's most loved Pasta Dishes, Ragu Bolognese, Porchetta, Wild Boar Ragu, Amalfitana Lemon Cake, how to make Limoncello, Ragu Napoletana, Pesto Genovese, Caponata, Lasagna, Spaghetti Vongoles, Pasta Nerano, and much more. You'll Love these amazing recipes.

Special Section : Anthony Bourdain's Italy. Follow Tony's footsteps, and relive his most memorable Italian meals - Rome, Venice, Sicily, Sardinia, Puglia, Venice, Tuscany and more.

TRAVEL INFO

40 of ITALY'S Most Loved RECIPES

ULTIMATE TRAVEL TIPS

Stories of ITALY - The Food, People, & Places

SPECIAL - BOURDAIN in ITALY

On the Author - DANIEL BELLINO ZWICKE is the BESTSELLING author of a number of ITALIAN COOKBOOKS - including : SUNDAY SAUCE, Grandma Bellino's Cookbook, POSITANO The AMALFI COAST Travel Guide - Cookbook, The Feast of The 7 Fish "ITALIAN CHRISTMAS" - La TAVOLA - Sinatra Sauce aka The SINATRA COOKBOOK, & Segreto Italiano.

Daniel lives and Writes in New York's Greenwich Village, and is currently working on several projects, including a book on Chianti, and the Food & Wine of Chianti Classico.

Daniel created and runs the Highly Successful Italian Instagram page @NewYork.Italian - which as of the publication of this book, has more than 500,000 loyal Followers. The page pertains to all things ITALIAN, both in New York - America, and ITALY - Italian Food & Wine, Recipes, music, movies, Italian Travel, Italian-American Culture, and of Italy, Pizza, Pasta, cooking, books, and anything related to Italy and Italian Americans.

Basta !!!

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Paris Bistros and Cafes

 

CAFE FLORE

PARIS

PICASSO'S FAVORITE CAFE

CAFE DUEX MAGGOTS

One of HEMINGWAY'S FAVORITES

BRASSERIE LIPP 

PARIS

The brasserie Lipp is a famous establishment on the boulevard Saint Germain in Paris, France. Paris, France. 

 The brasserie Lipp is a famous establishment on the boulevard Saint Germain. Hemingway wrote his dispatches from here. Chagall,Camus and Montand were all regulars habitues.

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La PALETTE

Rue de SEINE - PARIS

The BAR at La PALETTE

PARIS, FRANCE

BISTRO POLIDOR

"One of My All-Time FAVORITES"

... says author Daniel Bellino Zwicke

And a FAVORITE of ERNEST HEMINGWAY as Well

Inside POLIDOR

PARIS, FRANCE

La COUPOLE - PARIS

Photo Circa 1927

But It's STILL There & One of My FAVORITES

"I had my 31st Birthday here. With my girlfriend Merceditas"

January 6, 1991

La COUPOLE

PARIS 

Trattoria Madonna Venice Italy

 

TRATTORIA alla MADONNA

VENICE

TRATTORIA alla MADONNA

I first went to Trattoria alla Madonna in the Spring of 1995. I was on exploratory trip to explore the Bacari (Wine Bars) of Venice. I had read a little bit about these Venetian wine bars, and I just had to see them for myself. I would go to as many as I could in a weeks time. However, on this night I was going to this trattoria I had read about, that it was one of the best most traditional in all of Venice. "Awesome." 

When walking around earlier in the day, by accident, I just came upon the restaurant. It was on the side alley of the trattoria and the side kitchen door was open. I could see into the kitchen and saw the cook and the chef at work. I bopped my head in and started chatting with the chef. I told him that I was planning to eat at the restaurant, but not right then. He invited me into the kitchen. He was making a bid pot of risotto. Seafood Risotto. I said it looked wonderful, and when I would be in for dinner, later that night, I definitely wanted a plate of that risotto, "Va bene," said the chef. Well alright. I said good by and told him "a dopo" (see you later). I walked back to my hotel.

I went back to my hotel and took a nap. Slept for an hour, got up, took a shower, and got dressed. Back to Madonna for dinner. Got back to la Madonna, and was seated at a nice table. I ordered some Tocai (white wine) from the waiter. I looked over the menu. I knew that I was going to get the Seafood Risotto, but what else? The waiter brought my wine. I decided on the mixed Seafood Antipasto, the risotto for the middle course, and I order the Adriatic Sole for my main. I was all set.  

I sipped the Tocai, and a few minutes later the waiter brought my antipasto. Nice. There were a couple Mantis Shrimp, Octopus, Crab meat, and Baby Shrimp on the plate. A really nice Venetian Antipasto of a good variety of some local seafood. Good choice. I really enjoyed the antipasto, even thinking of local fishermen bring in the shrimp and crabs. Pretty good.

A few minutes after I finish my antipasto, the waiter brought me my Risotto Frusta di Mare, the house specialty. It smell goo, and tasted even better. "So good." Unlike some other places that might put a bigger variety of seafood, Trattoria Madonna puts, just mussels and shrimp in their seafood risotto. That doesn't make it any less good than others. The cooks perfectly execute the way a Venetian risotto should be made, and it is oh so tasty. Why did I Say a Venetian risotto, instead of just saying risotto? Well, in most other parts of Italy risotto is made tighter. That is that it's not as liquid as the way they like it in Venice. Yes, the Venetians like their risotto just slightly soup. Not very soupy, but slightly soupy, which in Venetian dialect, they have a word for their slightly soup risotto, which is "all'Onda" Yes my risotto at Trattoria Madonna was delicious. Absolutely perfect.

On to the next course, Adriatic Sole. Though not as famous as Dover Sole, Adriatic Sole is one of the World's best, and in Venice is the best place to get it. And so I did.

It was simply seasoned with salt & pepper, and sautéed in a little olive oil and butter. Just the way I like it. No need for any sauce. Then you're covering up the taste of the fish. It's sole. This is the best way to cook it, and get the most out of it. I did, and so it was ever so enjoyable. 

I got some Tiramisu for dessert. It was very good.

So, the meal was excellent. Could not have been better. Wonderful old-school Venetian ambiance, excellent service, nice vibe, and delicious Venetian food. What more can I say? "I Loved it."

... Daniel Bellino Zwicke ...

ANTIPASTO di PESCE

CALAMARI FRITTI

RISOTTO MARE

POSITANO The AMALFI COAST

TRAVEL GUIDE - COOKBOOK

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