Venice and Naples: ISO authentic restaurants & markets

[Sally Hammond]

Any opinions on a really authentic (not tourist rip-off) pizza place in Naples? ALSO authentic places to eat in Venice. Any food tours or must-see markets in either?

[karin halliwell]

Sally:
If you REALLY want a Market to die for... come across the "Freedom Bridge" to Marghera on any Tuesday or a Saturday..(the ACTV local bus will get you there safe and sound). There is one of the terraferma's biggest and best markets. Food ,clothing galore and local flare. Don't listen to anyone if they poo poo this locality. Many Venetians actually take the bus from Venice to shop at this market on the designated days.

If you are in town when I am around I'd be happy to take you around.

Can't help you much with Naples. Keep your eyes seriously wide open...

Karin

[Sally Hammond]

Fabulous Karin, I didn't know about this. Thanks so much.

[Carmen (Shirkey) Collins]

I wrote a travel journal on my favorite gelato spots in Venice. Yeah, it's probably not the kind of foodie reviews you were hoping for, but I have found that a good gelato spot really hit's the spot. :) Here's what I wrote

Sommariva Bar My very first taste of Italian gelato was at this gelateria a block off of Saint Mark’s Square on the Calle Larga St. Marco. I went for a safe flavor for my first foray – plain old chocolate. It was better than chocolate -smooth, creamy and tasted more like a Fudgsicle than chocolate ice cream. One scoop was 2 € - the most expensive of the gelato I bought in Venice - being close to one of the biggest tourist draws in Venice. As you can see in the other entries, as you get further away from the main drag, the prices go down.


I will say this for the real food in Venice. If you're eating at a place just off the Grand Canal, you're probably 1. paying too much and 2. eating food for tourists. That said, it's not awful, it's just not what I'd call "authentic."

As it was my first taste of gelato, and I had nothing else to compare it to, I gave this gelato 4 cones out of 5, though it turned out to be a bit pricey.

Bar Ducale Again just beyond St. Mark’s square on Calle delle Ostreghe we found what we started calling the "international sign for gelato" – a huge cone cut out with three scoops. It was warm, our whistles needed whetting and we stopped at this bar out of convenience and a taste for more gelato. Still a bit on the conservative side, I asked about the Crème del Doge – which turns out to be vanilla with bits of chocolate in it. It tasted a bit like cookies and cream. I ordered two scoops in a cone for 1.5 €. I preferred the chocolate over this flavor, but it was still tasty.

I gave this gelato 3 cones out of 5, with a nod at the lower cost.

Maison de la Crepes Here I am in Italy and I’m stopping for gelato in a French-named bar in the Rialto shopping area, at the base of the Pont De L’Olio. The reason for stopping was mainly the price. 1 € got one scoop of chocolate in a cone.

This was the creamiest of the gelato I tasted in Venice, and the price was definitely right. I give it 4 cones out of 5.

Ca’ D’ Oro Located on Cannaregio, this gelato was by far the cheapest that we encountered in Venice. For a mere .90 € I bought a cone with a single scoop of vanilla. I found it very good, smooth and creamy. The vanilla – and all the flavors I tried, were very strong flavors – in a good way.

[Fatima Reep]

A must place for good food. Try ristorante "AI DUE VESCOVI" , Calle Fiubera 812A-813 Venezia. Ph: 041.523.69.90 . My favorite was pasta with olive oil and hot peppers. Great pizza, and other dishes. Home cooking, Mamma decides when the kitchen closes, i.e. when she has had enough. Small, personable has a great patio out back if weather permits.

[Mary L. Branson]

All pizza in Napoli is good, but if you've seen "Eat, Pray, Love", Julia Roberts eats in one of the most famous of all. Be sure - no lie - to go to San Gregorio Armeno - what we used to call "Christmas Alley" in Naples. It is an absolute MUST!!! And, if you possibly can, be sure to be in Naples on New Year's Eve. It's like WW III and you will never see the like any place else. Be mindful that chestnuts roast and shepherds come down to play and sing on street corners in Naples at Christmas. It's magical. Be sure to buy your red panties, too, and one of the boxed Christmas cakes. Do go to the cathedral to see it and the precepes inside it. (Christmas Alley is one block or so down from it, across the street on the right). Maybe you'll be lucky enough to see a wedding at the cathedral in Napoli. I always stay at B & B Donna Regina, which is on Via Sepptembrini, just a couple of doors from the new Donna Regina Modern Art Museum and within walking distance of the archeological museum where the Pompeii artifacts are. You can also walk to the Cathedral from there, to an outdoor market, to the subway, an ATM, restaurants, and Christmas Alley, as well. There is a tiny elevator and beautiful, warm, safe lodging + really, really good breakfasts and a lot of art work. (Do not have a car in Naples. Do wear your money belt in Naples. Be alert in Naples (well, you must be alert if you plan to cross many streets). You'll love it at Christmas; I certainly did!