Venetian Treats

On our first night in Venice we were given a small piece of paper with the name of a gelato shop, the name of the street and the name of the dessert we must try before leaving the city. We spent our last day in Venice on a quest to find it. We walked, we hopped on a vaporetto, and we walked some more. And when we started to see people promenading along the water with gelatos in hand, we knew we were finally headed in the right direction towards Gelati Nico. We were not disappointed.

They have a nice assortment of flavorful and fresh gelato, but if you want something really tasty follow the locals past the line of tourists and head inside to order their specialty. Giandiuotto da passeggio is an amazing chocolate, hazlenut concoction topped with gobs of fresh cream. If you want the full experience, pay a little extra to be seated outside by the water and have your gianduotto served to you while you enjoy the view. The whole experience is a true Venetian treat. And if you want to add a bit of art to your outing, you are within very easy walking distance of the Peggy Guggenheim (nice sculpture garden and small/easy museum for kids), the Gallerie dell' Accademia and the Punta Della Dogana (contemporary art).

One more dining tip for Venice, make reservations for dinner at La Zucca. It's a great little restaurant at the foot of a very quaint bridge serving a wonderful mix of seasonal dishes, including some great vegetarian options. Our table was outside along the canal...gondolas within our reach, good food, an evening breeze: it was our favorite meal in Venice.