VENISSA RESTAURANT

A hot day in early June, my birthday, an island in the Venetian Lagoon, Mazzorbo, very close to the most famous and colourful Burano island to which is connected by a small bridge.
Once renowed for its commercial importance, the island of Mazzorbo has housed some palaces of the Venetian nobility and today it is also famous for the cultivation of  ‘castraure’, the fruits of the artichoke plants.
My visit to the restaurant Venissa was already heralded as a very special event.
 
The modern building of the restaurant (which is flanked by the Osteria Contemporanea) can be reached from the road that comes from the island of Burano or, as happened to me, passing through the vines that are in the context of the estate, a very peculiar passage that makes you forget for a moment to be in the Venetian Lagoon (1).

(1) Mazzorbo island

Thanks to the hot and sunny day I’ve been allowed to enjoy the lunch in the patio that looks right on the vineyards (2).

(2) Venissa restaurant

The chef of Venissa, Francesco Brutto, was awarded in 2017 as best young Italian chef and, together with Chiara Pavan manages a kitchen where the avant-garde is the Fil Rouge of the gastronomic offer of a starred restaurant welcomed in a very unique Italian location.
 
My choice fell on the tasting menu articulated in a 5 dishes course.
As the first plate arrived I found it immediately beautiful to see: raw sea bream with scorzonera and flowers of elderberry, an infinite delicacy almost like a caress on the palate (3).
But if the bream was elegant the true ‘wow’ reaction came with the presentation of His Majesty the Scallop with kefir, Santoreggio and Basilico: incorporated in his shell as a Queen on his throne, it is certainly one of the most refined compositions I have ever seen (4).
 
The second part, before the dessert, provided a first dish of chard ravioli, artemisia butter, pine nuts and Laguna Herbs (5); in this regard, it should be emphasised that numerous and various spontaneous herbs such as salicornia and Acetosella grow in the estate, they are harvested and used directly in the kitchen (6).

(3) Raw sea bream, scorzonera and elderberry flowers

(4) Scallop, kefir, savory, basil

(5) Chard ravioli, artemisia butter, pine nuts and lagoon herbs

(6) Picking the herbs

The mullet is finally presented as a picture of Pollock (7): accompanied by carrots, fennel and dill this is a real riot of colors and creativity.

(7) Mullet, carrots, fennel and dill

Finally the sweets that have concluded a memorable lunch.
The tricolor represented in the dessert made of strawberry, rhubarb and thyme has definitely a great personality and the flavors are perfectly in harmony with each other (8).
Finally a small tribute to the Italian pastry in a single composition (9): Meringue (top right), trifle (on the left left) and, in the bowl, Sicilian cannoli (on the left) and Cassata (on the right).

(8) Strawberry, rhubarb, thyme

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