I’m Still July

July had originally looked to be a quiet month but as June was coming to a close, I got invited by friends to a restaurant in Italy: Lido 84. I had considered going to Lido 84 years ago but logistics never quite worked out so I quickly said yes to this opportunity.

After all the planning and execution of June events, I half-assed invitations to host Canada Day and was secretly delighted when most people cancelled the day of. My son and his girlfriend still came over and we watched the Snowbirds perform. The day ended with fireworks.

Then I switched into planning mode. Flights booked. Friends booked an Airbnb a walk away from the restaurant. My girlfriend was able to get the time off work so we decided to tack on a few extra days in Venice.

Lake Garda

We flew into Milan and said friends picked us up from the airport, driving us to Lake Garda. We stopped in Brescia along the way to grab coffee and lunch. The coffee shop, Caffè Bar Squisito, ended up being a gem with the guy who worked there being a coffee nerd. Totally worth a stop.

Afterwards, we made our way to the Airbnb—this lovely house on the hillside, looking out over the lake. That evening, we went to dinner in Salò, at Osteria Felter alle Rose, with a smaller group of the ten people who would be joining us for dinner the following evening at Lido 84. I had the spaghetti basilico, which was fantastic.

The following evening, we walked down to Lido 84 and sat outside on the edge of the lake. I made sure to order their signature dish, the cacio e pepe, which is served in a pig’s bladder. It was good but a couple pieces of penne seemed a little undercooked. It was still tasty, regardless. The restaurant was a wonderful experience and worthy of their one Michelin star: plenty of good food and great service but nothing blew me away and the wine pairing was underwhelming.

We spent an extra day at the Airbnb where there was some consideration of activities but it was much too hot. In the evening, we went to a pizza restaurant that was farther up the hill. Once again, sat outside with an even higher look-out over the lake, we enjoyed some decent thin crust pizza.

Venice

The next day, we were driven to Verona and split ways with our friends to make our own way onto Venice where we would have a mostly relaxed few days walking around the city, exploring the busy streets and canals… and, of course, enjoying good food.

I couldn’t resist and booked a couple Michelin-starred restaurants to try. There was 2-star Glam for lunch, and 1-star Quadri for dinner the following evening. Both were lovely experiences and worth trying.

Glam is a somewhat small restaurant with only a handful of tables. We tried to listen in on the neighbouring table as their conversation weaved in between English and Italian. They were dressed in a way that felt stylish but still casual. I should’ve followed suit because I was drenched in sweat from the walk over. We made up for it by catching a water taxi back to the hotel. This felt very extravagant, very James Bond. And considering how stuffed full I was from that meal, I appreciated the relaxed ride back instead of trying to walk a half hour back in the heat.

At Quadri, they offer a “feast” with four courses of four dishes each. This was probably my favourite of the Michelin-starred meals on this trip, with a number of dishes really hitting the spot and given the sizeable portions across 16 plates, it felt like just the right amount of food.

Italians (and Venetians) are very proud of their culinary history and that was very much reflected in all of the meals we had in Italy.

Back Home

Back in Ottawa, I saw my mom off on her way to Europe to visit my brother.

Already a week in, August is looking to be an odd month with my son heading off to college at the end of it. In the meantime, I’m in preparation mode, cleaning out what I can for now and being there for him as he needs me.