Osteria Alle Testiere, Venice, review: a tiny certainty
The last in order of time to sing the praises ofOsteria alle Testiere from Venice it was the Guardian, which in an article published in February and dedicated to “50 things we love in the world of food right now” mentions the restaurant of Luca Di Vita and Bruno Gavagnin. Before the Guardian, however, other newspapers – foreign and Italian – dealt with the tiny Venetian address, located a few steps from Campo Santa Maria Formosa, Castello district, in Calle del Mondo Novo. To understand how a 22 square meter restaurant, hidden behind two windows covered by sober white curtains, – which shelter the customers inside from the glances of those who pass through the calle – has done to literally conquer the world, you have to go back about thirty of years.
The history of the place
In 1993 Bruno and Luca, behind solid experiences in the restaurant world, decide to both take over an old restaurant: the idea is to give life to a place where their professionalism and talents can be found. The previous sign reads “Da Mario” but from the clearing of objects and furniture found in the restoration work, which brings to light the old headboards, the name was born with a capital letter; the headboards of the 30s take on new life by becoming bottle holders. Although it is decidedly suggestive to think that the legacy of the calle played a role in the fate of the place (historical documents dating back to the end of the 16th century and seems to date back to the mid-18th represented as many declinations of premises used for the sale of wine), the more it is to look at the constancy with which, in thirty years, a concrete work and a certain style – never abandoned and stylistic figure, it is to be said – the town has a well-deserved reputation.
The strength of the Headboards, what apparently seems to be a disadvantage, is the small size: in Venice, on closer inspection, the spaces are a constant, which becomes a daily struggle with environments more similar to Artemio’s apartment ” The country boy ”and professional kitchens. If in another context the concept of “small is beautiful” and “intimate atmosphere” may be attractive, in this case moving in a room of a handful of square meters becomes an acrobatic exercise. Here, let’s say that at the Testiere we found ourselves having to deal with an extremeization of the small, arriving at the lower case, but overturning it to our advantage, making it a distinctive feature and characterizing element of the card itself. The impossibility of storing large quantities of goods, in fact, has meant that the kitchen truly became a manifesto in honor of the much-heralded “market availability” elsewhere: the spaces shape the menu, for the undoubted happiness of the palate of the customers.
The solidity of the Headboards, which has made it famous and successful, is due to one of those rare combinations in which dining room and kitchen work together and complement each other, in full harmony. Just as Bruno’s cuisine wants to tell the story of the Venetian territory, getting out of banality and proposing the best, in which there is no lack of historical-cultural references, so does the dining room, which in Luca’s hands becomes a place of conviviality and immediate confidence. , which nevertheless manages to avoid both the risk of crossing the boundary of the relationship with the customer (to be clear: the forced sympathy effect, elsewhere drawn to speck and gigioneria, does not appear here), and that of transforming the maitre into a know-it-all actor that rattles off skills. In short, measure and elegance are at home and inspire both the dishes (which never see extreme choices, both in terms of taste and combinations) and the layout of the place. It is no coincidence that the clientele is divided almost equally between locals and foreigners: among the latter, however, a sort of natural selection is carried out, so to speak, which combines the ability to appreciate food and culture, It is not snobbish, however the city deserves to have. In closing, but as a detail that helps to understand the character of the two partners, mention the spirit of collaboration that marks the well-deserved relationships with colleagues, not started: a spirit that also led to joining the Osti in the garden project, which we have more times quoted.
The local
About ten tables, twenty seats, 7-8 people in the dining room and kitchen. This in summary. A broader look leads to observing the details: the well-finished Venetian floor, the wooden tables and chairs, the presence of the covered area, the suggestive inlaid counter that appears immediately upon entering, the headboards hanging on the walls, lighting intelligent and finally a collection of journalistic articles on the walls, arranged without exhibitionism and presented as a roundup. The atmosphere is that of a refined trattoria, with an identity that, if to some it might appear out of time compared to the current contemporary one, is instead – precisely because it is independent and superior and fashions and trends – paradoxically current. What is offered and what is found at the Testiere is nothing more than substance and quality, food, wine and the capacity to welcome. The trappings, in the furnishings as well as in the kitchen, are totally absent. Given the size, obviously finding a place is quite tiring: the advice is to take time. The practice – now widespread in the city – of proceeding on a double shift (19 or 21.30), however, allows you to have a certain margin.
The menu and the dishes
The Carta delle Testiere is a combination of contemporary and historical, daily expenses at the Rialto fish market and culture that refers to the recipe books of the Serenissima. The menu changes almost daily and finds its elective dimension in the lagoon environment: fish, vegetables, lagoon herbs. There are also trips outside the region (to the south in particular) for traditional Italian products. The rest is done by the hand of those in the kitchen, able to use the ingredients with measure, without overdoing it, and making sure that the flavors are clean, elegant and recognizable, transforming simplicity into refinement, avoiding repetition and banality at the same time. The appetizers (22-28 euros) are a manifesto for the fish world, including raw, mixed steamed, creamed, historical reminiscences (cassopipa), octopus salad and a concession to the throat like anchovies and burrata. The first courses (24 euros) manage to summarize everything in three proposals: spaghetti, fresh filled pasta, gnocchi. The second courses (from 28 euros) feature grilled dishes, combinations with aromatic herbs and spices, Mediterranean references; the desserts close (9 euros): in addition to the inevitable tiramisu, panna cotta and zabaglione (here in the guise of semifreddo), it is nice to see the cream rosada (a dessert that is more read than tasted, given its rarity and its historicity), regional proposals (tenerina and bonet, here proposed with Amaro Nostrano, produced with lagoon herbs) and clever uses of pistachio. The wine list reveals research and care: typicality, craftsmanship and bond with the territory are the guidelines.
The tasting starts with grilled scallops with artichoke base: only two ingredients for a dish that combines the full flavor and buttery consistency of capas – to which the grill is even more elegant – with the softness of artichoke, here at the bottom version ad bring a veil of bitterness. A drizzle of oil, some sprouts and that’s it. We continue with the gnocchi with lobster alla buranella: small in shape to avoid vulgarity, soft and with the recognizable flavor not only of potatoes but also of home-made, the gnocchi are here ennobled by lobster, sumptuous in its sweetness, and colored in character by a veil of tomato in the sauce. The addition of spices comes to the finish, daring to assist the next bite. A taste of shrimp alla busara: tried mainly in a version that looks more like a sum of separate addenda (crustaceans tomato sauce), in this version more reveal study, hand and to discover not only a dish linked to northeastern history (disputed origins between Trieste and Venice: perhaps the use of the expression “lagoon dish” allows us to leave the cul de sac) but also the value of spices, here in great dust, with chilli and cinnamon to steal the show. The clarifications on the quality of crustaceans are useless. Polenta and tasty vegetables close the dish. Grand finale with the pistachio flour cake: elsewhere overexposed and used in rain, here the green gold of Bronte finds its dimension, not too sweet, in the soft dough of the cake. Scoop of ice cream in suspension.
Rumors say that next year, on the occasion of the thirtieth anniversary, the headboards will offer an on the road-street food version of themselves. A trip around Europe, to pay tribute to the customers who over the years have landed in the small space of Calle del Mondo Novo: the advice is to monitor the movements of Luca and Bruno, in case you are unable to book in Venice , you can console yourself with the stops abroad.
Opinion
restaurants
In a handful of square meters (22, to be precise), this tiny Venetian address actually reveals a grandeur that makes it one of the best and most solid reference citizens. Merit divided equally between cuisine (mainly local ingredients, study of traditions, raw materials of the highest quality and measure in execution) and dining room (a courteous, competent service that gives full meaning to the term conviviality).
- Dishes with limited number of ingredients where it is impossible to cheat