The Design Files - Ristorante Local, Venice
Yes, it's true that Venice has many tourist trap restaurants. Tourist traps don't care about the quality of their food (and love to over charge people) as it's a volume business, especially from the mega cruise ships. They will never see those tourists again and locals would never eat there.Do not let the bad press discourage you. There are fantastic places to eat in Venice! The restaurant Local is one of them. I'm not going to write about the food though (which was delicious) but about the interior design and overall vibe.The restaurant was opened in 2016 by brother and sister, Benedetta and Luca Fullin. The space used to be an electrical shop. It's located in the Castello neighborhood between Piazza San Marco and The Arsenale.The design like, the cuisine, is inspired by local traditional Venice but with a touch of modern international flavors.I spoke with Benedetta during our trip last month and she told they used local artisans to make, by hand, everything from the floors, to the dishes, to the lighting, etc.I absolutely love the Venetian Terrazzo floors.
They were poured by hand and hold over five thousand murrine, which were handmade in Murano. The oak table, chairs, and wine cellar were made by Pasquini Marino.The open planned kitchen is inviting. It's not a cheap restaurant (our meals were included so checked prices online) but it's not stuffy either.
The restaurant sits on a side canal, light pours in.
Local frequently showcases art, with a focus on emerging talent, from the Contini Art Gallery.It's not easy to find the right balance in a historic, popular tourist destination like Venice. Do you completely erase the past in order to stay current, or go in the opposite extreme? Local feels very much of its time and its location. I'm not a fan of eating in a restaurant that looks and feels generic. We eat with our eyes as well and the interior design and ambience of a restaurant shouldn't be overlooked. Living in Los Angeles, sometimes we had the reverse situation, gorgeous spaces that were very "in" but the food was indifferent to inedible.Twelve years had passed between my two trips to Venice. That's ridiculous. I'd like to return sooner rather than later. I look forward to returning to Local, grabbing a seat at the bar, and trying their cicchetti.
First photo and the last two photos: Me and my iPhone. Other photos: Ristorante Local
Traveling To Rome? You Need These Apps.
My friend, Erica, has written a more in-depth post on Huffington Post about Rome based apps. I'm writing about my top three.I receive a lot of e-mails asking me where to eat in Rome. I love to cook and have my favorite restaurants, but I'm by no means an expert. Instead, I suggest people buy apps by Gillian McGuire, Katie Parla and Elizabeth Minchilli. I've asked them why they decided to create their apps (which is a lot of work). Thanks for responding, ladies!Why buy an app? For one, they are updated frequently. Some guidebooks become outdated the moment they are published. Also, these apps are written by people who really know this city. They live here. They see the vendors they write about, know the chef/cooks at the restaurants, and capture the city in a way that someone on short term assignment cannot do.I think they are an invaluable resource. There are a lot of restaurants, gelato places, coffee shops, etc. here and yes, it is possible to have a bad meal in Rome. With these apps, the chances of that happening are greatly reduced.EAT ROME by Elizabeth Helman Minchilli. When Elizabeth was twelve her family moved to Rome. She returned for good while studying in Florence for her dissertation. Elizabeth has written books on design and has been writing about food, design, and travel for various publications for twenty years. One of my favorite features of her app is the comment section. It's great to read everyone's experiences at various restaurants. Elizabeth does respond to feedback which helps keep the app up to date."I'm a big believer in embracing all of the technical innovations that are happening in publishing. While I've always been happy to write for magazines, newspapers and book publishers (and continue to do so) I love the possibility that blogs and apps present. They give me not only much more control over the content, but allow exciting and extremely helpful direct contact with my readers."ROME FOR FOODIES by Katie Parla. Katie grew up in the Garden State (aka New Jersey). She started working in restaurants from a young age and moved to Rome in 2003 after graduating from college. Since her move, Katie has earned a sommelier certificate (FISAR) and an MA in the Cultura Gastronomica Italiana (Universita’ degli Studi di Roma “Tor Vergata”). Katie has has written several guide books and writes about food and travel for a number of publications. The Katie's Picks section is great. She has a very specific POV when it comes to food and doesn't hold back her opinions."I decided to develop and app for a few reasons. I wanted to experiment with new media, find a new way to connect with readers, and monetize blog content. I had the app re-developed in order to introduce concepts of branding and improve user interface."ROME FOR EXPATS by Gillian McGuire. Gillian has lived in Rome for seven years. Prior to her move, she and her family lived in several African countries. Her expats friends call her "The Source" for a reason. I've included an expat app because there are people who travel to Rome and rent apartments and/or stay for an extended period. If you need to know where to find an English speaking dentist, or a hairdresser, cilantro, or maybe you're dying for a bagel, or looking for a personal trainer (to help burn off that bagel), this is the app for you."First, I love an assignment, so I found I was often asked the question "where can I find... x?