Was it a love potion, I mused, as each spoonful of the delectable 'spritzer' slipped down my throat ...

First a layer of prosecco mousse, garnished with a little orange zest, a fine slice of candied orange and a crunchy cigar-shaped tuile. Underneath the foamy mousse lay a brilliantly coloured campari granita followed by a layer of intensely flavoured orange jelly.

Presented in a martini glass, it was truly a work of art in this artful city - and just the thing to cool me down on one of the hottest summer afternoons recorded during the last century (up around the 40 degree Celsius mark). "It's my review of the classic Venetian aperitif", explained Giovanni Ciresa, the internationally acclaimed chef of De Pisis restaurant in the Bauer Il Palazzo hotel, San Marco, Venice.

The original, made with white wine, Aperol and soda, can be sampled in the B Bar Lounge during "aperitif hour" but it would be hard to beat the subtlety and flavour of Ciresa's brilliant dessert.

Having worked in some of the world's most prestigious restaurants (including Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence and Tokyo, La Terrazza and Hotel Eden in Rome, La Pinede in Saint Tropez and La Cote d'Or in Saulieu, France), Ciresa joined the Bauer in 2002. His adaptation of the traditional Venetian spritz is typical of his style.

"My base is Italian but the techniques are international," he explains. "I try to use as many local seasonal ingredients as I can - asparagus and peas in the spring, white and black truffles, chestnuts and mushrooms in autumn, seafood from the local waters - and to make sure that each individual ingredient can be tasted".

You can see (and taste) this approach in one of the main course dishes, Tournedos de Gurnand with Menthe-flavoured pea soup, beetroots and whelks. The presentation is stunning - a perfectly-shaped tournedo of two white fillets of fish pressed together floats in the middle of a thick green soup studded with whelks, tiny dollops of mascarpone and fine beetroot chips. Presented in a deep white bowl, it is a masterpiece to look at - the flavour of the fish is magnificent, though the pea soup does was a little overwhelming for my taste. In another dish, the Lobster Salad with mango, soy sprouts and grapefruit jelly, you can see Ciresa's Asian influences at work.

Presented on a large square glass plate, fine medallions of lobster sit atop a smooth polenta sauce surrounded by a shelled lobster claw on pink grapefruit jelly and diced mango and garnished with soy sprouts and finely shredded candied orange. The flavours are stunning.

"I believe Italian and Asian cuisine are not that far apart and that is why I have managed to create a fusion between the sophisticated products of the Mediterranean and Oriental techniques," comments Ciresa. "My cuisine is rich in international influences but in spite of that it has always remained linked to the Mediterranean tradition." Another dish - the Skewered Sesame flavoured Sea Scallops with peppers 'mille-feuille' and eggplant chutney with smoked coral - is a good
illustration of this approach. Even the 'petits fours' are remarkable - tiny pieces of chocolate-coated candied fennel and candied eggplant and a cardamom and dried coriander brittle.

Dining outdoors on the elegant terrace of Bauer Il Palazzo is one of life's great pleasures. The hotel looks out onto the Baroque church of Santa Maria della Salute and over to the shimmering golden globe on top of the Dogana di Mare at the mouth of the Grand Canal. Gondolas, vaporettos and water taxis pass up and down on the shimmering water -and after a glass or two of 'Prosecco', it's not hard to believe that Casanova is busy weaving his spells - or that Tiepolo's angels are hovering nearby.

Hotel Bauer
San Marco, 1459
Venice, Italy
Phone: 0011 39 041 520 7022

For more information contact Concorde Hotels 100 Clarence Street Sydney NSW 2000

Tel : 02 9299 2283
Fax : 02 9299 2242
e-mail : tonyknox@ozemail.com.au

 

return to current postcard