Trattoria Ca' d'Oro (alla Vedova)

Trattoria Ca' d'Oro, known to Venetians as alla Vedova, is on Ramo Ca' d'Oro in the Cannaregio sestiere of Venice, near the Ca' d'Oro palace on the Grand Canal, in Italy's Veneto region. It dates from 1891 and is a classic Venetian bacaro and trattoria run by the same family for generations. The kitchen sticks to a short, unchanging roster of Venetian classics rather than chasing trends. The most famous item is the polpette, fried veal meatballs that are traditionally eaten standing at the bar with a glass of wine, ordered as a cicchetto (a small bar snack) rather than as a plate. Other staples include baccalà mantecato, the whipped salt cod spread served on polenta or bread, and sarde in saor, the sweet-and-sour sardine dish with onions. The room is narrow and old-fashioned, with a small dining area and a standing bar that fill with a mix of regulars and visitors who have heard about the meatballs. The atmosphere is convivial and lively rather than formal, and the space is tight, so noise carries. Dress is casual. Hours run Monday and Wednesday to Friday for lunch (11:30AM-2:30PM) and dinner (6:30PM-10:30PM), with Saturday and Sunday lunch only, and the venue is closed on other days as listed. Reservations are recommended on +39 041 528 5324, as the trattoria is tiny and does not take walk-in seating easily at peak dinner hours; a visitor without a booking can still eat standing at the bar. Prices are mid-range ($$), and cicchetti are the cheapest way in. The trattoria works well as a stop on a Cannaregio walk between the Strada Nova and the Fondamenta della Misericordia, and it gives a useful introduction to the Venetian bacaro tradition of small plates with wine.