SeaFood Business

DEC 2012

SeaFood Business is the global trusted authority for seafood buyers and sellers. We are the seafood industry's leading trade magazine with more than 30 years of experience. Our coverage is based on the "business" of buying and selling seafood.

Issue link: https://seafoodbusiness.epubxp.com/i/94720

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 38 of 54

Global Foodservice Hostaria da Franz strives to stay true to its roots while pleasing all customers. as it changes on a regular basis, depending on what is available at the market. On a typical day, the menu might contain six to eight appetiz- ers, five to six entrées and a choice of pasta dish. "For starters at the mo- Authentic Venice The City of Canals may be overrun by tourists, but you can still find traditional seafood a stone's throw from St. Mark's Square BY ANTHONY FLETCHER P erhaps no other city in the world, with the possible excep- tion of Paris, has been as romanti- cized as Venice, Italy's City of Canals. It is not difficult to see why: Sitting in the middle of a lagoon and spread over 100 tiny islands, the city is stud- ded with beautiful bridges, ancient churches and gon- dolas ploughing through the maze of waterways. Such beauty can be both a blessing and a curse. But the city, small as it is, can be sti- fling under the sheer weight of tourists. It is not uncommon to hear people say that there is nowhere authentic left to eat. How then does a successful seafood restaurant take ad- vantage of the benefits — the fresh produce on your door- step, a world-famous location — without falling into the temptation of simply catering to the hordes of tourists? One restaurant believes it has man- aged to achieve this for more than 200 years. Te high-end Hostaria da Franz, not far from the fa- mous St. Mark's Square, has become a Venetian institu- tion. Its establishment reflects the city's history of travel and international relations; it was opened by Franz Habeler, a young Austro-Hungarian army soldier who came to Venice more than 200 years ago, and for the past three decades has been run by the Gasparini family. Celebrating Venetian cuisine remains the core of the operation. "Our menu always con- sists of local recipes," says Maurizio Gasparini, owner. "I visit the fish market every day. When my father took over the restaurant 30 years ago, he was the chef, and he still supervises the purchases 34 SeaFood Business December 2012 from the fishmongers." Te Rialto market overflows with catches of the day, from tiny snails called bovoleti to turbot. Te restaurant caters to in- ternational visitors as much as locals. "It's true, and we try to decide on a menu that can satisfy all," he says. "It's not always easy to find tastes that suit all the people." But Gasparini believes that by staying true to their Vene- tian roots and offering guests a truly exceptional experi- ence, diners will welcome the chance to perhaps try some- thing a little different. "We are used to having fa- mous actors and politicians dine with us, so we are used to paying attention to customers. Tradition is very important, but to be successful, you also need to know how to treat customers," he says. Te restaurant does not advertise its menu online, ment, I might recommend the 'sarde in soar' – a 200-year-old recipe of deep-fried sardines placed in a marinade of vin- egar, onions and raisins," says Gasparini. "Tis takes four to five days to prepare. Tis is a very special plate, as it's part of our cultural history." Another famous appetizer would be baccala, dried and salted cod that at Hostaria da Franz is prepared with milk. A popular snack is the small local octopus, prepared in a wine soup. Ten there is the pasta course. "A typical Venetian plate would be 'bigoli in salsa,' consisting of anchovies, on- ions, olive oil. We also have casarecce — homemade pasta flavored with orange peel and served with sea scallops." Te entrées always feature all four cooking styles. "Tis is a fish restaurant," says Gas- parini. "So we have grilled, salted, fried and oven-baked. Our grilled dish at the mo- ment is saltwater eel, while we also offer sea bream and thyme fried in tempura. Rombo (turbot) is breaded with bacon lard and cooked in the oven, while we also have a sea bass, marinated in orange and lemon juice and served in olive oil." Entrées range from €30 ($39) to €100 ($129), and a typical à la carte meal with wine, all courses included, costs around €150 ($194) per person. Contributing Editor Fletcher lives in Brussels Visit us online at www.seafoodbusiness.com Anthony Inset photo courtesy of Hostaria da Franz

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of SeaFood Business - DEC 2012