PS Great list of restaurants by Monica: http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...-june-2010.cfm

If you want to have really excellent prawns while being in Venice, you either have to prepare them yourself (which means renting an apartment with a kitchen) - mazzancolle are the best variety, very common in Venice - or to go to Al Cason in Mestre. See http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...estaurants.cfm for both recipes and restaurant details.

CW, yes, that's what I thought - wipes might be helpful just to get the fishy smell off my fingers, and wow! what a list, thanks sarge.

oh! bless you franco - I was hoping to hear from you
I've read so many of your food recommendations, literally salivating reading your recipes! If you knew my cooking, you wouldn't suggest I cook in Venice

How far is Mestre from say ... San Marco? How does one get there? vaporetto?

thanks so much for your input.

Mestre is on the mainland, across the causway from Venice. You first take a train to Venice Santa Lucia station, then either walk or take a vaporetto to San Marco.

Total time Mestre to San Marco is probably about 1hr.

Mestre is on the town on mainland closest to the main islands of Venice. From San Marco you would need to walk or take a vaporetto (30 minutes) to the train or bus station, and then take a train or bus to Mestre.

thanks!

Al Cason is certainly on my list!



http://www.alcason.it/

Know before you go--this is an interesting article, by an acclaimed writer, on seafood in Venice:

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/03/di...pagewanted=all

Thank you for this link, ek - am I right to assume that this is where you read about Trattoria Laguna?
However, one important correction has to be made - the writer got something wrong about mazzancolle. They're not, as he claims, crayfish with claws (like scampi) - they are a variety of gamberi (prawns). http://www.benessere.com/alimentazio...diterraneo.htm

Thanks for link ek, I will try my best to eat at both Al Cason and Al Covo.

You have all been so kind answering my silly question, I will return the favor by sharing a favorite recipe for raw scallops. Either the big or small ones (cut the big ones to resemble the little ones in size), marinate them for 10 -15 minutes in the juice and zest of a lime or 2, with a bit of salt, about a teaspoon of fresh tarragon. Adjust seasonings to your taste. Last time I added a couple of black plums cut the same size as the scallops. Delicious!

That seems excellent! Since you are mentioning small scallops - there is a small "twin" variety of scallops in Venice called canestrelli... so if you have a kitchen, don't fail to try your recipe with canestrelli, they're delicious! It's important to rinse them very carefully, they're literally full of sand.

By the way, while it has been described correctly how to arrive in Mestre, it's less correct for Al Cason - that's on the northern outskirts of Mestre, and you don't absolutely want to go there by bus (I suppose this would take hours). If you go to Al Cason, take a taxi - from Piazzale Roma, if you want to splurge (which doesn't really matter since the dinner will be expensive enough), or take bus no. 2 to the Mestre train station and taxi from there (which is going to cost less).

After all is said and done, Venice will be the most expensive part of our trip, but the way we look at it is ... we'll be in Venice! We can tighten our belts a bit when we get home.

If I get a chance to buy the ingredients, I believe I can manage making a great lunch with canestrelli ... even in our hotel room! Thanks for the tip.