A taste of Venice, the art of cicchetti-ing.

Typical bacaro appetizer.

Hey guys, how are you doing?
Recently, some friends of mine came over to visit me, and stayed at my place for a couple of days.
As they live abroad and had never visited Venice before, I decided to take them for a tour so that they could explore some of the most interesting sites this marvellous city offers.

I have to say I hadn't really planned a specific route to follow, as I didn't think I could ever lose myself in Venice (when I was a kid I used to go there almost every day to visit my Granny), but things eventually turned out differently: not only couldn't I locate myself (may god bless those who have invented GPS), but my friends had apparently disappeared too.
We were going across a bridge when I literally lost sight of them. And guess what, Venice is definitely the best place to get lost, especially if you're a tourist and are not familiar with the "calli" (the narrow alleys of the city). Sometimes, getting lost is perhaps a good manner tmo get to discover enchanting locations but, believe me, this was not the case at all.

Anyway, after my friends had been wandering around the city for some time, we finally managed to get back together. Apart from that slight hitch, we were really satisfied with both the visit and the "lunch break" we had. We made a stop in a small "bacaro" I usually go to and had some "cicchetti" food. Wait, what?
I bet you have no idea what these two words stand for, so let me tell you more about them. 

Crostini with seafood and vegetables.

If you're walking around Venice, and decide to have some rest from the fatigue and excitement of your journey, you may decide to have a sit in one of the many bars you can easily find all over the city and enjoy the breathtaking views of Venice. 
Here, possibly, you could come across a local inhabitant asking the waiter what kind of "cicchetti" they do have. This word, which comes from the dialect and is pronounced “chee-KET-eeh”, is commonly used to indicate small plates of food or snacks, mainly served in traditional "bacari" (cicchetti bars or local taverns). These dishes may include a wide variety of appetizers, such as tiny sandwiches, plates of olives, crostini (slices of toasted bread with seafood, meat or other vegetables), and many others. 
Along with the food, drinks are usually served too: wines (both red and white and sparkling and still), spritz (a particular combo that mix together prosecco wine, Aperol and soda water - with some variations according to the city Spritz is made), soft drinks, cocktails, etc.

Typical interior bar furnishing: demijohns of wine.

In this post's title I refer to this habit as "the art of cicchetti-ing", so you might be wondering why this has to be considered as something important or interesting, especially if we compare that to the splendour of Venice itself.
Well, basically because "cicchetti" are part of everyday life, and their importance lies not just in the food itself, but also in how, when and where they are eaten: with fingers and toothpicks, usually standing, surrounded by that cozy atmosphere that makes you feel comfortable and at ease. 
No matter what time it is, you will always find these places packed; and it's easy to see why, with good food and wine at a very competitive and attractive price. 
Indeed, it is not a chance that, in recent years, that of "cicchetti-ing" has become a sort of well-established tradition, with real "bacaro tour" routes including the most important and famous bacari and taverns of the city. On the internet, you can even find detailed maps (like the one below), with both short descriptions of the places and online users recommendations. 

Map with the main bacari of Venice.

Bacaro, thus, is seen more and more as a way through which people can mix together both the city excursion and the pleasure of fine cuisine: a sort of innovative and alternative form of tourism.

Personally, I would recommend it to anyone, but just make sure you don't go too far, and convert what is meant to be a simple appetizer, combining tasty food and wine, into a boozy one. 

Stefano.