Eating in Vicenza was an experience in itself. There are so many options and interesting establishments that not only offer delicious food, but also offer a great experience. I will admit I ate pizza a lot in Italy. It is absolutely better than New Haven, Connecticut pizza (sorry guys, we’ve worked so hard to be the best). While I can’t give away the secret outright, there are some clues throughout the blog that give pointers to what they’re doing right in the homeland.
The Drunken Duck: TDD is actually one village over in Quinto Vicento. It’s a really casual place that serves up farm to table food. We’re talking real farm to table, the menu shows you exactly how far away your food came from. Of course, they also have an awesome beer selection. I was able to down half of their massive burger and 2 house Gose’s for dinner. Pro tip: you can take your beer to go!
Veneto’s: This cute little place is in an old old horse stable and only has 8 tables. Eating in Vicenza doesn’t necessarily mean it will be expensive. Despite being a wealthy city, we had an amazingly inexpensive meal here. Just for making a reservation we got 20% off of our bill. We ordered a huge charcuterie board, two bottles of sparkling, a liter of wine, duck ragu, and gnocchi. Even with coperto (cover charge) the bill was €35,60. Yeah, I know, you probably don’t believe me right?
Sette Santi: Nestled in the Berici Hills near the beautiful Monte Berico church is where you’ll find this romantic restaurant. They have a large shaded patio to enjoy the view while you eat really good pizza. After dinner you can take a stroll through the small square Puzzle della Vittoria (victory square) dedicated to honor Vicenza’s fallen soldiers during World War I.
Il Ceppo: This place is right across the street from the apartment so naturally, I had to go. Eating here was a quintessential Vicenza experience. In the front is a Salumeria and to-go counter with full or semi prepared foods. They also have fresh pasta, ravioli, gnocchi. Towards the back the shelves are full of quality Italian products such as honey, balsamic vinegar, spreads, etc… And lastly, the downstairs is the cutest little wine cellar to have a sit down meal. I bought a bottle of white wine with their title painted on the label. I learned that La Costa Farm houses and employs 24 adults with special needs whom grow, harvest, and produce the wine in addition to hand painting the labels. That won my heart over, I took it without even asking the price.
Il Fauno: This is a great restaurant if you’re staying on base. The owners are so friendly and speak incredibly good English. We were trying to decipher the ACTV (Venice water taxi) timetables during dinner and the owner came over to see if he could help. We ran into another military couple who had their German Shepherd Stella with them who was an absolute doll.
