Alla Centrale, steak heaven near Venice

We met Paolo and Dana a few months ago in Venice, by way of Giampiero Nadali.  We hadn't much time to talk that time but we vowed to meet for dinner at a good place, not in Venice proper, where real, local people actually go.  I figured such places must exist but had no idea where.

As it turned out, our hotel near Venice airport was a few minutes' walk from Paolo and Dana's place.  They picked us up and we drove for about 40 minutes into the countryside to Alla Centrale, which they told us was a really good steak restaurant.  It was fantastic, and the portions were enormous.  It was like eating in America but, of course, the stuff tasted better.  The kids (they're kids to me) have written about this rollicking, wine-lubricated evening on their blog, wine indulgence (click here for the account of our night Alla Centrale).  It has the advantage of being written in English (by Dana, who is from Long Island) and in Italian by Paolo, a native Venetian who gets the sconto veneziano when he's in the city itself.  This sconto benefited us last time, on the order of 50%.  Yes, in Venice a visitor pays double for everything.  What you suspected is true; it gripes non-Venetian Italians too.

Both Dana and Paolo are studying to be sommeliers.  They hope to come and work in New York. 

By the way, the tab at Alla Centrale for massive amounts of excellent beef of two kinds and two bottles of wine, plus aperitifs and sides, was something a little over 200 euros.  For four people.  That same feast would have cost about 200 a person in Venice. And it wouldn't have been anywhere near as good.

Alla Centrale

via Cornarotta 61

Robegano, Veneto

Tel. +39 041.574.00.22

Comments

[Mo]

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/2008/01/23/19-travelling/

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/2008/02/22/72-study-abroad/

http://stuffwhitepeoplelike.wordpress.com/2008/01/25/24-wine/

the blog is called "stuff white people like", and my new favorite game is to see how many of their topics i can find in each entry of your blog.

give it a read - its hilarious.

[TH]

Very funny.

Now, Moskele, are you laughing with me or at me?

[Marco]

I bet you ordered a overdone hamburger like you did in Nice.

[TH]

Noooo, it was all a-quiverin' and a-shakin' like it was still on the hoof.

[Paolo and Dana]

ARE YOU CRAZY WITH SUCH A PICTURE!!! god i feel famous!

[Marco]

You know that I know that you like beef.

[Paolo and Dana]

and by the way next time i want a pic of all of us to put on the front page of our website!!!

[TH]

@ Dana & Paolo -- sorry I stole it from your blog. But you both look great.

@ Marco -- You betcha, cowboy.

[TH]

A pic of all of us on your blog? What's this, the Beauties and the Beasts?

[Paolo and Dana]

cheap your email for beasts!!

[TH]

"cheap your email for beasts!!"

And Gabrio thought I was trippin'.

[Paolo and Dana]

yeah sorry about that- its late here! i meant check!

[Mo]

you continue to laugh at yourself, and ill continue to laugh with you.

its a life rule for me. its how everyone should be.

[Francesco]

You are right Terry, as a venetian I can confirm that it is really difficult to get a nice meal at a decent price in Venice...but 200 euros would be a great amount of money anyway. I can make you paying much much less for a good dinner.

On the other side, drinking a decent wine has been a challenge in Venice until very recently. Only during the last 5 years wine bars have started to improve their wine list.

[TH]

200 euros is a bit high...we have spent that in Venice, never again.

The wine lists are really improving in Venice, especially when someone like Paolo leads you to the cool places in out-of-the-way campielli.

Grazie per il commento, Francesco.