We've hit the two year anniversary!!!!!

Yesterday was the two year anniversary of the arrival of Mike and his dog Leopold in Venice. Where did that time fly by to????? It seems like only yesterday, to be honest. So, in honor of this fabulous occassion, we went out dinner to celebrate.

I had in my head I wanted to go to Osteria da Toni's again. We'd been there when the weather was warm and I had the some of the best Spaghetti con Vongole (Spaghetti with clams) I'd ever had. It's not only a favorite of mine, it's a Venetian traditional dish. So, we got bundled up and walked over to da Toni's, only to discover they were closed. Around this time of year, that's not so unusual. Many of the restaurants and shops either close for an extended holiday or to do yearly maintenance and remodeling, while the tourist season is so slow.

Our backup plan if da Toni didn't work out was to go to Campo San Barnaba and try to get into one of our favorites there. Lucky for us Quattro Feri had an available table at 8pm. My preference in restaurants here is the small ones, with authentic cooking and have an older ambiance to them. These are my favorites. Quattro Feri never disappoints us! They even have a daily hand written menu! We started with, of course, some prosecco for me,and white wine for Mike. The rest of the meal was shared appetizer of Scampi al Saor, Spaghetti con vongole for me and a lasagna with fish and asparagus for Mike.

The Scampi al Soar was the best!!! This is also a Venetian traditional dish. Most often you will find Sardines in saor, but the recipe is the same. It's got onions, raisins, pine nuts, and is sort of a sweet and sour taste. I know, doesn't sound great, but be adventurous and you are in for a real treat! It's delicious, and if you are ever in Venice, you must try this.

After dinner, we made a stop around the corner to visit with i ragazze (the boys) at Imagina Cafe and top off the night with another glass of prosecco. Great night!

Now I am already looking forward to January 25, which is the 2 year anniversary of my arrival with my dog Sam.

Wherever you are out there, come on and join me in a toast to many more glorious years!