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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, July 22, 2007

Dine and shop in Venice's Rialto

By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Fresh fruits and vegetables, plus seafood, are the star attraction at the Rialto farmers market.

WANDA A. ADAMS | The Advertiser

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WHERE: The Rialto, Venice, Italy.

WHAT IS IT: The Rialto is for shoppers. The heart of this neighborhood is one of three storied bridges crossing the Grand Canal, the famous 900-year-old Ponti di Rialto, a hunched and rather awkward structure that's topped with a series of arches that house shops. To the east is a neighborhood of small shops and restaurants; to the west, the busy Rialto farmers market. (Beware! If you're a foodie and don't have a kitchen, this open-air market full of inviting fruit, vegetables and fish will make you desperate to cook!)

WHY GO THERE: The shopping in the Rialto is a bit less expensive and more interesting than around touristy Piazza San Marco, which is dominated by the same international designer stores you can find here in the Islands. Still, "less expensive" is a relative term: While some friends fell in love with shoes at a boutique, I tried on a blouse and then found it cost more than $100 euros ($138). However, I did find treasures at a small bookshop (an English-language Venetian cookbook).

WHERE TO EAT: Osteria alle Testiere, a tiny neighborhood bistro on a little side street off Salizzada San Lio (address: Castello 5801; on Calle del Mondo Novo). I ate tiny fried soft-shell crabs marinated in vinegar and splashed with olive oil — unforgettably succulent. There were also singing scallops in the shell, grilled with orange and red onion, and monkfish with giant capers. Or, for thick, rich slices of pizza, Antico Forno.

GETTING THERE: From Piazza San Marco, head for the clock tower, cut through the arched passage and keep walking until you reach the Grand Canal, then turn right and you're just a couple of blocks from the bridge. Or take the No. 1 vaporetto (water bus) on the Grand Canal.

Reach Wanda A. Adams at wadams@honoluluadvertiser.com.