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Venice

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Ike

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Oct 29, 2009, 8:57:49 PM10/29/09
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What was once Tutto Mare is now Saturday night's quietest restaurant.
It's Venice, on Executive Drive near Genesee, in that large business park.

We were there 7-9:30, and saw a max of three other tables occupied at
one time or another - the staff always outnumbered the diners. They do a
roaring lunch business, so surely are okay.

FOOD
Veal Marsala - perfectly prepared - an outstanding 9
Salmon - 8
Cioppino - a solid, memorable, distinguished 10
Ravioli with shrimp stuffing in lobster sauce - excellent, a 9
Pasta - it was a lot like pasta, nothing special - a 6
Bread - probably one of the Bread et Cie, and excellent.
And they use a superb olive oil with comparable balsamic vinegar. Good
stuff!
Side dishes, etc. - 9

SERVICE
Slow. Very slow. Of course, any waitstaff is told that when business is
sparse, keep the customers around. When there are many diners, get 'em
out of there to clear the table for the next sitting.

PRICE
Before dinner we drank an amazing Mexican red (Santo Tomas) with hors
d'ouvres, so at Venice we had only entrees, and drank water. About
$25/plate.

Ike

Russ in Mira Mesa

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Oct 30, 2009, 4:25:10 PM10/30/09
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Ten years ago, I worked nearby to Tutto Mare, and would go there a few
times a year. Expensive, but very good. Patronization pattern was
pretty much the same. Heavy biz lunch crowd, very light dinner
crowd.
Actually, from your description of the type of food and prices, it
sounds like only the name of the place has changed, right down to the
American tradition of serving olive oil and balsamic with the bread
(about as Italian as fortune cookes are Chinese). Do they still put a
few red pepper flakes in the balsamic and oil?

Ike

unread,
Oct 30, 2009, 5:05:53 PM10/30/09
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Nope.
The theme of Tutto Mare vs that of Venice is different. TM had more
emphasis on seafood (duh!), while V has more variety. V has a better
cellar and a great wine room for serious winos like me (though they
don't have either brown paper bags or an adequate stock of Thunderbird).
TM was owned by the same people that operated Harry's (a great
restaurant in the same business campus) and had employee chefs come and
go, while V is owned and operated by chef Alessandro Carollo.

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