Trip to the Cip!

We board ‘our’ private velvet lined motorboat from the carpeted gangway next to Piazzo San Marco. Our driver is wearing an Armani suit and shades – we feel like film stars! The Cipriani’s Fortuny restaurant is all delicately blown glass and amber-coloured mirrors and very attentive waiters. I ponder the infamous carpaccio as I am such a fan but I know they cover the rosy slices in a mayonnaise style dressing which is not my favourite choice so I decide to pass - D & I could always ‘whip’ up some when I get back home (if we have a few hours to spare!). Instead I have HOMEMADE PASTA WITH GREEN ASPARAGUS TIPS, SCALLOPS & A CLAM SAUCE. There was an awkward moment when it turns up with ‘extra surprise’ tomato but this is deftly dealt with! I’d been hankering after some fresh pasta whilst in Venice and this was a very fine example, a really beautiful sauce! I then tucked into a stunning BEEF FILLET WITH FOIE GRAS AND TRUFFLES accompanied by my potato and some ‘stolen’ GRATIN DAUPHINOIS (M’s distaste of potato can be very handy!). We manage to polish off a bottle of MONTEPULGIANO AVIGNONESI, which goes down awfully well. And with our delicious TUILLE BASKETS FILLED WITH CHOCOLATE ORANGE ICE CREAM we have a couple glasses of TORCOLATO MACULAN – a very honeyed dessert wine from Veneto and then stagger back to our hotel feeling somewhat ‘swayey’ – M’s new word for this unusual sensation!