Canaletto's Ristorante

Dining In Venice!
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Well, sort of...

​Dining at an Outside Café...
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Well sort of...


Canelleto's
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Canelleto's is actually a restaurant at The Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas. Which means, when you dine at one of the hotel's "outdoor" cafes, you actually have a roof over your head. And what a roof!

 

The clouds on the ceiling made it feel like dusk, 24 hours a day.  The street lamps felt like they were just lit. The sounds of singing gondoliers and sloshing water could be heard in the nearby Grand Canal.  And the musicians playing flute, violin and cello created an atmosphere that felt like a summer evening in an real Italian piazza.

The View
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When Don and I dined last May, we chose to sit "outside" so we could take in the view. But when I ventured inside in search of the restroom I was amazed at the festive interior.  And there was a pretty spectacular view from the upper floors!

Italian Dining
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My enthusiasm sounds like someone who has never dined in Venice, Italy.  In fact, I have such good memories of the "real thing" that I really expected not to be impressed.  But I do love playing pretend. And I do love a restaurant with a gimmicky theme.  I'd say Canaletto's pulled it off.  And I must say, I love the idea of sidewalk cafes with white tablecloths, minus the issues that come with Italian pigeons.
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Getting Started
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I took some time to study the menu artwork which showed a bustling harbor scene and Palazzo Ducale.  Then I got very hungry absorbing the mouthwatering details inside the menu. It was nice enjoying a little Chianti and some warm Italian bread as we made up our minds!

The Meal
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Our waiter had an accent but I didn't dare ask.  I'd like to just assume he was  Italian, although chances are he was not.  We were given just the right amount of attention and the food didn't come out too quickly. I hate feeling rushed when you're trying to enjoy your wine.

Pasta, Soup & Salad

​Don's pasta with prosciutto and cream sauce was deliziososissma.  Picture me giving my fingertips a quick kiss, so you know what that means. My Insalata Cesarina, was surprisingly yummy with egg slices and a large sheet of parmesan!  I ordered the Minestrone with crossed fingers. 

When I was 11 my family moved to Italy for a half year and I remember soothing my homesickness with minestrone.  I've been searching since 1969 for the amazing combination of vegetables, cheese and spices, that I remember adoring.  Once in a blue moon have I tasted a soup that comes close.  The minestrone didn't quite make it.  But that's okay.  The search is part of the fun.

Playing Tourists
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When in Rome, (or in Venice) I say, "Act like a tourist and pose on the bridge!"  It was a good way to end our meal, before hiking back to our hotel room.  We worked off a few calories as we got a bit lost, kind of like you do in the real Venezia!