Klugmann, after Venissa there’s also Argine

A simple courgette flower, the smiling eyes of the chef, the natural dimension of a magical island that rediscovers its farming vocation: while the ferry brings us back on dry land – surrounded by the placid and silent Laguna, which absorbs the little rain uniting earth and sky in a single liquid universe – pastel coloured images appear in our minds: they are the ones inspired by a lunch at Venissa, in the island of Mazzorbo, the “twin island” of the more famous Burano, tel. +39.041.5272281.

Hope number one: «Let’s hope I don’t like this place», is what Antonia Klugmann, best female chef according to Identità Golose 2013, had thought, while she took the journey in the opposite direction to ours, and was about to discover the project desired by the Bisol family in order to have the “native Venice” live once again in Mazzorbo, with its kitchen gardens, its vegetal world, the Dorona grape and the wine that is made with the latter (we will speak about it in the future). Antonia had been called as a substitute, so to speak: so that Paola Budel, who had just left the job, would not be regretted. This was the agreement with Gianluca Bisol: after spending a few months in Mazzorbo - having a bit of a nomadic inclination - she would have left again, bound to Dolegna del Collio (Gorizia) where at the end of October she will open Argine, her new restaurant in Vencò. «Let’s hope I don’t like this place», this was the reason of such an almost impossible to confess thought: she had something else coming up. In fact, however, she did like it here, and quite a lot, «this is a place I feel profoundly close to me».

Paraphrasing Manzoni, the wedding was meant to be and it can now be made official: Antonia Klugmann is not leaving, in fact she’s doubling her efforts: she’ll continue to be at the helm of Venissa as well as that of her new Argine. In Mazzorbo she will install her trustworthy sous chef Arianna Dalla Valeria (very young – she’s not yet 25 – and very talented) while she will go up and down from Collio. It was meant to be.

Hope number two, according to Klugmann: «I hope I will meet the expectations». A praise to the modesty of this young chef (she’ll turn 34 the coming 2nd of September – happy birthday) who is not afraid of getting her hands dirty, of burning her fingers with her pots and pans, because she cooks with passion, and you can see this in the lively eyes we mentioned before, but it is also confirmed by her words: «I haven’t had a day of holiday in 9 years. It’s fine, I love this work». Don’t worry, Antonia: you are quite above any expectation.

First of all, Venissa seems to be designed to match her style, which is based on seasons and vegetables: «The love for what is natural, for water, the vegetable garden and the orchard guides us in the choice of the raw materials to use» (in this sense, there will be a perfect symbiosis at the Argine, which overlooks river Judrio…). Secondly, the results are already of high quality. Her courgette flower is a simple, beautiful and delicious dish, with an infinite elegance. It is only half blanched from the side of the stem, a little smoked and paired with a home-made mustard and decorated with edible mallow and sorrel flowers. This is a dish to fall in love with on the spot, thanks to its delicate note, just like with its more structured “brothers”: the Polentina and sea (aromatised with tomato and oyster water, with oysters, sea urchins, a reduction of coral and scallops and squid ink: this is a marine joy with a very long finish), the delicious Veal sweetbreads, with white chocolate and soy served with squid ink and friggitello pepper, or the exquisite Duck breast with shiitake mushrooms and bread dumplings.

A perfect ending dedicated to the vegetal world: Camomile ice-cream with Italian-style lemon meringue. We get back on the ferry gratified.