From a story by Fabio Rigo

Enoteca San Marco was born 22, actually 23 years ago (2001 note) from an idea of the only partner who later took a different path. He already had a place, a bacaro, but he wanted to grow and create something with friends, that is, us three current partners.

None of us three had ever worked in the restaurant industry.

I worked in the hotel porterage, Massimo was a triathlon athlete, and Luca had worked as a waiter at Harry’s Bar. From a management point of view, we needed guidance, but fortunately, we already had a place to open the restaurant, this one! At the time it was a trattoria run for many years by four ladies who had decided to retire and hand over the business.

The look was very different, let’s say an old-fashioned trattoria, with beads on the walls, covered beams, but it was for sale, and despite getting heavily into debt, we took over from the ladies.

Precisely because we engaged all our economic and physical forces, we actively participated in the work, meaning that in addition to our job, in our free time we came here to do manual labor, all the demolitions, transporting rubble, in short, everything we were capable of doing to contribute to the restoration.

Although we had a background in customer relations, becoming a restaurateur is like becoming an astronaut, but I must say that we were immediately successful, probably because the venue is in a great location and because we targeted the right audience from the start. We repaid our debts in a relatively short time and moved on to phase two: managing to spend time with our families living an atypical life for a restaurateur: having free time, working to live and not vice versa. Also thanks to this approach, even now after 22 years, we all come to work willingly, get along well, and convey this mentality to all the staff, so much so that we have had the same chefs for 22 years, and the dining staff has been here for 15 years.

I believe that not having a speculative philosophy means that even those who work have both their job satisfaction and the opportunity to enjoy their free time. This serenity is also transmitted in the dining room to the customer. You go to a restaurant to eat, but above all, you go to feel good, and the atmosphere in which one immerses oneself when coming to us means that a guest who sees people working with a smile also gets up with a smile.

For this reason as well, we have transformed the kitchen into an open kitchen, so that those who eat can see who cooks, but also vice versa, so that the chefs can have the satisfaction of seeing those who enjoy their dishes.

Precisely because of this approach, we felt it was appropriate to ask to become members of the Association of Good Hospitality, also because I noticed that in San Marco there are no restaurants that are part of it.

Unfortunately, over time San Marco has acquired a reputation as a speculative Sestiere, where it is very easy to make money even by working badly. Being part of the Good Hospitality undoubtedly means that we can stand out from that mass of “tourist traps”, and I believe that the association also benefits from having a restaurant 50 meters from the Square.

In addition to our membership in the Association of Good Hospitality, we have always been committed to using local raw materials as much as possible: soon the crates of artichokes from the island of Vignole will arrive, we prefer – when available – the use of the Slow Food Presidium Lamb of Alpago to contribute to the safeguarding of the species, we buy fish from the Rialto market, it doesn’t matter if it costs a little more, we cannot complain that the city is emptying out and then not support local activities.

The same concept applies to fruit, vegetables, bread, and even to the equipment that has been provided and is maintained by local companies.

It will cost a little more, but that’s okay: none of us three partners has an SUV, and none has a house in Cortina, but all three of us derive satisfaction from the quality of our work.

The menu is quite contained, with both fish and meat dishes, with ingredients that are always fresh as well as in season. I prefer to run short with a dish from the menu, rather than keep large quantities in the fridge to be sure to always have something on the menu. If a dish runs out, the next day another one is prepared with the fresh ingredients available.

Even though we pay a lot of attention to plating, we always try not to slip into gourmet. In our menu, it is difficult to find unknown ingredients, and hardly ever does a dish – in addition to the main ingredient – have more than three ingredients.

From the entry of Osteria San Marco into the Association, we do not expect a response in terms of numbers, that is not the goal. However, we are proud to go and replenish the list of commercial activities that keep the city alive, that ensure that it does not lose its cultural identity which is not made up of these marbles that are four hundred years old, but by the people, by us Venetians.

I am very concerned that when I decide to leave the premises with my partners, the same destiny cannot be fulfilled as when, 23 years ago, it passed from the hands of four Venetian ladies to the hands of four Venetian “youngsters”. I am afraid that, beyond all the safeguarding activities proposed by the Municipality (which one can believe in or not), there are no facilities for young people who want to take over a business, they should be able to access credit from the bank, have the opportunity to pay less taxes, have reductions in rents that are crazy…

I would very much like there to be young people who, in addition to wanting to do this job – which is increasingly difficult – have a goal, a perspective. For example, if one starts as an employee and then over time wants to take over as manager of his employer’s business, bringing with him all the baggage of skills he has acquired while working and passing on knowledge and culture, he should have the opportunity to do so.