Ristorante Al Pozzo

My wife and I, a couple of clueless and hungry americanos, stumbled in late on a weeknight, 15m from closing time, and the chef and waitress could not have been more gracious and accommodating! Not every item on the menu was available at that late time, of course, nor did we expect it to be - but what was available was more than enough for our tastes and appetites. I wish I could remember everything we had; I do remember the soft-shelled crab, several preparations of shrimp along with octopus, not to mention the bread and the wine, which were excellent. It was one of the best meals I've every had in my 64 years. What was even better than all that, though, was our server, Anna. She was patient, kind, welcoming, informative, and generally, just a delight to be around. We adored her, and were so thankful for her! I don't think you can underestimate the relief and warm feelings engendered by a host like Anna: when you're strangers in a strange land, when your language skills are primitive at best and you feel shy to even try to use them - in fact, shy in every way - you can feel very isolated and intimidated; so when you are treated with such hospitality and kindness, it makes all the difference. Traveling and staying in Venice and all around the Veneto, we had so many marvelous experiences, and Anna helped make this one of them! To have such a well-spoken and intelligent hostess speaks very well of the owner and chef as well. Bravo!