There’s something truly special happening this winter at VENETO Ristorante Italiano. Inspired by the upcoming 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympic Winter Games, Verona-born chef/co-owner Marco Stevanoni has created a stunning winter tasting menu featuring the cuisine, ingredients and techniques of the Dolomites. The prix fixe seven- or four-course tour celebrates the culinary traditions of the Italian Alps—fun fact, Cortina also hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics—with modern execution and VENETO’s always-gracious hospitality at the forefront.
Stevanoni knows what he’s doing here, as he formerly skied at the World Cup/FIS level and grew up training and competing in the Italian Alps. With this tasting menu, he has dialed in VENETO’s already laser-sharp focus on northern Italian cuisine with precise attention to the delicacies of Cortina d’Ampezzo, an area known for judicious use of game meats and forest-foraged ingredients. To say he’s thrilled to present this very unique menu is an understatement. Stevanoni’s joy shines through in every presentation and pour, with wines he’s selected from their several-times-over Wine Spectator acclaimed cellar.
The plates are evocative, beautifully executed, and above all, delicious. Stand-outs include delicate canederli (bread-and-speck dumplings), table-served with a pour-over of warm cheese sauce and a dusting of beet powder. A pasta course of house-made tagliolini is lightly dressed with a minimalist venison and winter truffle white ragù, and a main of seared deer filet took me right back to the Alps, edible candied pine cone and wild blackberry swoosh included. The decadent chocolate sacher cake is a spectacular finale, made even more memorable when matched with the “father of Amarone,” a Corte Martini Recioto della Valpolicella Classico.
Keeping with the high level of execution that VENETO strives for at every table, please note that the restaurant requests that groups dining together order the same menu progression (the seven-course menu is $165 with optional wine pairing at $135; four-course tasting is $135 with $75 wine pairing). Of course, if you opt out of the winter tasting selections, VENETO’s regular menu is full of delightful options, and it’s a must to save room for the best tiramisu in town. But for the price, this is a remarkable prix fixe experience, especially since VENETO’s hospitality model reflects the Italian sensibility that gratuity is included.
It’s a gracious reminder that food can be transportative, and in this case, more of an art form than a matter of mere consumption. And just like winter, something to be savored while it lasts.
If you go:
VENETO Ristorante Italiano
370 E. 900 South
venetoslc.com
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