Risotto di Gò at Osteria Penzo
Gò — the Venetian name for the gobiidae fish (goby) — is a small, bony, intensely flavoured lagoon fish that forms the base of Chioggia's most iconic dish. Osteria Penzo on Calle Larga Bersaglio has been serving it for decades in a no-frills dining room where the menu changes with the catch and the wine list is strictly Veneto.
The dish itself
Risotto di gò is made by slow-cooking the whole fish into a rich broth, straining out the bones, then using that broth to cook Vialone Nano rice — the fat, starchy Veronese variety that absorbs liquid like a sponge. The result is intensely savoury, faintly briny and utterly unlike any risotto you'll eat in a tourist restaurant.
It appears on the menu only when the day's catch includes enough gò, which makes ordering it feel like a small victory. Ask the waiter as soon as you sit down whether it's available.
The broader menu
Beyond the risotto, Penzo excels at seppie in nero (cuttlefish in its own ink served over white polenta), moleche fritte in season, and a simply grilled branzino from the lagoon that needs nothing but good olive oil and lemon.
The wine list leans into local Veneto whites — a carafe of Soave or Lugana is the correct pairing. Lunch is the main meal here; dinner is quieter but equally good.
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