Closed all day Tuesday and Wednesday lunch

Fiaschetteria Toscana, in spite of its name, is pure Venetian and serves some of the city's best risotto, made with aged organic rice. The menu is a long one, with a wide selection of seafood, fish, and local vegetable dishes. Order fritto misto (fried fish and seafood) and receive a souvenir plate as your reward. The wine list features bottles from the northeastern regions of Italy ?Veneto, Friuli, and Trentino Alto-Adige. The decor is straightforward ?upstairs and ground-level dining rooms have rust-colored marble floors and walls decorated with Venetian prints and plates.

Closed Sunday evening and Monday

Osteria Vecio Fritolin ("Old Fry Shop" in Venetian dialect), not far from the Rialto market, is a traditional establishment that has taken a new direction under owner Irina Feguia. She shops for the freshest fish and seasonal vegetables from the region, providing chef Adriano Rubelli with ingredients for traditional and tasty dishes such as spaghetti with razor clams and scallops, vegetable risotto, and mixed fried fish and seafood (an homage to the name of this osteria). The pasta and bread are homemade. The well-chosen wine list is especially strong on whites from Veneto and Friuli, with a fine selection of reds that will satisfy exigent enophiles.

Closed Wednesday and Thursday
My favorite restaurant in Venice is Al Covo, owned by the Benellis, chef Cesare and wife Diane (he's Venetian, she's Texan). Look for the freshest seasonal fish, seafood, and vegetables from the Venetian lagoon (mantis shrimp, crabmeat, or tiny shrimp) paired with a pool of polenta. Try a sashimi-style catch of the day, spaghetti with carpet-shell clams, or featherweight gnocchi sauced with seafood or tomato. Pear tart with grappa sauce or the chocolate cake is worth saving room for. The spectacular wine list is studded with unknown gems. Al Covo's brick walls display modern art, the dining room features a cool collection of Venetian glass, and the entryway shows off fine products that the restaurant uses ?artisanal pasta, balsamic vinegar, and house-made preserved vegetables. Now that there's no smoking in any Italian restaurants, Italians and Americans share both dining rooms. Before the law went into effect, Italians only filled the smoking room.

Closed Thursday
(July and August, open for dinner Thursday)

Trattoria Laguna, on the island of Cavallino, isn't easy to find, but it is worth the schlep for the romantic ride through the lagoon as well as the super fresh fish and seafood. Host Olindo Ballarin will guide diners though the menu prepared by his son Alvise. The appetizers are fantastic, but save room for fresh pasta sauced with braised rockfish ?the pan juices and bits of fish flavor the pasta; fillets are served with the remaining sauce as the main course. Avoid the bustle and high prices of Venice by staying at the Ballarins' inn, Locanda alle Porte, built in 1632. Photo: Courtesy of Trattoria Laguna

Closed Monday and Tuesday
Vini da Gigio is the definition of cozy: an entryway bar lined with wine bottles and two low-ceilinged dining rooms. The menu is divided between fish and meat/vegetables, and each part recommends wines to match. On the seafood side: saut? clams, whipped cod, baked scallops, spaghetti with clams, stewed cuttlefish with polenta, and grilled fish or eel. Fished out? There's fried Taleggio cheese with polenta, tagliolini sauced with duck or mushrooms, and Venetian liver with polenta. Desserts such as almond-brittle semifreddo with chocolate sauce tempt me, but I always opt for the palate-refreshing sgroppino (whipped lemon sorbetto, Prosecco, and vodka) ?a grown-up smoothie said to have digestive powers.