Eating where the tourists eat is always a risky proposition, especially in a city like Venice, whose sole raison d'e^tre is tourism. Along the city's main arteries and tourist sites, the restaurants are often disappointing -- and sometimes even disastrous. But, as we found on a quick visit there earlier this month, with a little perseverance and a good map, there is also plenty of excellent food to be found.

At the smaller trattorie where local people like to congregate, and at the traditional wine bars known as bacari, you can order Venetian specialties that compare favorably with the cooking in any other region of Italy. Venetians, like so many of their fellow countrymen, especially in the affluent northeast of the country, understand the paramount importance of using fresh, seasonal ingredients.

Needless to say, Venetian cuisine is big on seafood. No other major city lies so close to the sea. And the place to see it all laid out is at the city's central market. Close by the Rialto Bridge, one of Venice's premier tourist attractions, the traders lay out their trestles each morning (except Sunday) under ancient porticos that date back to medieval times.