After a busy Friday workday, nothing sounded better than an easy dinner out at one of our favorite Venice Avenue spots — Trattoria da Mino.
It has long been one of our favorite Italian restaurants in Venice: small, unassuming, relaxed, with an interesting wine list that makes it easy to explore Italian grapes…just our kind of spot. And this time of year, it’s easy to make a last-minute decision to head to the island without fighting traffic or battling for a parking spot. It’s that time of year in Southwest Florida when evenings feel a little slower, and Trattoria is just the kind of place we want to wrap up the week.
It turned out to be the kind of easy Friday that allowed us to sit back, people watch, and sip a nice Italian red.
Quick Facts
Location: Venice Avenue
Website: Trattoria da Mino
Vibe: Relaxed neighborhood Italian. Bring your four-legged friend and dine outside, or cool off in the small dining room when the Florida heat wins.
Food: Delicious Southern Italian. The pizza is amazing, and we’ve yet to order a dish we haven’t loved.
Why Visit
- The food and wine. The menu is full of Italian favorites, paired with an approachable and interesting list of Italian wines.
- The Venice Avenue setting. Grab a sidewalk table and watch everyone stroll by — including plenty of four-legged friends.
- The Malafemminina pizza. It really is our favorite pizza in all of Venice.
Our Experience at Trattoria da Mino
Venice Avenue may have been unusually quiet for a Friday night, but Trattoria da Mino was anything but. The restaurant was packed when we arrived, and we snagged the last empty table on the sidewalk — exactly where we wanted to be.
My Partner in Wine selected a bottle of 2021 Carmelo’s Nero d’Avola Riserva from Sicily. We’ve shared a few bottles made from this grape over the years, and it’s a bold Sicilian red we’ve come to enjoy.
Nero d’Avola is Sicily’s signature red grape, typically producing wines with plenty of dark fruit, richness and body. If Cabernet Sauvignon is more familiar territory for you, Nero d’Avola can be an interesting Italian direction to explore when you’re looking for a fuller-bodied red.
The 2021 Carmelo’s Riserva delivered exactly that kind of profile — bold, fruit-driven and smooth. “Black cherries” were the first words out of my mouth after my first sip.
It was an easy wine to enjoy with our sidewalk spot and dinner. We lingered over the wine for a bit before ordering. My Partner in Wine chose the chicken marsala, and I went straight for my favorite: the Malafemminina pizza.
We watched Venice stroll by, admired our four-legged neighbor who seemed equally content people-watching — and happily accepting the occasional nibble from her dog dad — and settled into one of those wonderfully unhurried summer evenings.
Sometimes that’s really all you need after a long week: a sidewalk table, a bottle of wine, good Italian food and nowhere else you need to be.
Our Final Pour Wrap Up
Trattoria da Mino’s wine list is focused but offers a nice representation of Italian wines — exactly what we want to see when we’re eating Italian. The price points are reasonable, and we’ve always found something interesting to enjoy.
From Nero d’Avola to Primitivo, the list gives you an easy opportunity to venture beyond the familiar Cabernet, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir and explore a few Italian grapes instead.
But that’s really what we like about Trattoria da Mino as a whole. It doesn’t need to be fancy or complicated. It’s a relaxed neighborhood spot where we can settle into a sidewalk table, order a pizza we love, choose an Italian bottle and watch Venice Avenue drift by.
And sometimes, that’s exactly the wine experience we’re looking for.
🌴 Looking for more curated wine spots in the Venice or Englewood areas? Check out our comprehensive Local Guide to Wine Spots and stay up-to-date on the latest tastings with our Monthly Wine Events Calendar and Happy Hour Guide.