Acqua Alta wants to whisk you 5,000 miles away.
Owners Leonardo and Rimma Castaldi and Paolo Polo, recent immigrants from Venice, Italy, have debuted their authentic Venetian restaurant to transport their patrons to the northeastern city — all by taste.
Chef Polo and Leonardo chose Clearwater for the new restaurant at 2454 N. McMullen Booth Road, just on the outskirts of Safety Harbor, because of its resemblance to a European town, with rolling hills and a city center. Formerly Sabai Asian Bistro, the space was transformed by the team in two weeks; they closed with the realtor on Dec. 1 and opened for business Dec. 15.
The 1,600-square-foot, 47-seat Acqua Alta features booths for privacy and six tables out in the open for those seeking a more social experience. Along with meat and fish mains, sides and desserts, its menu offers a selection of antipasti and entrees of pasta and risotto.
A favorite starter of Leonardo’s is the cicchetti alla Veneziana. The co-owner says Venice has a tradition of cicchetti (pronounced chi-KET-tee) — savory small dishes that change regularly and are akin to Spanish tapas. In Venice, these morsels line the counters of pubs all over town at the end of each workday, when locals wash them down with conversation, laughter, prosecco and wine.
“We want to entertain you with our food,” Leonardo said.
Added Polo: “We don’t want to teach people how to eat. We want people to understand that food can be eaten differently.”
Given the time, Leonardo says he sits with customers, explaining the history of their dishes with passion and excitement. And don’t be surprised if something in addition to your order shows up at the table. He puts it simply — “This is what we do in Italy.”
Polo, who refers to his cooking style as simple, says he never writes a recipe down.
“It’s Italian technique,” the chef says of the restaurant’s cuisine, “with international ingredients, such as bok choy.”
According to the owners, they source as many fruits and vegetables locally as possible. When in season, tomatoes and berries come from Plant City, while the bay provides the fish and octopus.
Dietary restrictions aren’t a problem at the restaurant, either. The two families have some themselves, but pescatarian Polo; Leonardo’s wife and co-owner Rimma, who is gluten intolerant; and Leonardo, an omnivore, have learned to work with each other’s diets.
“We have a menu, but let’s call it a guideline,” Leonardo said.
Closed on Sundays, Acqua Alta Ristorante is open for lunch 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and reopens for dinner between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. — except on Saturdays, when dinner service last until 10 p.m.
