Tiramisu is one of those Italian staples that is as popular as it is divisive. Like most of these dishes, there’s usually not a single way to prepare it, but many interpretations—varying according to the region but often even from household to household. One of its most iconic versions is the subject of the latest installment of Ode to Da Arturo, a series of annual publications we’ve produced since 2022 as a tribute to our favorite restaurant in Venice.
Each booklet follows the same formula, documenting the preparation of one recipe from the restaurant’s menu, which hasn’t changed in 53 years. (You can find all the issues here.)
This narrow, wood-paneled, seven-table restaurant was established in 1973 by Ernesto Ballarin—a lover of haute cuisine who had the ambition to elevate homely Italian cooking to its utmost expression—and it’s been a landmark in the Venetian culinary scene ever since. Here, Ernesto and Hani Benjamin—his business partner of 20 years and owner of Da Arturo—serve memorable dishes like the vinegar-soaked Braciola all’Arturo or the creamy Spaghetti al radicchio tardivo, a seasonal specialty.
Making Ode to Da Arturo is a fond yearly appointment. It involves spending the morning at the restaurant before it opens; squeezing into the tiny kitchen to record the full preparation of one elected dish; sharing gossip with and taking the insults of Ernesto as he lends himself to the camera and performs behind the stoves. We then eat together, tasting an endless succession of courses which Hani and Ernesto serve us as I imagine they would their grandchildren. A mixed selection of colorful Berlingots Evo furnishes the table, pristine and white-clothed. To our team, Da Arturo feels like family. And it’s always a treat.
We returned a few months ago to document the preparation of the house’s tiramisu: a richly revisited version that replaces the traditional coffee-soaked ladyfingers with a crunchy mix of knife-cut dark chocolate and crumbled amaretti. Love it or hate it, it’s worth trying.
Served in white ceramic bowls, Da Arturo’s desserts appear as a trinity on the table at the end of the meal: tiramisu is often accompanied by two additional creams, the snow-white panna cotta and the pitch-black, “sugarless,” crema al cioccolato.
Desserts here are the realm of Hani Benjamin, who inherited the recipes from the late chef, Alessio Coretti, and has prepared them daily for almost a decade, perfecting them. A friendly, patient, and caring host, he is the book’s protagonist this time. We’re excited to announce that Ode da Arturo, Part 4 is out in the world—and the recipe for tiramisu is included.
To celebrate the publication—and our friendship with Hani and Ernesto—we conceived of a new Berlingot Evo color combination for their tables, and it’s now available in our shop, too.