text: stars but I will round up nnWhile I do consider myself somewhat of a foodie I normally do not seek out the tv popular chefs places However I have enjoyed Batalis work at the two Mozzas in LA and I enjoyed a few dishes at Carnevino in the Palazzo Truth be told though the real reason we came is is for one dish Cacio e Pepe This simple pasta dish which consists of pasta premium olive oil cheese and pepperwas one of my very favorite dishes when I traveled to Italy and I have never seen it anywhere here in the US We had to try it outnnThe restaurant itself is situated in the Venetians St Marks Square which is as many have said super touristy and not even remotely like Piazza San Marco in Venice We grabbed a seat in the outside portion of the restaurant which was nice since there was a wonderful string quartet playing beautifully nnOn to the foodnThe bread is mediocre but the olive oil and balsamic vinegar upon request is tastynSampled the Grand Tasting of the Carne Prosciutto Salumi Mortadella Testa and Coppa The quality of the meat was outstanding Very good prosciutto the only meat not made in house and surprisingly good Mortadella the best my husband has ever had he saysnHubby ordered the Bucatini Amatriciana which we have sampled at Carnevino too it was decent but Carnevino does a better jobnI ordered my Cacio e Pepe It needed a little more oil more cacio and more pepe I asked the server for some which h brought But had it been added when it was prepared the cheese would have melted a bit and the dish would have been infinitely better It was just ok nAll of the dishes went nicely with the wellpriced bottle of chianti we shared The place makes a good espresso as wellnnI enjoyed our meal here although my incredibly high expectationsdesires for my cacio e pepe may taint my review a bit I would not go here expecting the most gourmet food or the elegant setting But the atmosphere was festive the food was solid and the service was good