It’s no secret that Venice is one of my favourite places on the planet (even though I will never forgive its humidity for what it does to my hair). It’s not because of its good looks or dramatic light, salty wines or endless art exhibitions. Instead, it’s because of its people: Venetians and new Venetians brave enough to make this at times impossible place their home, and who have generously taught me so much about community and cities and what it means to belong to both.

For the third issue of Tomato Tomato, which is published by Alicia Kennedy, a food writer that I could not admire more, I had the privilege of writing about what it means to “eat like a local” in a place where there are fewer and fewer of them. It was an honour that some of these locals trusted me with their words and stories, and so my deepest gratitude goes to Fulvia Larena, Valeria Necchio, and Fabio Cavallari of the collective Barena Bianca.