 Eating out in Italy: Milan and its cuisine
Author: Bob McCormack
Rome may be Italy's political capital, but Milan is the
country's industrial and financial capital. In short, Milan is a
dynamic city that is to Italy what New York is to the US. And
like New York, it's a culinary hotbed, attracting much of the
best talent from throughout the country. This may be good for
those with a taste for the exotic and innovative but it is not
necessarily good for the traditional cuisine, which too often
has been taken for granted. Luckily for travelers hoping for a
more authentic taste of Milan, however, the city is currently
rediscovering its own traditional cuisine.
Traditional Milanese cuisine has its own distinctive flavor and
you may be surprised by the difference with the regional
cuisines you may have the chance to taste in Italy. Olive oil is
less frequently used in cooking than butter while pasta is
passed over in favor of rice or 'polenta'. Luckily enough, the
initial surprise is soon to be replace by a inner sense of
satisfaction as the local dishes of Milan and Lombardy, when
prepared well, can make for some wonderful eating experiences.
A typical Milanese meal may start with a traditional antipasto,
made of 'nervetti' (boiled calf shank and knee cartilage cut
into strips) and mixed with thinly sliced onions. As a first
course you cannot miss the classical 'Risotto alla Milanese',
made with a full-bodied beef broth (the original recipe includes
bone marrow) and flavored with saffron. As a second course, a
classic Milanese dish is 'cassoeula', an extremely filling dish
made with various parts of pork meat (tail, ribs, rind, feet and
ears) cooked with green cabbage and other vegetables. If you are
not feeling so courageous, go for a Milanese cutlet that is
probably nothing like you've ever tasted in other places: Milan
restaurants actually serve a very tasty, crunchy cutlet, made
with a veal chop, including the bone. If you are lucky enough to
be in Milan during the holiday season, you could end your meal
with a huge slice of 'Panettone', the typical local Christmas
cake, that is even tastier if you eat it with traditional
Mascarpone cream.
Even though the Italian Riviera is a hundred miles away, Milan
has a well-deserved reputation for offering the freshest fish in
Italy. 'Branzino' (sea bass, known elsewhere as 'spigola') and
'orata' (gilthead) are the most common offerings, but you can
also find 'San Pietro' (John Dory) and 'dentice' (seabream).
'Scampi' and lobsters are plentiful here, too, and an antipasto
of turteaux (Normandy crab), rare on Italian menus, can be found
easily as well. If you like seafood, however, be advised as a
seafood dinner in a proper place may cost you an arm and a leg.
If you are looking for something more typical and cheaper, head
for the city surroundings where you may find plenty of places
serving freshwater fish and even a number of frog based dishes,
starting from the unfailing 'risotto'.
Milan is an important business centre, so expect all of the
restaurants in the centre to be very expensive. An average
complete dinner costs around 35 Euro per person. Pizzerias are a
little bit less expensive but they cannot be considered cheap
either. In order to have a cheap, non-fast-food dinner, join the
young Milanese crowd storming local pubs every night for Happy
Hour.. Between 6:30 pm and 9:30 pm, for 5 to 8 Euro you can have
a drink and enjoy an open buffet with a large variety of food.
Corso di Porta Ticinese and the whole 'Navigli' area are crowded
with such places. Corso Como and Brera are also popular 'happy
hour ' destination and they are closer to the city center.
Despite the steady flow of foreign businessmen, the city's
restaurateurs are not waiting to fleece the occasional guest.
There are not the usual tourist traps you may find in other
Italian cities. Also, contrary to popular belief, do not take
for granted that the hotel where you stay is not a great place
to eat either. As a matter of fact, many hotels in Milan have
excellent restaurants run by some of the city best chefs. If you
are not confident about your choice, take a look at the menu
before entering a place. Be careful if you see an overuse of
salmon, arugula and 'carpaccio' (thinly sliced raw beef or fish)
as this is is a common sign of the uniformity affecting many mid
level restaurants.
Not all products of Milan can be found in restaurants, so a
little food shopping may be in order before leaving. If you ask
a local where to buy some specialty food, chances are you will
be directed to Peck, a fancy grocery store laid out on four
elegant floors not far fron the Duomo. Here you will find a
stunning wine cellar and at least 25 local variations on salami
including the thin 'luganega' and 'zampone' (a pig's foot
stuffed with peppery, coarsely ground pork meat). In late fall
and winter, you will also have the chance to buy a very special
treat: a terrine layered with four creamy cheeses (gorgonzola,
mascarpone, stracchino and taleggio) and slivers of aromatic
white truffles.
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