Milan - Love It or Hate It?
Spoiler Alert - We're on team love. Plus a Milan eating itinerary for paid subscribers.
Somehow, it’s already been a few weeks since we ate our way through Milan. To say that time has flown is an understatement and yet we haven’t done that much besides be sick (Daryl) and obsess over the American election (both of us) before and after it happened. But life hasn’t been all dire - we’ve been working on a couple fun work projects and met up with Lisbon friends both old and new. Now, Daryl’s mother is in Lisbon for a short visit that will take us all to Porto and the Douro Valley over the next few days.
Our seatbelts are buckled as we watch the craziness that is ensuing - it appears that we’ve gone back to the not so distant past when each news cycle lasted for just 24 hours before the next shoe dropped. We could go on and on with our thoughts about the situation but we know that most of you aren’t here to read about politics. So, as we promised in last week’s newsletter, let’s talk about Milan.
Milan is an Italian city that people seem to either love or hate.
Although it’s Italy’s second biggest city and a world capital for both fashion and design, most travelers don’t choose Milan as a destination unless they’re enroute to a lake or are mixing business with pleasure. Most spend a touristic day in Milan as they check out the city’s epic cathedral, see Da Vinci’s Last Supper (if they’re lucky enough to score tickets) and eat at a mediocre restaurant or two. Unless they’re intrepid explorers, they probably don’t realize that Milan is one of the most walkable cities in Europe. And, while uber isn’t a thing in Milan, its metro system is top notch.
Our recent visit was prompted by us buying tickets for a St. Vincent concert. For those not in the know, St. Vincent, a/k/a Annie Clark, isn’t a religious figure or classical ensemble. Instead, she’s a brilliant pop musician, songwriter and guitar hero. Staying in Milan beyond the concert, plus taking a side trip to nearby Brescia, gave us time to dig deeper.
Spending several days in Milan allowed us to explore the city and its food scene. And, while our experience was positive, we get why everybody’s not on team Milan based on our rainy Saturday. That day, the city center was as crowded as Times Square, with people elbowing their way past each other as they passed through the gorgeous 19th century Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Selfie seeking ‘influencers’ filled the Piazza del Duomo, parroting fashion models in front of the massively ornate cathedral. Coffee shops, sandwich stands and gelato shops were standing room only with lines stretching around the corner despite the day’s unrelenting rain.
But Milan, beyond its city’s center, is filled with stylish fashion boutiques, lovely architecture and great food. In fact many Italian dishes that people pay a fortune to eat at NYC restaurants, while not cheap, are still a great value in the Lombard capital. For example, the massive costelleta we shared at Ratanà in Porto Nuova cost us €45. Mindi initially blanched at the price when we ordered it two days ahead, as is required, but Daryl couldn’t jump on the juicy chop fast enough. As a bonus, dining at Ratanà also gave us a chance to get a closeup view of Milan’s Bosco Verticalé, the city’s famous modern architectural masterpiece. (See photo at top.)
Milan may be Italy’s aperitivo capital with legendary bars like Bar Basso and Camparino plus plenty of bars along the canal in Navigli. They’re all great spots for sipping Italian cocktails served with assorted nibbles.
The city also has a varied selection of Asian restaurants that we look forward to visiting when, not if, we return for a third visit.
We plan to write more about Milan on the 2foodtrippers website sooner than later. When we do, we’ll share exactly what and where we ate and drank during our visit. However, we’re giving our paid readers a sneak peak now as a perk of their support. Skip to the bottom of this newsletter if you’re one of those 50+ people. If not, check out our site soon for the details.
Dish of the Week - Bacalhau à Brás
Eating Portugal’s most iconic dish last night at a fado restaurant reminded us how much we like Bacalhau à Brás. If you’re not familiar with the dish, it’s a Portuguese food favorite that’s made with cod, potatoes and eggs.
We published a step-by-step Bacalhau a Bras recipe a few months ago. If you’re on the fence about making the dish in your kitchen, we say go for it. The recipe is easier than you might expect.
Drink of the Week - Tinto de Verano
Spain's Tinto de Verano is a refreshing red wine cocktail that's super easy to craft at home in mere minutes. If you love drinking Sangria but hate cutting up fruit, then the Tinto de Verano may be your new favorite cocktail.
We usually think of the Tinto de Verano as a summer drink. However, Spanish people sip Tinto de Veranos all year long. The drink has been in our head all week after it appeared at our brother-in-law’s birthday party this past weekend. Now it’s in your head too. Sorry, not sorry.
Social Media
We shared 10 of our favorite Milan photos on Instagram. Have you seen them yet?
Links We’re Liking
Eater published a list of 14 hot new restaurants. The eclectic list spans the US though we were bummed to see that it skips Philadelphia. | Eater
Yotam Ottolenghi shares the one spice he could never give up. It might inspire you. | New York Times (gifted)
Taiwan beat Italy to the punch with the world’s first Michelin starred ice cream shop. | CNN
Until next week,
Daryl & Mindi