-Week 2- |
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APERITIVI IN MILANO...
This sprawling and fascinating city requires little introduction. Milano is recognized universally as a guiding light in the fashion world. Museums and shops litter every street. However, what could be considered Italian without including food?
While becoming aquainted with Milano we naturally grew tired; and with exhaustion comes hunger. Since dinner is traditionally eaten at an hour that would be considered late to us (9:00) we wanted to get a little something to appease our stomachs until then. We soon became aquainted with a tradition that began in this metropolitan/historical city and has reached other cities as well: aperitivi. Because a normal workday ends at 5 or 6 and people wanted to unwind with a drink and some friends at a favorite place before heading home and waiting until much later to have dinner, restaurants began offering light snacks to accompany the drinks that were ordered. Soon these restaurants began advertising complimentary antipasti with any drink ordered. Generally, this is around 8 Euros which is definitely affordable for most. We chose a place near the 'castello' called "Noon" which appeared somewhat pretentious with its incredibly sheek and modern decor. With one glance at the treats offered our mouths were salivating. A gorgeous L-shaped black granite countertop boasted at least twenty different plates of beautifully-prepared and easily-handled morsels of Italian culinary perfection. A plate of perfectly grilled eggplant drizzled with extra-virgin olive oil and fresh italian parsley sat profoundly beside a plate of bite-sized pieces of focaccia topped with fresh mozzarella and tomatoes. A gorgeous display of salame and mortadella gave another plate a purpose (not as gorgeous as Terri's antipasto trays, however). Despite all of these overwhelmingly-enticing gastronomic masterpieces, a much simpler display conquered the rest: an entire wheel of Parmigiano Reggiano-Rocca. This gorgeous piece of cheese acted as a sort of ancient tyrant over the other offerings. It was the epitome of the power and poise of the Italian culinary tradition. Once the initial awe subsided into desire we began to fill our plates. It was as if only three parts of my body were alive: stomach, eyes and hands. They seemed perfectly aligned as morsel after morsel made its way to my plate. Once we sat down with our gatherings and ordered 'vino di casa', everything was as it should be: great wine, great food and great conversation...
Since this magical time in the day only lasts from 6pm to 8pm, we had plenty of time to stroll around the city and watch the sun set over the intensely majestic architecture of 'Il Duomo." A perfectly fulfilling, and fairly inexpensive, culinary taste of Milano.
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