Italian Culinary Adventure ~ Day One - Milano

Milan - Day One
Saturday, June 22nd. 2002

After a short layover in Frankfurt, we finally arrived in Milan about 2pm. The flight from Toronto to Frankfurt was just over 6 hours which wasn't bad at all, and since we left at 9:30pm, I actually managed to sleep a few hours. Once we arrived in Milan however, we had to wait over an hour and a half for the luggage to be unloaded. We realized then, that we really were back in Italy again. Some things just never seem to change!

We checked into our hotel, which was the Principe di Savoia situated close to the train station. After dropping off our luggage, we took the hotel cab into the center, where we spent a few hours walking around, window shopping, and checking out some of our old favorite places in the city. The heat finally wore us down, and we stopped at our favorite bar in the galleria for a Negroni, a drink made with campari, gin, and vermouth, which we were told had been invented in that bar many years ago. Sitting in the coolness of the galleria, we watched the people stroll by, and tried to regroup for an evening out with friends. Finally it was time to head back to the hotel to shower and change and prepare for dinner. The city seemed empty compared to how we remembered it, but we were told that a week long heat wave drove many folks to the sea or mountains to cool off. Click on photo for larger view!

Our friends decided to surprise us, and made reservations at one of our favorite restaurants in Milan, Osteria la Risacca, which specializes in seafood of every description. As this was one restaurant that was near the top of our list to visit on this trip, we were very happy with the choice. Although it can be fairly expensive, if you enjoy fresh seafood, this restaurant can't be beat. Luckily, the meal turned out to be just as fantastic as we remembered, and after spending a wonderful evening catching up with old friends, and tasting all of our favorite dishes, we went home very satisfied. Here is a list of what we ate, which is just a sampling of what they offer.

Antipasti:
We started out with a small plate each of raw, sliced seafood, just barely cooked in a flavorful lemon and olive oil mixture. There were slices of salmon, swordfish and tuna, and all were delicious. Next, we were brought a small platter of their famous octopus, which was served with potatoes and drizzled with herb scented olive oil for us all to share. This octopus is so tender you can cut it with a fork, and I finally talked one of the owners into sharing the recipe with me. (Recipe to follow!) Along with this dish, we were brought another plate containing one of my favorites, which is shrimps and tomatoes. Both were very tender and sweet, and flavored with fresh basil. To finish our appetizer course, we were next brought a platter of fried, baked and grilled seafood, that included a mixed fry, or Frito Misto of baby calamari and shrimps, baked scallops in their shells, and small skewers of shrimps, scallops and calamari lightly grilled. Although we were quickly becoming full, all the choices were delicious, and we managed to finish them off.

Primi:
After our extensive antipasti course, we asked for just a taste of pasta each, and chose one made with fresh tagliolini, shrimps, baby squid, zucchini flowers, and cherry tomatoes. It was light and fresh, and if I wasn't so full, I would have loved to have eaten a complete portion!

Secondo:
Having almost reached our limit at this point, we chose a small portion each of their famous branzino or sea bass, which is roasted in a salt crust. It was served with a drizzle of wonderfully flavorful extra virgin olive oil, and was just as tender and moist as we had remembered from our past trips to the restaurant.

We completed our meal with a bowl of frutta di bosco, or mixed berries, and finished the last of our wine. We chose a wine we often had before in this restaurant, Gavi di Gavi, which always seems to be a perfect choice for seafood.

We headed back to our hotel, ready to call it a night after a long day, and were surprised to see models of both sexes all over the hotel lobby and bar. Apparently it was the beginning of men's fashion week in Milan, and all the models were in town for the shows. Too tired to enjoy the festivities after only a few hours sleep the night before, we headed off to our room to rest up for our trip to Venice the next day.

Place the octopus in a pot and cover it with cold water. Bring the water to a boil, and gently simmer the octopus until it becomes tender when pierced with a fork. Turn off the heat, add two cups of wine, cover, and let it cool until it reaches room temperature. Serve with boiled potatoes cut into small chunks, and drizzle with olive oil mixed with freshly chopped parsley.

The Principe di Savoia
Piazza della Republica 17, Milan
Parking- 33 euros per night
Amenities- American style showers, hair dryers, security safe in each room
Cost- 350 euros corporate rate
Click HERE for more information!
Review- Our room here was small, and quite old which was surprising considering the price. When we returned to the hotel on our way back, we were given a room in the new wing which was much larger, and quite lovely, looking more like a jumior suite. Although hotels in general are very expensive in Milan, I certainly wouldn't pay this much to stay in one of the older rooms again.

Osteria la Risacca 6
Milano Via B. Cellini, 11 ( ang. Via Marcona, 6 )
Phone - 02 55181658 - 02 5468041
Recommendation- As one of my favorite restaurants in Milan, I can't recommend this one enough. If you like seafood, you have to try and visit if you are in Milan. Although not inexpensive, the meal will be well worth the price.
Click HERE for more information!

Buon Appetito!
By Deborah Mele 2002
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