Italian Culinary Adventure ~ Day Fourteen & Fifteen - Milan

Milan
Saturday, July 6th. 2002

Our last day of our vacation in Italy had arrived, and we made a list of everything we wanted to get done that day. Deciding to try the breakfast the hotel offered, we were seated in the breakfast room, and both ordered two cappuccinos. Upon looking through the menu, we soon realized that the continental breakfast which consisted of two coffees and a basket of pastries would cost us 30 euros each, which was almost $100 Canadian! Unable to cancel our coffee order by that time, we decided to forge ahead, and spent 40 euros each for the breakfast buffet. The few slices of bacon and plate of fresh fruit I consumed that morning were definitely the most expensive breakfast I had ever had!

We had decided to walk over to Pecks, a food store to rival all food stores where the food is artistically displayed in mouth watering displays throughout the store. We had spent many Saturday mornings shopping there when we had lived in Italy, and we wanted to enjoy the atmosphere once more. Pecks was everything we had remembered, and we walked through admiring all the displays of fresh pasta, wide array of cheeses and cold meats, prepared foods and gourmet specialty items wishing we could bring some items home with us. Pecks even has a wine cellar, with an immense collection of assorted wines. Although Pecks is far from inexpensive, the quality of their products is legendary.

Since our time was limited, my husband and I decided to split up, so we each could accomplish what we wanted to that morning, and meet at our favorite sandwich spot for lunch. I spent the hours browsing through Prada, Versace, Gucci and the huge department store Rinascente, buying only a few things, but admiring the wonderful Italian styles. It was amazing to see the tourists with bags bulging full of designer wear making their way from store to store up via Montenapoleone one of Milan's famous shopping streets. I spent an hour going from floor to floor in Armani's new store on via Manzoni which is so large it takes up an entire block, before heading back towards the duomo to meet my husband for lunch. Click on photo for larger view of Peck's cheese display!

The sandwich shop, Il Panini della Befi, was just as busy as ever, with an amazing display of every sandwich imaginable in their windows. Barely more than a small store front with tables on the sidewalk, the waiters bustle back and forth serving the countless number of people who frequent it each day. We waited to get a table, and then ordered two sandwiches each made with grilled vegetables and Brie cheese which they heated up in their special sandwich press. The bread was crusty and fresh, and the vegetables were a perfect contrast to the creamy, warm brie. After lunch, we crossed the street, and headed to the gelateria that we had enjoyed many times in the past. Gelateria Arcade serves over 48 flavors of homemade ice cream, and they all look wonderful. Being a chocoholic, I order my plain chocolate in a cup, and lapse into a state of ecstasy as I eat the creamy, rich treat. Click on photo for larger view of Il Panini della Befi!

Our last afternoon was spent leisurely browsing through more stores, walking up and down the streets of the city's center until we had enough of the crowds and heat. We then headed over to an outdoor bar along corso Vittorio Emanuel, for a cool drink and to sit and watch the people mill by. We tried to decide where we would go for dinner, since we had so many restaurants we knew and liked in the city from our 8 years living there. My husband finally decided that we would go to Masuelli San Marco, a restaurant he used to frequent often in the past which specialized in Milanese cuisine. Heading back to our hotel to shower and change, we stopped at the concierge desk and had the hotel make reservations for dinner for us later. We then organized our suitcases for our trip home the next day, and then showered and changed for dinner. At 8pm, we grabbed a cab to take us to the restaurant, our last meal in Italy.

Masuelli, on Viale Umbria, is a family restaurant that has remained the same for generations. Senor Masuelli, in sharp contrast to the owners of the restaurant last night takes great pride in greeting everyone who enters the doors of his restaurant, and can wax poetic for hours about the food his kitchen serves. Having inherited the restaurant from his father, both his wife and son work in the kitchen, while he oversees the dining area. We were greeted warmly, and then taken on a quick tour to show us the renovations that had been completed since our last visit. Seated in a private room that was the original small dining area of the restaurant, we ordered a nice bottle of red wine and chatted with Senor Masuelli about the menu.

Typically, a plate of cold meat is brought to start the meal, and so we decided to begin with that. It contained specialties of both Lombardy and Piedmont, which apparently was where Senor Masuelli was from. For his first course, my husband had the homemade vegetable soup, or Minestrone, while I ordered a plate of tagliolini, homemade each day in the kitchen, and topped with the sauce used to cook the roast of beef in. Both dishes were flavorful and fresh tasting, and we took our time in deciding what to order next. One of the house specialties is the beef cooked in a red wine and tomato sauce (used to top my pasta), and my husband was talked into ordering that. Since I wouldn't be back in Milan for a while, I chose to have Cotoletta Milanese once again, only this time with just lemon on the side, how one traditionally would eat it. The beef was so tender my husband could cut it with a fork, and once again my veal was crisp, and golden on the outside, and tender and moist inside. To round out our meal, we shared a mixed green salad, and then finished the rest of our wine. The kitchen sent out dessert, even though we were really too full to consider it, and we both tasted the warm, moist spice cake with fruit sauce. We finally said goodbye to the very friendly Senor Masuelli, and greeted his son and wife from the kitchen before leaving.

We caught a cab back to the hotel, both not ready to think about leaving for home the next day. Before we had arrived in Italy, I had thought that two weeks time would be plenty, but we both found that our trip passed much too quickly, and we would have gladly stayed another two weeks if it had been possible. Our trip had been everything we had hoped for, and we had enjoyed some memorable meals that would not soon be forgotten. We had eaten traditional foods from many different regions throughout the trip, and enjoyed tremendously the differences of each region's cuisine. Although we both left Italy with heavy hearts, we knew we would be back again very soon. Until that time came though, I would work in my kitchen trying to create the dishes we had enjoyed so completely, bringing just a little bit of Italy into our lives when it was needed to hold us over until our next trip.

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, hotel bar and restaurant, health center and spa.
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.

Masuelli San Marco
Viale Umbria 80
Milano
Phone: 02/55184138

Buon Appetito!
By Deborah Mele 2002
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