badwaiter's Profile
London week between Christmas and New Year
London 'hounds,
I'll be in London the week between Christmas and New Year. I'm finding lots of places closed. Please help me choose between these two places or throw some others in the ring for consideration. Looking for British/Gastropub style fare fairly central. These two places are open and seem to fit the bill.
St. John (Hotel)
The Orange
I've also looked into Medcalf and though I haven't been able to confirm, it appears to be closed over this period. Thanks!
-----
Medcalf
40 Exmouth Market, London EC1R 4QE, GB
St. John
26 St John Street, London EC1M 4AY, GB
Grocery shopping in milan
I have a two for one deal for you. In the scheme of the world, both of these places are very close to your hotel-- probably about a 15-20 minute walk. Or you can walk to the Porta Genova green line stop which is probably a 5 min walk and take it two stops. At the Sant Ambrogio stop is Pam Supermarket. This stop is at the corner of via Olona and via de Amicis. If you walk down via de Amicis about three or four blocks you will get to "Kitchen" which has a lot of high-end cookware though I cannot comment on the specific brands you are seeking.
http://www.kitchenweb.it/pagine/pagina.aspx?&L=EN
As for Peck, Eataly, etc. if you are looking to splash out as they say, these are probably the places. Unless you are looking for something super specific or hard to source, I would just stick to the grocery store. Of course, I do realize half the fun is going into a place like Peck and splurging. I still prefer Rossi and Grassi which I have posted about here before. They have plenty of high end stuff though the selection is more limited. However, they will talk to you and treat you like you are doing them a favor to spend money in their store rather than the other way around which is unfortunately the case with Peck. Enjoy your trip.
Grocery shopping in milan
Anybosy here.
Where are you staying? Even a modest grocery store should be able to fulfil your interests.
Milan in August - recommendations for tomorrow please
I'm sorry I don't have specific recommendations for you but these two links could help.
http://milano.corriere.it/aperto-agosto-cat.shtml?cat=19
http://www.milanodabere.it/milano/ristoranti/aperti_in_agosto
Slow Food Books NYC [Moved from Italy]
UPDATE: I emailed Kitchen Arts and Letters and they responded that they have had no luck getting Italian Slow Food Books. Thanks everyone for your other helpful suggestions.
Slow Food Books NYC [Moved from Italy]
Maybe I should post this on the NYC boards but does anyone know where one might get the Italian language version of the Slow Food Osterie Guide in NYC metro area? Thanks.
Another GROM gelato hits the trash can
Gelateria Squero
-----
Gelateria Squero
Sestiere Dorsoduro, Venice, Veneto 30123, IT
Bianco Latte
Via Filippo Turati, 30, Milan, Lombardy 20121, IT
Another GROM gelato hits the trash can
Barberinibee I think you just might have a little chip on your shoulder about GROM. I scarcely recall seeing people on this board make it out to be Italy's premier gelato. Of course, the GROM guys want you to think that.
GROM is never my first choice but I think it is reliable and decent. In my book it is B+/A- gelato. I think their flavors are powerful and I appreciate the consistency of it. I don't like how sterile the shops are but I think that's the problem with the chain approach. Rivareno gelato suffers accordingly but I think their product is also fairly decent.
I don't want to say gelato is like wine but I will say everyone has a different palate for it. For instance, the first time I went to gelato del teatro in Rome, my foul tasting rum something or other ended up in the same place as Barberinibe's GROM melon.
How about folks that are lukewarm on GROM post where they'll walk past GROM to patronize. Here's two:
Milan--Bianco Latte
Venice--Gelateria Squero
Day trips in Lombardy - Cremona, Brescia, and ...
Jen,
I'm doubtful that Hostaria '700 will surpass your choices but it is in the same ballpark. I enjoyed my meal there and I liked some of their old school touches. For example, my menu had all the prices, my wife's had none. Who does that anymore? For specialties, mostarda springs to mind. I think at the time of my visit, they also had frog on the menu. Here's a few links you might find useful. The first is Hostaria 700's site and the next is a site for restaurants in Cremona.
http://www.hosteria700.it/
http://guidaristoranti2010.crol.it/
NYC to Milan - Looking for great pizza, gelato, pasta with some veg options and others!
Searching this board will likely set you on the right path but for pizza, Sibilla is your best bet. Here's a few other choices for pizza. (though I think I've posted this link before)
http://milano.corriere.it/milano/localwebapp/Itinerario.do?p=13
For sandwiches, head to De Santis. Here's another link you might want to explore. You may see "Panino Giusto" in your adventures around town as it is a small chain. For me, however, it's "Panino non é Giusto." Even though the menu might seem alluring the reality is underwhelming.
http://milano.corriere.it/milano/localwebapp/Itinerario.do?p=13
For pasta, barberinibee is right, though of course, you'll find it whereever you go. I like Osteria Dei Poeti. It's more of a neighborhood, homestyle, type of place. I can't promise you the best meal you've ever had but it is in the center of Milan and they make their own pasta. The price is right, too.
http://www.milanomia.com/VIA/CORSOGARIBALDI/OSTERIADEIPOETI/OSTERIADEIPOETI.htm
Just an editorial aside: the only thing worse than Milan in July is Milan in August, but I sincerely hope you enjoy your trip.
-----
De Santis
9 Corso Magenta, Milan, Lombardia 20123, IT
[Rome] Il Pagliaccio
'The meal for the two of us cost more than my annual salary when I started work in 1966..."
Do tell where you worked in 1966 where your salary was about 15 pounds a week.
options for one day and night in Milan
It's in piazza repubblica. It's not within walking distance but many people on this board like Abele for risotto. It's probably about a mile or so away from the hotel.
Milan, 2 lunches 2 dinners, bakeries and dessert!
Massimo Del Gelato
ChocoCult
-----
Massimo Del Gelato
Via Lodovico Castelvetro, Milan, Lombardia 20154, IT
ChocoCult
Via Michelangelo Buonarroti, Milan, Lombardia 20149, IT
Milan, 2 lunches 2 dinners, bakeries and dessert!
20-min walk cheap lunches:
Last Supper: On Corso Magenta 9 walking back in the direction of the center is DeSantis sandwich shop. They have an extensive menu but it's not really a sit down place unless you can snag a stool or a small table. Could be hard at lunch.
Pane Salame: I've walked by this place a bunch but never eaten there. It seems decent and they have a lunch special. It's basically one giant city block away from the Cenacolo at Via Monti 6. On the other side of Piazza Virgilio (a big traffic circle) you'll find the aforementioned Chocolat. http://www.pane-e-salame.com/osteria.asp
Central Station:
This is not a restaurant, but Break Bianco on Corso Porta Nuova 32 does really nice small take away pizzas and focaccia. Again, this is a super cheap option but if it's a nice day you can do a lot worse than grabbing one or two things from here and then heading over to the Giardini Pubblici. Save on lunch, splurge on dinner.
ps-- will link rest. when I get a chance.
-----
Chocolat
9 Via Giovanni Boccaccio, Milan, Lombardia 20123, IT
De Santis
9 Corso Magenta, Milan, Lombardia 20123, IT
Milan, 2 lunches 2 dinners, bakeries and dessert!
Jen, I would try the Princi location on Via Speronari which is truly the center of Milan. The other locations, like the Largo De Foppa location are certainly central enough. You could likely walk from one to the other in about 20 min.
For sweets, I like two places. They are both named Ranieri but they aren't related. The first is at via Moscova 7 and the closest stop is Turati. The other is on Via Volta 6 and the closest stop is Moscova. Both make all their own stuff. These are along the lines of the famous Cova pasticceria in Montenapoleone and while they aren't cheap, they are cheaper than Cova.
-----
Princi
6 Via Speronari, Milan, Lombardia 20123, IT
Pasticceria Ranieri
Via Alessandro Volta, Milan, Lombardia 20121, IT
Pasticceria Ranieri
Via della Moscova, Milan, Lombardia 20121, IT
Pattini and Marinoni
Corso Giuseppe Garibaldi, Milan, Lombardia 20121, IT
Cova Pasticceria
Via Monte Napoleone, Milan, Lombardia 20121, IT
Milan, 2 lunches 2 dinners, bakeries and dessert!
Hi Turkob,
Search around a little on this board and you'll find some gelato recommendations. As for bakeries, are you looking for sweets, savories or both?
Princi is located around Milan and has sweet and savory but I think their breads are better than their sweets. http://www.princi.it/eng/movie_en.html
Another chain of bakeries around Milano is Pattini and Marinoni. They have a location in Cadorna Station, one on Via Garibaldi about a block away from the Moscova station, and one on via Brera at the corner of Ancona. I really like their olive bread sticks.
For the best gelato in more or less my personal order of preference: Massimo del Gelato, Bianco Latte, Chocolat, Chococult, Grom, RivaReno. Any of these is really outstanding. Grom and RivaReno have a few spots around Milano. Enjoy your trip.
-----
Princi
Largo La Foppa, Milan, Lombardia 20121, IT
Moscato and lunch in Asti?
Here's a link to shops that participate in this year's chocopass. It's in a pdf under "participating establishments." I've never used the chocopass but at least the info here will let you plot your visit a little more specifically. I have eaten lots of chocolate in Torino. I think Gobino is probably my favorite. Treat yourself to the Gianduja cream spread. It's something special.
http://www.turismotorino.org/internaProdotto.aspx?idA=268&idProdotto=1
Seoul Solo Solutions
I've been in your shoes and you should relax. The places you are interested in will serve you no problem...especially because you are ordering single bowls of soup or dumplings. You might have a problem with the bossam because those kinds of dishes are usually ordered for a minimum of two people...at least in my experience trying to find a place that would serve me one order of bulgogi or samgyupsal. Even without the korean language I never had a problem. If you know what you want, you'll be fine.
Bringing Candy and Food Gifts to Italy
Now that this discussion has some nuance, I must unfortunately agree. What you should bring rises in proportion on a scale of "nothing" to "Stove Top" to how well traveled these folks are and how well you know them. Still, the simple act of bringing a gift is nice and even if they might not truly enjoy it, it's a very positive gesture. Still, in thinking hard about this question, I think I have a good answer for the kids at least. Make some rice crispy treats or bring them a bag of marshmallows.
I think the real question raised here is "What is mbfant's favorite brand of peanut butter?"
Bringing Candy and Food Gifts to Italy
Yes, it's junk food. No I wouldn't give a complete stranger Stovetop but I would be ok with some of the others.
The OP wanted some suggestions. Now that you've covered what not to bring, how about answering their question?
I would hate to think that 'campanilismo' is so strong that no American food product would be well received by an Italian family.
Bringing Candy and Food Gifts to Italy
In my experience, here are some things that are hard to find/novel.
Most kinds of American sweets-- a box of brownie mix or cookie mix might be interesting. Crunch and Munch or peanut brittle.
American breakfast foods-- one Italian friend thought pop tarts were disgusting (which they mostly are) but another liked them. I'd wager that the kids would like a box of Lucky Charms or Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
More savory--We're staying really lowbrow here but something like Stove-Top stuffing is from another planet. A good salsa might go over well too.
Hope this helps.
Quick Milan visit
I'm thinking hard here. Do you want traditional or trendy or some kind of mix of both? Are you ok riding the metro short distances?
Right by the Navigli and about a block away from the Porta Genova green line stop, I enjoyed La Scaletta. They have an emphasis on fish but also have meat and risotto dishes. They have 45 euro tasting menu and the service was excellent. I played it safe and had an branzino with artichokes but I almost got the scallops with cauliflower and lavender. They have an excellent wine list. The food is presented creatively. The portions are not huge but definitely tasty. For two you'll spend about 80 euro.
La Scaletta--Piazzale Stazione Genova 3
-----
La Scaletta
Piazzale Stazione Genova, 3, Milan, Lombardia , IT
Ferrara or Mantova
I second Antica Trattoria Volano. Here is a link to an old post from when I ate there.
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/428953#2831713
However, between the two cities I would pick Mantova. Granted I visited Ferrara once, in July, but I think Mantova has a better combination of eating and sightseeing options. In Mantova I have enjoyed Due Cavallini which is a Slow Food pick. They do a really nice tortelli di zucca, and if you want a traditional dish of the region the bolliti misti is available. Owing to the name, I suppose, you can also find horse on the menu. The restaurant is rather large and they have a nice outdoor garden. If you go in the summer you might want to remember your repellent.
I also enjoyed Osteria Dell' Oca which also serves traditional Lombard food. It's been a few years so take this with a grain of salt but I think the food here aspires to add just a touch of flash to the traditional preparation. I had a risotto with some sort of sausage or cotechino. My wife had the tortelli di zucca. For desert there was a boozy sbrisolona. Be sure to try out this Mantovan specialty cake/cookie. The prices were a little high but the folks there were nice. Of the two I suppose the food of Osteria Del' Oca is bit better but for value Due Cavallini is superior. While in Mantova be sure to try something with mostarda. You also have great sites with the Ducal Palace and Palazzo Te along with the Basilica of Sant Andrea. If you have some Italian get a tour and see the relic of the Holy Blood. Enjoy.
-----
Antica Trattoria Volano
via Volano, 20, Ferrara, Emilia-Romagna 44123, IT
Due Cavallini
Via Salnitro, 5, Mantova, Lombardia 46100, IT
Osteria Dell' Oca
Via Trieste 37, Mantova, Lombardia 46100, IT
Milan
How near to your hotel is near? Do you need to walk? Will you take the subway a few stops? What about a cab? I can't speak to your recommendations very thoroughly but I do have some info.
1) Joia you'll need to cab or subway. I don't want to put words in her mouth but I do recall mbfant had a positive posting about it. I thought it was strictly vegetarian but in Italy I guess that means they probably serve fish.
2) Trussardi Alla Scala--this is the same as Marino Alla Scala. I think that might be the name of the building. Good reputation though I have never tried it. Nice location within walking distance from your hotel.
3) Savini got stale, closed down, and then reopened fully renovated in late 2008 or early 2009 if memory serves. It's in the Galleria so even closer than Trussardi. The chef there is young and worked at Cracco. I have not eaten there.
4) Bottiglieria Da Pino--This place is casual and runs a nice lunch special. The food is well centered on the region and prepared well. It is a nice choice for lunch but it is not fine dining. I like it. On a side note, if you like Valextra leather goods, their poorly marked bad looking outlet shop is right across the street. This might be about a 10 min walk or so from your hotel.
5) Aimo E Nadia is on the outskirts. You will need cab.
6) Al Mercante is not really fine dining. It is a nice restaurant that serves Milanese and Northern Italian. I fear it may be a bit touristy.
I don't know if you can trust Plotkin on Milan. I see he has a new edition of Italy for the Gourmet Traveler which I don't have but I found my copy from 2006 or 2007 was not updated very well when it came out. I'm not saying his opinions are wrong or bad, just the places he lists might not exist anymore. He posts on this board sometimes so maybe he can set us all straight.
I'm looking forward to your follow up report.
Recommendations Milano
Really nice find...
I've recommended Sibilla on here before but no time like the present. All the pizzas are good but I mostly go with the marinara pizza--no cheese just delicious tomato sauce and garlic. "Spotted by Locals" likes the calzone but I am lukewarm about it. The rest of the menu offerings are cheap and decent for the price.
Rossopomodoro is good but I prefer Sibilia. The one I have been to a few times is at Largo La Foppa 1 right near the Moscova stop. Sibiila is not too far away.
When I first moved to Milan I loved "Osteria Dei Vecchi Sapori" but I haven't been there for a few years. They have two locations. The one at Via Carmagnola 3 is big and fun. The one at Jacopo Verme 14 is smaller and more intimate. They definitely try to make classic Italian food from different regions at a very good price.
Recommendations Milano
International food in Milan is a bit of a fool's errand. I'm not saying there is no good international food but I am saying 99.9% of it is not chow-worthy. I will eat Chinese or Indian occasionally and there is a decent tex-mex place but none of it compares any city, like those you have cited, with an international food scene. Actually, can't speak to Gothenburg.
The main point is I patronize these places when I am hard up for non-Italian food. If you are prepared to pay there are a few places that are better than your average take out place in a city like NYC or Chicago. That said, African food in Milan is ok (not the biggest fan of the cuisine) so here is an Eritrean restaurant that I have been to twice and was recommended by an actual Eritrean.
Warsa is really close to Corso Buenos Aires and is easy to get to : http://ristorantewarsa.it/
Unless you are staying in Italy for a really long time, just stuff yourself full of Italian food and return home to be consistently disappointed by that Italian place you used to think was good.
Treating my mother to her first trip to Europe/Italy - but where??
I'm a partisan for Il Ridotto but where it falls down is definitely service. I've never dined at Alle Testiere but I think it always garners high praise in that dept.
Treating my mother to her first trip to Europe/Italy - but where??
Just an FYI, I went to Modena in late 2007 and the cathedral was also under scaffolding. If you use that as your benchmark on whether to see a place you'll cross 3/4 of Italy off the list. At any rate, I really liked Modena. We ate at Giusti and felt really spoiled by the experience.
Reggio Emilia, not so much. On one hand it was completely untouristed, on the other, I didn't find much to recommend it. I went on a Sat and after hitting the market in the center of town and popping into a few churches, we were done. Maybe I had high expectations because it is touted as "off the beaten path," "hidden gem" etc. Perhaps someone will set me straight but I thought it was the dud of Emilia Romagna having also visited Parma, Modena, Bologna, Ravenna, Ferrara.
We ate at "A Mangiare" which is in Slow Food 2007. It's a nice white tablecloth restaurant. Can't recall my meal so well but a I do remember eating a nice plate of salumi. Checking out your list above, why not check out Ravenna or head to Cremona or Mantova? IMO, all three have better food (or at least more variety) and were more vibrant places to visit.
Non-Italian food in and around Milan
Kathay Intl Food is the best! It is located in Milan's Chinatown and is packed full of Asian food specialties. It features extensive Japanese, Chinese, Thai and Indian foods. I've gone there to find fresh lemongrass, keffir lime, ginger, seaweed, red curry paste, garam masala, sake, and udon noodles. There are also a handful of good stores on Via Paolo Sarpi which is the main drag in Chinatown. If you can't find what you are looking for there, they probably don't have it in Italy.
International Store (Paolo Sarpi 20) It's not as big as Kathay but it is open on Sundays.
Da Zhong (Paolo Sarpi 4) Sells nothing but tofu. Find chunks of seasoned and fried tofu, tofu noodles, and fresh tofu.
