Have you ever been so caught up in your routine that you completely overlook a neighborhood gem that is hiding in plain sight? That’s the case with me and I Dolci Namura pastry shop.
Via Castelvetro is about a five-minute walk from my house, and I’ve of course supped on some spicy Szechuan at Bon Wei and popped into the beloved Il Massimo del Gelato for the occasional scoop or two of stracciatella. However, all the years, I have completely overlooked I Dolci Namura. I think the dainty floral frescos on the yellow facade across the street are to blame (as evidenced by this Instagram post from 2015).
https://www.instagram.com/p/22r1KcmPlO/
So, I Dolci Namura is my new neighborhood breakfast joint. A third-generation pastry chef, Daniele Torresani opened this cherished organic pastry shop in 2010. He oversees the baking laboratory while his brother Andrea and mother Anna work the counter.
Torresani’s hand-crafted dolci and salati are all made with love, containing fiber-rich Petra flours and natural organic ingredients from small producers that don’t use pesticides, fertilizers or intensive farming. He incorporates a 60-year-old lievita madre handed down to him by his father, also a pasticcere. In addition, he prepares plenty of vegan options using his own tried and tested vegan butter–a mix of cocoa butter, extra virgin olive oil and syrup of water and sugar–including a panettone during the holidays and on request the rest of the year, such as for Fashion Week events.
His light and airy salati (see cover photo!) are quite splendid at aperitivo time, an assortment of savory bites that includes Tropea onions, almond, wurstel and more. However, one of my most favorite eats was inspired by Torresani’s motorbiking trip to Norway’s North Cape: savory waffles! Available in three versions: with prosciutto and mozzarella; house-made Tropea onion jam and tomato; and salmon and crème fraîche–the latter was my favorite! I might not be able to find a decent bagel with salmon and cream cheese here, but at least now I’m so pleased to have this nifty riff on one of my favorite New York breakfast items.
To drink, Namura offers a reinterpretation of the most classic of Italian aperitivo cocktails, the Spritz, by organic sparkling wine in a flavor of your choice. I opted for rose, but you can also choose from classic, bergamot, lychee, passion fruit, Saint Germain, watermelon and peach.
Last, but most certainly not least, the shop’s ApeNamura food truck is always out and about Milan ferrying the shop’s treats around the city. If you’re not in the shop’s neck of the woods, keep an eye out for it in yours!
Via Castelvetro 16
+ 39 02 3453 4176
Website
Hours:
Tuesday to Friday: 7:30 – 20:30
Saturday and Sunday: 8:00 – 20:00
Closed Monday
