April came and went, and once again, it was a superb eating month. Here, in no particular order, are five restaurants in Milan where I had some memorable meals this month.
Trattoria della Gloria
So the menu at this cozy trattoria, one of the best new restaurants in Milan, is so concise that if you love food as much as my friend and I do, you can make like us and order one of everything. We began with the three starters, which included cold minestrone( the soup temp depends on the weather, this particular day was a hot one), house-made prosciutto cotto alla parigina, veal liver pate with caramelized onions, and cocuzze (a type of zucchini) al verjus. The first courses were timballo with slightly browned saffron rice shaped into a compact ring stuffed with chicory over a bed of circerchie and triangles of roasted polenta (which I can never resist) with strachitunt, a blue cheese from Lombardy, and agretti (monk’s beard). The specials were a fragrant milk-fed lamb tajine and the Cleopatra salad , or a Ceasar salad that swaps the chicken for guinea fowl. For dessert, we only ordered one: the tiramisu perduto (forgotten tiramisu) made with bread. Yum. website
Spore
I can’t believe it took me so long to get back here! There’s no way the same amount of time will elapse between this visit and my next one. The fermentation-centric spot features a fixed menu comprising one palate dazzler after another, like an insane chickpea cutlet with cabbage salad in a spicy fermented soy bean sauce , fleshy skirt steak skewers with shiokoji and tatsoi, and chitarre with miso, hard-boiled egg, egg white garum, mushrooms – a broth-less ramen of sorts, and a delicious one at that. We did well ordering two extra items, one of which was the dreamy tagliolini with butter, kimchi, and marinated egg yolk. I didn’t want dinner to end! As we wrapped up, I gazed longingly at the server carrying the first dish, a spring onion focaccia similar to a Chinese scallion pancake with cream cheese and douchi dipping sauce to a nearby couple about to embark on their meal. I was terribly envious, knowing what they were in for. website
June Collective
Oh my goodness! Mythila Shilke and Ilze Sire’s breakfast and lunch joint is Just the place that Milan needs. A Saturday brunch at this international bistrot made my heart sing. We shared cannellini bean hummus with roasted carrots, gochugaru (Korean hot pepper), cumin, amaranth popcorn, and curry leaves. Though, I couldn’t get enough of the kulcha, a fluffy, sturdy Indian flatbread topped with keema (a fantasia of minced pork and spices), drizzled with silky avocado cream, and finished with pickled shallots with cilantro. My only regret? Helping myself to a second piece of the irresistible focaccia from the bread basket. Why? Because it prevented me from finishing the kulcha. Also, fresh homemade lemonade (one of my all-time favorite drinks) warrants a mention–I availed myself of two glasses. website
Lafa
It’s always thrilling to savor delicious Middle Eastern food in Milan, and Lafa is spot-on–every dish upstaged its predecessor. Standouts included fig-leaf wrapped sardines, a slab of borek with greens, potato, and lemon; and a lightly spiced cream of lentils with broccoli rabe and garlic yogurt. And, of course, we couldn’t skip the signature: succulent smoked-paprika-dusted chicken souvlaki with a spinach and cabbage salad atop the restaurant’s namesake soft, chewy flatbread drizzled with turmeric yogurt (see cover photo). Thes spacious, airy dining room has an inviting inviting energy with a warm, earthy color scheme enhanced by plenty of natural light. It’s the kind of place where you could just linger for hours. website
Trattoria Sincera
In a city where you can find more sushi (which I have NOTHING against) than traditional Milanese cuisine, I’m rather pleased that the cozy Trattoria Sincera opened last year in the Lambrate quarter. The menu has a section dedicated to classics, from which I couldn’t resist mondeghili (Milanese meatballs), and the “elephant ear” style crispy Milanese veal cutlet that spilled over the plate. Wines from Lombardia filled the high shelves lining the walls, and I was pleased to see some of my most beloved local producers on offer. website
