It wasn’t hard to fall in love with Linate airport as not only is Malpensa painfully far from Milan, it’s a beast of an airport to navigate. Now, when I go to New York, I have no choice but to fly out of Malpensa unless I want to connect elsewhere (I don’t!). However, I have another option besides Linate if I’m flying around Europe: Bergamo!
Now that I fly Ryan Air more often (which I like so much better than EasyJet!), I have come to know and love Bergamo’s airport. While it seems terribly far to reach, it’s nearly as far as Malpensa, but so much less of a beast. The buses leave from Milano Centrale for just 5 euro per person, and you’re there in less than an hour. The airport is small, well organized, clean and easy to navigate. Plus, it has a Panino Giusto, so it doesn’t really get much better than that. Or so I had thought.
This April, “Italy Loves Food” has inaugurated its second annual edition in Bergamo airport’s food court to showcase the cuisine of East Lombardy! I love, love, love any time Lombardia gets love so it makes my heart sing to know that food from gorgeous cities outside of Milan stands front and center to the airports patrons: Bergamo, Brescia, Cremona and Mantova.
From now until March 2018, the airport’s food court will specialize in East Lombard products to eat on the spot, or take with you! Each month, a chef from the region will create a special plate available to order at the food court that will come with a plate of local cheese. It will be paired with a glass of Franciacorta, Italy’s finest sparkling wine that just so happens to be produced in Lombardia, and a water care of San Pellegrino.
For the first month, chef Philippe Léveillé of the two-star Michelin-rated Miramonte L’Altro in Brescia, puts forward Cubismo di sarde di lago, salsa verde e verdure agrodolci or, rather, a Cubism plating composition comprised of sardines from the local lake, a green sauce and bittersweet vegetables, all showcasing the local terrain. Other participating chefs include Sergio Carboni of Locanda degli Artisti in Cremona; Romano Tamani of the one-star Michelin-rated Ambasciata in Mantova; Petronilla Frosio of Frosio Restaurant in Bergamo; and Vittorio Fusari, a Brescia native who currently helms Al Pont de Ferr in Milan.
This will all be available at WineGate, which is part of the Allenza Slow Food network of of restaurants dedicated to quality ingredients.
People of Milan: Book your flights from Bergamo airport STAT! If anything, just to sample these dishes.
