I’ve never been shy about my love for Peck and everything this venerated gourmet institution stands for. I just love how it’s so Milan. I dream of one day passing a Milanese Christmas just so I can actually eat one of Peck’s Milanese Christmas table staples at an actual Milanese Christmas table.
I’ve adapted to Italian breakfast quite swimmingly if I do say so myself, and when I can, I love to do breakfast out. I had the opportunity to visit Piccolo Peck for the most important meal of the day and I have to say: They’re rocking the breakfast game, and it’s now one of my favorite breakfast places in Milan. Here are five reasons why:
- To start, Piccolo Peck offers both Italian style brioches (known as cornetti in Rome) and French croissants. No, they are not the same despite the fact that some places seem to use the terms interchangeably! Also on offer is La Veneziana, plain or with or with a cream made from three types of vanilla: Tahiti, Indonesia and Madagascar and a dough with lemon and orange zests. It’s yummy! (Head on over to Sauce Milan for Piccolo Peck’s breakfast pastry food porn).
- The Coffee is top! There’s a selection of Brazilian and Central American varieties, and you can even buy some grinds to bring home. As of relatively recently Nepal Mount Everest has been on offer, the only coffee cultivated north of the Tropic of Cancer. It’s cultivated by famers, organic, made by hand, and tastes of cocoa, candied orange and a touch of ginger. They don’t call it the caffè da meditazione for nothing.
- For quite some time, typical Italian breakfast locales have offered just an orange and/or blood orange spremuta for breakfast. While there are still many places where this is the case, there are many places that offer a centrifugata (fresh squeeze juice), and Piccolo Peck is one of them, with an array seasonal fruits on offer. Choose one fruit, ask them for a blend of your choice, or let Piccolo Peck do the choosing for you.
- Other dolce and salato! Have one for breakfast or swing by for a sweet merenda in the afternoon. Take your pick from pasta frolla crostatine with apricot or frutti di bosco , sbrisolina, mango and raspberry cheesecake, and more. For those looking for something more savory, or salato as the Italians would say, try the toast with prosciutto crudo and Fontina Valdostana, or some bread with mixed salami.
- The vibe: Modeled on a Viennese café, Piccolo Peck is the kind of place where you can sit for a few hours, read a newspaper, have a meeting, etc., of you can just do typical Italian breakfast on the go.
Piccolo Peck: Via Spadari 9;+39 02 80 23 161; website
Hours:
Tuesday – Saturday: 9am – 8pm
Monday: 3pm – 8pm
