Eating pizza in Italy is a no-brainer, but it might come as somewhat of a surprise to learn that prior to 2013, Milan’s pizza scene was more or less kinda meh. I’m grateful that I’ve never known Milan without Dry, but those who will tell how there was no mind-blowing pizza. Though the pizza scene was dominated by a certain centuries-old chain serving slabs of pizza al trancio that are greasier than Danny Zucko’s hair, Milan’s entire pizza scene wasn’t terrible, just–perhaps with one or two exceptions–nothing writing home about.
I was living in Rome in 2013, but visiting Milan regularly and my friends here all waxed poetic about the pizza at Dry Milano, which opened that July. Its delicate crusts were everything a pizza should be! So flavorful and just not uncomfortably filling–you can down an entire individual pie without feeling full and perhaps even split a third one between yourself and a companion…and still full not feel the need to, if you’re wearing pants, unbutton them.
My first visit there was that August, and I’ve been hooked ever since. I had the Scalogno, which was topped with salted shallots, tomatoes and fior di latte, and that became my go-to pie for years until it was removed from the menu. (Anyone wanting to try the salted shallots can opt for the Ventricina, named for an Abbruzzese sausage.) Now, I pretty much go for the Margherita (above).
The other cool thing about Dry? An impressive list of Prohibition-inspired cocktails.
Dry started a revolution. Three outposts later (and with plenty of competition), it’s still at the top of its game and always crowded–never go here without a reservation.
Curious about the other Milanese pizzerias that will rock your pizza world? I rounded up 10 pies that have revolutionized Milan’s pizza scene for USA Today’s 10 Best, and you can read about them here.you can read about them here. I have no doubt that there will be more incredible pizzerias in a few months, so perhaps I’ll do a follow-up post on here that rounds up some of the newbies?
