Our travel plan this year takes us to the Veneto for eight days. However, one of our group would like to spend a day in Milan since he has never been there. The rest of the group has been there many times but mostly on business. We will have one day and one night so a restaurant will be needed for the night before we leave.

CraccoPeck and Joia were elimanted as were the other "international" type restaurants that we can easily enjoy in NYC. However, we will buy "airplane food" at Peck's main store.

Consequently, the list has been narrowed down to Ape Piera, Innocenti Evasioni, Gianni e Dorina and Trattoria dei Nuovo Macello. The first two of these appear to be on the trendy side and Gianni e Dorina specializes in Tuscan food. Gianni e Dorina wasn't eliminated because we don't care for Tuscan food but when in Milan, we would prefer Milanese cuisine. So that leaves Trattoria dei Nuovo Macello as the write-ups look good. Plus I have a real weakness for "cotoletta all Milanese". Another plus is that is somewhat away from the "tourist zone" (I think!). It is located in Via Lambruso.

I have also made copies of the two restaurant reviews in Milan which were reviewed by Alice Twain. These are also strong possibilities.

It would be very much appreciated to learn more about the pros and cons about Trattoria dei Nuovo Macello.

Peter

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Originally posted by Pecepe:
I have also made copies of the two restaurant reviews in Milan which were reviewed by Alice Twain. These are also strong possibilities.

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but if you are after Milanese food, I would rather suggest another place I have not yet reviewed (but will be as soon as I go back there). Al Sodo is a favorite of my mother and has excellent and well-cooked milanese dishes. it os far from the touristy area, but easy to reach by subway.
As an alternative, check out L'antica, also easy to reach by subway, and that offers a slightly different version (but just aws good) of milanese cuisine.
Expect to pay about 30 euro in both places.

Alice Twain
--
I don’t want to take what you can’t give / I would rather starve than eat your bread
I would rather run but I can’t walk / Guess I’ll lie alone just like before
                Pearl Jam, Corduroy

How about NOBUCO in the Brera district? We like it and the walk from the area around the duomo is nice and the Brera district is fun and interesting.....

Alice, Antica Trattoria di San Galdino is a bit far for us to travel and Al Sodo looks like it would be a good choice. Nabucco is close to our hotel--Hotel De La Ville--so that remains on the list. I am trying to translate the phrase "Il livello e' sempre ottimo" but am having a difficult time doing so. Alice, would mind translating it for me? I would appreciate it. The phrase is in a restaurant description.

Peter

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Originally posted by Pecepe:
I am trying to translate the phrase "Il livello e' sempre ottimo"

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It means that the food is always very good.
As for Trattoria All'antica (that other "antica trattoria etc." is not the place I meant!), it is not at all too far. All you have to do is take the subway: line 1 (red) to Cadorna (3 stops), than change to line 2 (green) to Porta genov (3 more stops) and walk for five minutes. Maybe slightly closer than Al Sodo, that would require you to travel to Loreto with line 1 (red) for 5 stops, than swap to line 2 (green) for one more stop, and more central.

One more thing. Have you already stayed at Hotel de la Ville? I have never walked into it, but from the outside it looks quite drab: depressing for a 4 stars.

Alice Twain
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http://itinit.splinder.it/

[This message was edited by Alice Twain on 21 January 2004 at 04:40 AM.]

Alice, thanks for the correction. I will have to add All'Antica to the restaurant option list. Too bad we will only be in Milan for such a short time as all restaurants on the short list look like places we would enjoy a great deal.

We have not stayed at the De La Ville but it has received very favorable reviews in the Italian language guide books, plus it looked good at its web site. Additionally, I liked the location. The only other hotel we have stayed at is the Principe di Savoia but the strength of the Euro made it much too expensive especially considering it is just for one night. The De La Ville is not inexpensive. So now your comment about its appearance is giving me second thoughts staying there.

Peter

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Originally posted by Pecepe:
We have not stayed at the De La Ville but it has received very favorable reviews in the Italian language guide books, plus it looked good at its web site.

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As I told you, I never walked through its doors. I had a friend who used to work right in front of it. Sometimes, when I was a student at the Milano university (by the way, if you have never been there, check it out: the old part is really nice) I would pay her a visit now and than, as I was waiting for a lesson to start or as the lesson was over. We would sometimes look at that big, sad "curtain wall" style building and wonder wether the inside was as bogingly square (and grey) as the outside. I checked out the site, and noticed that it does not have any picture of the outside, either. So, maybe the inside of the hotel is gorgeous and all, like it is portrayed in the pictures of the site; I was talking merely about the outside. As for the location, it is fine if you want to stay in the center of Milano. Close to the Duomo, with a few nice bars around and a GREAT bookshop (though it looks old and somewhat dusty) nearby. At the same time, the cennter of Milano suffers from a peculiar problem: after 8 pm it is utterly DEAD. I would not stay in that area. But than, I would not stay in a 4 stars hotel either: can't afford it ^_=

Alice Twain
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http://itinit.splinder.it/

Peter,
I think Ruth (Boleskine) and her husband used to stay at the De La Ville each year on their way to/from Venice. I'll ask her to post her thoughts about the hotel. (She might also have some comments about the restaurants you're considering.)

Slow Talk Message Board Rules

Thanks Coleen! That is very thoughtful of you and I am looking forward to read Boleskine's comments about the hotel.

We would enjoy have Alice and Luca as our guests for dinner if they can stand a lot of food and a lot of wine. All we would ask is help in translating the menu. The wines we know pretty well!

Peter

Ruth's comments on hotels:

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We did stay in the Hotel de la Ville in Milan - on Via Hoepli near Rinascente. We liked it; it is Swiss owned, very clean, Swiss efficiency, great plumbing and water pressure, not a ton of inter-personal activity going on if you need that. We also used to stay at the Antica Locando Solferino - less centrally located-less expensive-some rooms are charmingly quirky and other are just quirky.

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And Milan restaurants:

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Ristorante Peppino
Via Durini #7
20122 Milano

(02) 78.17.29
(02) 76.02.33.16
FAX: (02) 76.00.29.91
Chiuso il venerdi e sabato mezzogiorno

Pleasant but not fabulous atmosphere; absolutely fantastic food.
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Boeucc
Piazza Belgioioso,2
20121 Milano
(02) 760.20.224
(02) 760.22.880
Chiuso il sabato e domenica a mezzogiorno

This restaurant has existed since 1696; lovely, elegant decor and excellent food.
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al Grattacielo
Via Vittor Pisani #6

(02) 67.04.962
(02) 66.97.483

Very good food and an attractive dining room, but in mild weather the unusually lovely garden makes this place a real delight.
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Agnello
Via Agnello, 8
20121 Milano
(02) 86.46.16.54

Generally good food but the best pizza we've ever had anywhere.

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"...Joia were elimanted as were the other "international" type restaurants that we can easily enjoy in NYC."

I think I understand your point but have you been to Joia? Unlike some of the other Michelin rated restaurants I have been to in Italy, Joia is casual, lively, inventive and very Italian even though Pietro Leeman is Swiss. It is a very fun time and we'd go there again in a minute.

quote:

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Originally posted by Pecepe:
We would enjoy have Alice and Luca as our guests for dinner if they can stand a lot of food and a lot of wine.

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Luca lives in Tuscany (that's why I am constantly travelling up and down from Milano), I can't stand "a lot of wine" which is sad because I like wine, but it gives me awfullly fast headaches and "biker gloves in my mouth" (spit!), but if I am in Milano I will try to be there ^_^. Oh, I can stand an awful lot of food, be forewarned ^_^

Alice Twain
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http://itinit.splinder.it/

When it comes to food you will be with "Champion Eaters"!

Peter

Carolyn 7--We have not been to Joia. But, upon reading your recommendation, I did further research about it. There is no doubt that it is a very fine restaurant. However, its menu reflects a cuisine that has a bit more inventiveness, creativity and "fusion" than we would prefer. But, Joia should be the first choice for one seeking a high-end, wonderful vegetarian restaurant in Milan.

On our trips we may choose a restaurant with a similar cuisine but always with some hesitation. This trip will have one, which is Le Calandre in Rubano (outside of Padova). And, I am having serious second thoughts about including it on our restaurants' choice list!

Peter

quote:

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Originally posted by Pecepe:
Carolyn 7--We have not been to Joia. But, upon reading your recommendation, I did further research about it. There is no doubt that it is a very fine restaurant. However, its menu reflects a cuisine that has a bit more inventiveness, creativity and "fusion" than we would prefer. But, Joia should be the first choice for one seeking a high-end, wonderful vegetarian restaurant in Milan.

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Joia, I am told (I want to try it, but I haven't yet) at noon offers a relatively cheap lunch option called "piatto quadrato". It consists of four small portions of different foods (usually one primo, a couple different vegetables and one desert) for about 10 euro. I think that having lunch there might be a good option for those who are curious about the place but don't feel like (or can't afford) a full dinner there.

Alice Twain
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ItinIt