As you know, I love Milan. It’s Italy’s best unkept secret and home to the country’s most buzzing food scene–one that warrants just as much attention as its fellow Fashion Week cities but remains tragically overlooked. Since starting my podcast, The Milanophiles, I’ve come to understand that Milan is a city you must absorb. It’s Italy, but you don’t go to Milan for Italy–you go to Milan for Milan, and I hope more travelers will realize this to appreciate and love my adopted city as much as I do. As Salone del Mobile/Design Week 2023 is underway, I thought I’d spread some Milan love. I loved th ..read more

When it comes to restaurants in Milan, Porta Romana holds a special place in my heart. When it comes to good eats, the neighborhood has been the most consistent for as long as I can remember, so anyone visiting the city would be remiss to not have at least one meal there. Plus, it’s effortlessly easy to reach: take the yellow line (M3) toward San Donato to Porta Romana–it’s just three stops south of the Duomo. Regarding Porta Romana restaurants, I had been going to Un Posto a Milano before I officially lived here, and Pasta Madre and Dongio have always been going strong. I had only been living ..read more

So, this week on The Milanophiles podcast, I interviewed pastry chef Marcello Rapisardi of Pasticceria e Dessert–a must-visit for anyone visiting Milan. He’s brilliant and his mind-blowing, whimsical sweets include a carbonara praline. Yes, you read that correctly—and it’s delicious. I swear I’m not just saying that because I interviewed him. As today is Carbonara Day, I thought an interview with him would be appropriate to time with the holiday. I enjoyed speaking with him, and I hope you’ll all tune in! You can listen by clicking here or find it on all major streaming platforms like Apple Po ..read more

Big news: I’ve officially joined the podcasting realm–meet The Milanophiles podcast! I like to think I’m the biggest champion for my adopted city and its environs that you’ll ever meet, and I’m frankly tired of how the city is overlooked and misrepresented. Most people have their own preconceived ideas of Italy, and Milan doesn’t fit the mold.  people are quick to dismiss it without giving it a chance. And they’re wrong to do so…Milan is Italy’s best unkept secret. It’s a discreet city, one that’s not as in your face as the big cities that constantly remain in the spotlight. It’s no secre ..read more

So, as mentioned on the latest episode of The Milanophiles podcast, here’s the recipe for risotto with pumpkin and ‘nduja from Cucina Millanese Contemporanea (Contemporary Milanese Cooking in English) by Cesare Battisti, chef of Ratanà, (one of my favorite restaurants in Milan!) and food writer Gabriele Zanatta of Identità Golose. To listen to the episode, you can click here. Otherwise, you can listen to The Milanophiles on all major streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, etc. So, without further ado, the recipe, excerpted from the Italian version of ..read more

The Barbajada, Milan’s elusive caffeinated (and, at times, spiked) hot chocolate dates back to the early 19th century and holds De.Co (Demonizione Comunale), a status bestowed upon gastronomic products that characterize a city’s history. You can learn all about the beverage on the latest episode of my podcast The Milanophiles—it’s just a mere five minutes long, so why not give it a listen? You can download the episode here, or find it on all major streaming platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify, iHeart Radio, Amazon Music, and more. The Milanesi take a lot of pride in the Barbajada. Yet despi ..read more

When it comes to food neighborhoods, everyone knows that London has Shoreditch, Paris has Bastille, and New York has Flatiron. But most people don’t know that Milan has Porta Venezia, a neighborhood that’s been where it’s at on the food front for about the last six years or so. Yet more recently, a particular stretch of Via Melzo, that between Via Lambro and Via Bixio, has become a dining destination in and of itself. If you listen to the first episode of my podcast, the Milanophiles, my guest Roberta Abate and I discuss this roughly 200-meter stretch of good eats. In recent years, restaurants ..read more

Big news: I’ve officially joined the podcasting realm–meet The Milanophiles podcast! I like to think I’m the biggest champion for my adopted city and its environs that you’ll ever meet, and I’m frankly tired of how the city is overlooked and misrepresented. Most people have their own preconceived ideas of Italy, and Milan doesn’t fit the mold.  people are quick to dismiss it without giving it a chance. And they’re wrong to do so…Milan is Italy’s best unkept secret. It’s a discreet city, one that’s not as in your face as the big cities that constantly remain in the spotlight. It’s no secre ..read more

Panettone, the emblematic Milanese leavened delight, is synonymous with Milan at Christmastime, but several establishments offer it year-round. In fact, panettone tutto l’anno is a slogan that went into effect a few years back and hasn’t lost momentum. But anyway, I digress. So, here’s a look at some of the best spots to nab some artisan-style (aka good!) panettone in Milan this holiday season–in no particular order of course. 1. Olivieri 1882 Pop-up at Rinascente The Vicenza-based Oliveri 1882 opened a Milan pop-up on December 6th offering the traditional and alternative versions of its award ..read more

If you’re spending this holiday season in the Lombard capital, here are some restaurants in Milan open on Christmas Eve and Christmas day. Ristorante Berton Andrea Berton’s Michelin-starred restaurant is open on December 24 for dinner and December 25 for lunch with two special tasting menus that start at 160€ and 195€ per person respectively (beverages excluded). (Porto Nuovo) website L’AlchimiaThe excellent Michelin-starred restaurant is serving a seven-course Christmas tasting menu for 170€ per person (beverages excluded). website (Porta Monforte) Al GarghetThis charming traditional tra ..read more