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by Mara Bivone
Milan 2007
Sadler
Via Ettore Troilo 14, corner of Via Conchetta
Tel: +(39-02) 5810 4451.
Fax: +(39-02) 5811 2343.
Claudio Sadler has three restaurants, a two-Michelin stared establishment in Milan, and two, Sadler and Estasi, in Tokyo. He has gone through all the steps of a Chef’s profession, from kitchen commis in grand hotels to teacher at the State Hotel Institute in Milan. His passion for food has always been the main factor in his successful career.
Chef Sadler has built up a strong reputation for marrying tradition with innovation in an exciting and creative cuisine. In his small Milan restaurant (seating only 40), a few minutes walk from the Porta Romana metro, diners sit in an elegant well-lit dining room, with contemporary paintings on the walls and round tables laid with fine white linen. New approaches to seafood preparation is the hallmark here, such as stockfish - which was once poor man's fare in Italy and has been now elevated to expensive seafood, and the excellent sea bass strudel with olives and aubergines. All meals can be accompanied by the perfect choice from the well-chosen wine list. For dessert, the iced melon served with zabaglione laced with white Port, is a must-try. In summer, there are a few tables outside. Reservations are essential.
Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia
Via Montecuccoli 6
Tel: +(39-02) 416 886. Fax: +(39-02) 4830 2005.
Aimo and Nadia Moroni were born into peasant Tuscan families. The difficulties of the postwar years drove them to immigrate to Milan where they arrived nearly penniless, more than 40 years ago, to start a new life; they got married, and opened a restaurant in a poor neighborhood, where they still are.
For years, Aimo and Nadia (and now their daughter Stefania) have been proud to serve a cuisine of only the freshest and most flavorful ingredients, and have succeeded in luring the Milanese upper crust to their out-of-the-way venue. Steamed sea bream and shellfish salad, and the spaghetti with tomatoes, spring onions, and chili, perfectly illustrate what real Italian cuisine is all about. The dining room with just a few tables has terra-cotta floors and clean white walls hung with contemporary paintings (not everyone likes this modern art), while the large windows overlook the street outside. The restaurant may not look like much, but gourmets often book tables weeks in advance. The long taxi ride out to the north suburb of Bande Nere is wholly worthwhile; reservations are essential. As far as I am concerned, eating here has been one of the most rewarding culinary experiences in my life.
Armani/Nobu Milan
Via Pisoni 1
Tel: +(39-02) 6231-2645
Our friend Nick, had suggested Nobu, situated at the second floor of the stylish Armani mini-mall, at the corner of Via Manzoni and Via Pisoni. I visited the restaurant and I’m totally unimpressed. I went there for the “internationally acclaimed” Japanese/Peruvian menu as tooted in different guides... and Nick. I guess I did not look the part of a fashionista, nor did I look like “hip and beautiful people” (I’m a mother of 3, getting into middle age). I had to wait, one amongst the crowd, for an interminable period to be seated.
This has been the most overrated restaurant I have ever tried. The service was incredibly slow. The sushi was extremely fresh, but, when it came to cooked food, the kitchen took simple ingredients and converted them to fancy concoctions that were tasteless. Over-priced… contrived… artificial… these are the adjectives that describe my experience.
Editor’s Note: We give Armani/Nobu Milan a Tin Award as per Mara.
© July 2007 LuxuryWeb Magazine. All rights reserved.
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