If you intend to choose Wednesday night to enjoy a Milanese aperitivo, I support your idea, because there is no better night! The traffic is not comparable to that of Fridays and Saturdays, and the clubs are not so clogged, people get off work and leave in search of the usual club with the usual friends for a glass of wine or a spritz in a sealed glass bottle.
I'm afraid I have an impartial passion for the Navigli area that leads me to find myself here even in the fall when by then their charms are going to be holed up waiting for a new warm season. So I head to Via Vigevano and find this delight. I'm talking about a multifunctional place, a new frontier.
Upon entering, I find on my left the most classic of salumi, cheese and small deli counters, but the entire back of this wonderful place and the room in front of the store are dedicated to small kitchen and aperitifs. The décor is minimalist but well-kept, with wooden tables like the counter and a warm light that seeps in between the glimpses of the foodstuffs arranged on the scaffolding that rises up to the ceiling: various types of pastas, sauces, oils, jams and what-have-you are available for customers to purchase, and I must admit that even those who enter this place that smells of yesteryear to just have a spritz like me are drawn in by all these strategically arranged culinary graces. This time, however, I resist the temptation, and after a quick glance at the list I go for the classic, which is then the best way to tell if the beverage is up to the level of everything else: obviously a confirmation. We are then served our drink in a small glass bottle with a closure like those once used for bulk oil: brilliant. In the glass just the classic orange slice and a large piece of ice that looks like it was cut from one piece: very vintage.
I also appreciated the simple service of chips and olives, while everything else was orderable and chargeable: fortunately, the places that matter have now realized the senselessness of offering too much food and of poor quality; the aperitif should open stomach and mind to dinner, not replace it, so for those who want the charcuterie and cheese board, it can be done, but on request: the plate will be cut directly behind the famous counter and brought to you with a couple of crostini, which is very reminiscent of the trattoria style, in an environment that makes you feel comfortable but with some style.
This formula could be called of the 'all and well': store with fresh products but also already packaged, in any case selected, for direct sale, and venue for quality aperitifs accompanied by samples of small cuisine. A new and valuable proposal that emphasizes the need for quality and simplicity, two prerogatives that are being lost in the kitchen today.
