Did this Fuorisalone satisfy us?
NI is an adequate answer, taken for granted, but adequate.
If we were to evaluate the amount of people who flocked to the city, the opportunity to enjoy contemporary art and have fun, then this edition could only have satisfied us, but our task is to give a judgment on the food&beverage part and here something to say there is.
Let's start with the 'Good Food in Good Design' event, a corollary of 'Good Food in Good Fashion,' which changed its name on the occasion of Design Week: we, too, had received an invitation for the aperitif in one of the 5-star hotels with appetizers signed by top chefs, but despite the request for more information to no less than two different email addresses, not even the shadow of a response. Disappointment No. 1.
The Gourmet Mobile stationed in Piazza Affari was supposed to offer gourmet sandwiches by star chefs, but among those offered on the site, only three were available. Disappointment No. 2.
Perhaps we didn't get the timing right in Piazza XXV Aprile either, as the Public Design Festival at noon on Thursday was not even active: many booths were still closed or in the process of opening. Too bad, the new generation street food installations could have been interesting. If nothing else we appreciated the very uncomfortable wooden chairs (designer though!) and small suggestion spaces on how to grow green in the city (very theoretical...). Disappointment No. 3.
I was sure, however, that with the Mumac Bee I would have refreshed my spirit: this mobile bee was moving around the city offering espresso coffee; too bad I had to take a long way to Porta Romana (declaredly NOT a nerve center of the FuoriSalone) where according to the information on the website we would have found the three-wheeler, only to find out that there was no sign of it. That he got the time table wrong in this case as well? I am actually not aware of it. Disappointment #4.
Clearly, I did not give up and decided to also give a major beer label like Heineken a chance, to see what it would offer at its space in Porta Genova. Alas, right here was disappointment number 5. I had gotten myself on the list to get in, only to find out that the accreditation would be used to get a free beer (but in a very fashionable bottle), since admission was completely free and the installation was nothing more than a full-size pinball machine the size of a living room that anyone could play at.
From here on, the day was totally improvised, and I assure you that was the best part!
On Via Tortona I found mobile bees selling pizza, piadinas and ice cream, spaces dedicated to those who wanted to sip cocktails while listening to music, all-red-wear girls handing out Red Bull, Cameo employees handing out Marmorette ice cream like it was raining, all the street's venues overflowing and hawker beer plugs scattered on every corner.
Moving then to Corso Garibaldi for the aperitif hour, the situation was even more engaging, with almost all the venues filled both inside and in the designated dehors and the restaurants overflowing, although all this entailed inexhaustible queues, which I gladly endured for one evening. The easy and commercial part therefore deserves a very good rating!
As you may have observed, I was strictly on the eat-and-drink theme because if I could write about FuoriSalone, I could go on for hours, as I am always fascinated by the ideas put forth and the festive atmosphere it brings. The road to the Expo after all doesn't seem so bad.
Let's wait and see.
