I recently took a trip to Italy this past summer. It was my second time to Italy in my life. I mainly focused on the bustling city of Milan, the ambiance of Florence and Tuscany, and then legendary Venice. It has been 8 years since my last trip to the enchanted peninsula and in those 8 years I have gained a better appreciation for food and travel.
My main mantra is now "...when in Rome..." Meaning, when in another country, eat what the locals eat. It is one of the simplest ways to immerse yourself in any culture. Italy is renowned for its cuisine and I was preparing my taste buds for an explosion of a italian culinary volcano.
So, one night, my buddies and I found ourselves walking along a small river in a hip district of Milan. We had just arrived in Milan the day before and were looking to relax, have some fun, and blend in with the locals (as much as a bunch of Americans can!). Along this river was a plethora of little shops, wine bars, music locales, and of course, ristorantes. The weather was perfect for a late July evening and we were just trying to soak up as much as we could.
We stumbled upon this little boutique-like restaurant called Ristorante Ponte Rosso. It had about a dozen indoor tables and a few tables along the sidewalk and river. They just opened as we were walking by, which was about 8pm. Yes, I guess the young Milan residents like to eat late. Who knew? Anyway, at first look at the menu, we found most of the entrees to be quite expensive. We wanted to have a nice night out, but not to break the bank. We soon found that most of the restaurants in that area were quite expensive.
What sold us on Ponte Rosso was their "discount" menu that offered a 3 course menu with a glass of wine for around 25 Euros. So, we were able to get a nice table along the river with a good view of all the people scurrying around the area. The waitress was very good and accommodating to our lack of knowledge of the Italian language. We were able to order an appetizer, a main course, and a dessert complete with a glass of the house wine. Being Italy, even the house wine was delicious! I ordered a caprese salad, risotto alla Milanese, and tiramisu with a glass of house red. Ever since arriving in Milan, I was dying to try a real risotto alla Milanese and see what all the talk was about.
I would rate the food I ordered here as simple and very good. The caprese salad was elegantly prepared with a bed of green lettuce topped with mozzarella medallions, basil, and cherry tomatoes. I like adding on a little bit of olive oil and balsamic vinegar to give it that extra punch. The risotto was an excellent risotto alla Milanese! Very creamy, cheesy, and had a great mouth feel. The rice was very succulent and gave you the right amount of resistance as you devoured a spoonful of the risotto. A perfectly cooked rice dish. The tiramisu was a great ending to a nice light meal. It was very airy, creamy, and definitely had a great coffee/espresso flavor to it.
All in all, this was a good find. It was in a great district with lots of people walking around, lots of wine shops, lots of good night life. After dinner, we walked around a little bit and hit up a couple bars along the same strip. I would not say it was the best restaurant in town, but it did offer a great "ma and pa" restaurant feel. It was quite expensive, but if you order off the "discount" menu, it is more reasonable and you won't be disappointed.
For those of you who are traveling to Milan, I would certainly give this place a shot. Here is the address:
Ripa di Porta Ticinese, 23
20142 - Milano (MI)
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