aperitivo Archives - Travel Savvy Gal

Top 10 ways to experience Italy like a local

August 4, 2016 Lana @TravelSavvyGal Comments 0 Comment

In Italy, there is one correct way to do everything. Yes, you may think you have a better way, that the way things are done do not seem logical, or realize that it’s not how things are done at home.

None of that matters because you are talking about hundreds, if not thousands of years of history behind the ways of Italian life.

You won’t change them during your short stay, but you can embrace them.

Locals are likely to take one look at you and know you’re a tourist. So if you want to disregard everything below, go ahead – it’s your vacation and it is all about enjoying yourself.

BUT if you’d like to experience a slice of living as the Italians do, here are my top 10 ways to experience Italy like a local:

1. Consume a typical Italian breakfast of cappuccino and a brioche, or something else sweet to start the day. A brioche is a sweet pastry that looks like a croissant, but tastes neither like a croissant nor French brioche bread. It is a slightly different but equally delicious pastry, and can come plain (“empty”) or filled with marmalade, cream, chocolate, or other fruit/nut fillings.

2. Avoid cappuccino past mid morning, or around 10/10:30am. The acceptable post-lunch and dinner coffees are either an espresso or a caffè macchiato (espresso with a touch of foamed milk on top).

3. Have bottled water at each of your meals. Drinking tap water is just not done. Your decision is between acqua naturale (still water) and acqua frizzante or acqua gassata (both different ways of saying sparkling water).

4. Eat on an Italian schedule on the late side, especially for dinner. If you want to experience the dining scene in Italy like a local, adjust your schedule to match theirs. Many restaurants do not open until at least 7:30pm for dinner, but you won’t see Italians at that hour. Wait until 8:30pm or later to be eating with the Italians, and tide yourself over in the meantime by enjoying an aperitivo somewhere.

5. If you’re ready to leave a restaurant, request the check: il conto, per favore. They will almost never bring you the check unless you ask. It’s not considered bad service, just being polite. If you want to truly experience Italy like a local, take a cue from the natives, and linger for a long time, enjoying the company of those around you. And maybe even a digestivo, some grappa or limoncello to help you to digest smoothly.

6. Blow-dry your hair before venturing out. Italians do not leave the house with their hair wet. It is another one of those things that is just not done.

7. Save your flip flops for the seaside. Everything has its place. Flip flops (or thongs, for the Aussies) are beach shoes, and only city shoes are worn in the city. If you want to feel as if you’re blending in, this one is key!

8. Save your gym clothes for the gym, too. Unless someone is actually running for exercise, you almost never see anyone on the street in workout attire. Locals walk into the gym looking impeccable, work out, shower, blow-dry their hair, and exit also looking impeccable.*

9. Stick to what food combinations are recommended. The one correct way to do something extends to food as well. Usually there is one or a small few acceptable pasta shape and sauce combinations, and a seasonal or daily menu is always a good bet. If you’re not sure what is recommended, ask. The Italians want you to experience Italy like a local (they do think it’s the best way, after all!) so will be happy to guide you along.

10. Venturing to the market? Ask for advice at each stall to get the best product being offered (and don’t touch the produce yourself either). Market vendors are just as particular as other Italians. I’ve tried to buy a certain type of apple once and had it switched out for another when the person helping me found out I was using it to bake. Or buying porcini mushrooms, I had parsley thrown in the order automatically because obviously that is what I would need to cook the mushrooms with the proper flavors.

Remember that when locals try to steer you in a different direction, they have your best interests at heart and want you to get maximum enjoyment – it’s up to you to listen!

*this is the only item on this list I don’t follow regularly, but I sure look out of place on my brief walk to and from the gym.

Are there any questions about the Italian way of life that I haven’t answered yet? Let me know in the ‘Comments’ below.

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Top Aperitivo Spots in Milan

December 8, 2016 Lana @TravelSavvyGal Comments 0 Comment

Whether you’re a visitor who’s looking to do some aperitivo hopping one of your nights in Milan, or you live in the city and are looking to add some new aperitivo spots in Milan to your repertoire, there are a wealth of options to choose from.

If you’re not familiar, aperitivo is not only a pre-dinner drink to whet your appetite, but also includes some small snacks at a minimum. And in some cases, a full buffet of food that can substitute for dinner. Check out a previous blog post for more about aperitivo, what drinks are typical, and why you want to experience it first-hand.

In general, aperitivo lasts from around 6 to 9pm, although exact hours vary place to place. If you’d like to sit outside or arrive several hours in, you may want to make a reservation. Otherwise, your best bet can just be to show up early and snag a table then. Most drinks are in the €8-12 range, although the posher places will be a bit pricier. And at some – but not all – places, your second drink (seconda consumazione) will be at a slightly cheaper price.

Milan is the city where aperitivo originated, so there are seemingly endless options for where to go. Two neighborhoods have clusters of places for aperitivo spots in Milan: Corso Sempione close to the Arch of Peace (Arco della Pace) and Milan’s canal zone called Navigli, close to the Porta Genova metro stop on the green line. If you’re going to do some aperitivo hopping, the Navigli area is probably the best place to go as it has the most variety and certainly the largest number of options.

But there are great options for aperitivo spots in Milan all across the city, which I’ve listed in two different categories, based on how much food you’ll get along with your drink:

Drinks and Nibbles

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Aperol Terrace

Come early to snag a seat on their outdoor terrace overlooking the Duomo, Milan’s central cathedral. Aperol is one of the main spritz ingredients, and there cocktail list has an interesting variety of Aperol cocktails to choose from (as well as other drinks). Small bites will arrive with your drinks, and are great nibbles as you sip your drink and enjoy the view.

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Duomo 21 Terrace

The cocktails here aren’t quite as nice as the Aperol Terrace listed above, but I think the view is better! And it’s a great option when the line at Aperol Terrace is so long it is snaking down the stairway like it was on my most recent visit. There are a few small nibbles that arrive with your drinks but the view of the Duomo will keep you lingering.

TIP! Part of the reason it’s less crowded here is that it’s a bit harder to find. When you get to the entryway below the terrace, follow the signs with arrows back to the left to take the further elevator upstairs.

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FAB

Relatively new to the Navigli canal area is this bar with incredibly delicious cocktails and small bites fit for even the most discerning Milanese tastes. It’s also a bit down the canal from where most people enter so my friend and I had no wait to sit outside on a weekend evening. Definitely a great first stop for “aperitivo hopping” in this area packed with great options or as the pre-dinner drink and nibbles I enjoyed when I visited.

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Lacerba

Off the yellow line of the metro and several tram spots, there is a cocktail bar and sister restaurant next door, and the cocktails are exceptional. There are tons of options, all well-balanced and with some interesting flavor combinations. There is a fairly sizeable plate of snacks that will arrive with your drinks, which can even be made vegetarian – just ask your server.

Mag Cafe

Located in the Navigli canal zone, this is often a first stop for me on a night of aperitivo bar hopping because the cocktails are excellent and if the outdoor seating is full, it is equally fun in the quirky inside seating area. And when your drink is served, in addition to a small plate of charcuterie and cheese, there is usually some kind of cute accompaniment. My most recent cocktail there came with its own custom postcard, which includes the recipe for the drink.

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Nottingham Forest

The only Milan spot to be voted as one of the World’s 50 Best Bars, the cocktails here are works of art and whimsy. It’s quite tiny, so either reserve or be waiting outside the door when the bar opens. And plan to spend a bit of time here, as it may take you the first half hour just to leaf through the book that serves as the menu and make your choice. The drinks are not only delicious, but fun – the one meant to be like a science experiment is bright blue and arrives in a beaker with what looks like soap suds up top. Another in a high heel. So yeah, it’s that kind of place, with small plates of nibbles to accompany your cocktails creations. One of the most unique aperitivo spots in Milan you can visit!

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Rita & Cocktails

This spot is a bit further up the Naviglio Grande in the canal zone from the main entry point, so it takes a bit longer to fill up and get busy, so it’s a great spot to seek out later in the evening. The cocktail list is interesting and vast, but presented in a manageable little booklet to help you decide based on what flavors you’d like. There are quite a few small snacks that come with the drinks, but there is also a full kitchen so if you stick around long enough you can also order a proper dinner dish, which is also tasty.

UGO

This is another spot in the Navigli zone, with small snacks so the focus is on the cocktails. There is a shorter set list of cocktails here, which makes deciding a bit easier than some of the other spots on this list. And since it is on a side street and not along the canal itself, it tends to be more relaxed while still lively. Even arriving later in the evening, I’ve never had to wait long for a seat.

Drinks and Full Food Buffet

hclub>diana at Sheraton Diana Majestic Hotel

Of this list of top aperitivo spots in Milan that include a full buffet, I like the cocktails here best – and you’ll pay a premium for them. Which I don’t mind, because there is a food buffet that rotates throughout the night and is also quite good. This is an especially coveted aperitivo spot when the weather is warm, as there is a vast outdoor garden with a lot of seating. It’s also a spot to dress on the nice side, officially “smart casual.”

Living

This is the only spot in this post that is along the Corso Sempione stretch I mentioned above, as I find it to be a cut above the other nearby spots I’ve frequented. Outdoor seating goes quickly, so come early or reserve, and enjoy the variety of their high-quality food buffet. And if you’d like to hop around I’d start here first, but there are many other places to check out nearby as well.

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Long Island & Manhattan

I’ve grouped these two Navigli locations together because they are sister bars that share a kitchen, and are only a few doors apart from one another. You’ll get to enjoy piping hot pizza by the slice and dessert options, things that are not part of your typical aperitivo buffet. I’ve probably been to these the most of any spots on the list, because if you’re going to hit up one spot for aperitivo, you’ll get fed well here and get to experience the nightlife of the canal area. And the names come from the cocktails I believe, not the parts of New York, so you’ll see many different variations of a Long Island Iced Tea and Manhattan on the cocktail menus.

Spritz

Spritz has a similar buffet to Long Island & Manhattan, and is also located in the Navigli area. Its cocktails are notable for the many variations they offer of the spritz, one of the typical aperitivo drinks. If you’re planning to reserve a spot, they usually organize into two seatings: one around 6pm and the second around 8:30pm. There is quite a lot of indoor seating as well, so it’s also a place you can probably just show up as long as it’s not too late in the evening.

Was your favorite aperitivo spot in Milan left off the list? Or which of the places above is your go-to for aperitivo? Let me know in the Comments below.

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What is aperitivo (and why are you not enjoying one)?

August 2, 2016 Lana @TravelSavvyGal Comments 2 comments

If you visit pretty much anywhere in Italy these days, you’ll see locals enjoying an aperitivo, or aper, in the early evening starting around 6pm and lasting until 9 or 10pm. While the exact origins of the aperitivo tradition are disputed, aperitivo is considered to have taken off in Milan in the 1920s and Milan is still considered to be the “capital” of aper. Nowadays it is more typical to find aperitivo in the north of Italy, although I’ve had quite a few in Tuscany as well.

While the word aperitivo – or aperitif in French – means a beverage to have before your meal, in recent years it has evolved to bars/restaurants trying to one-up one another with the assortment of free food, sometimes even a full buffet that is included in the (slightly-higher-than-usual) cost of your drink. Don’t worry, in Italy a “pricey” drink runs about 10 Euros. And some, but not all places will offer a discount for your second drink, the seconda consumazione.

So what does one drink for aperitivo?

Probably the most visually identifiable aperitivo beverage is the spritz, made with prosecco, soda and either Aperol (bright orange) or Campari (red). Both Aperol and Campari, now owned by the same company, are forms of bitters. The idea is that the bitterness of the drink will act as an opener for your stomach, stimulating hunger to get you ready to eat dinner. And aperitivo drinks, like the spritz, typically have low alcohol content.

The negroni is another typical, bitter aperitivo drink made with Campari. The traditional negroni is made with gin, vermouth, and Campari, and is not for the faint of heart! I’ve ordered this a few times, and it usually takes until I’m most of the way through the drink until I can savor the bittnerness and not just have my lips pucker with each sip.

And there is of course the negroni sbagliato (a “wrong” or “mistaken” negroni), that was born of an accidental pouring of prosecco instead of gin at Bar Basso in Milan in 1968.

As for me, I tend to stick with either prosecco, a glass of wine, or the Aperol spritz. For me, the Aperol spritz was an acquired taste, but now I love them – it strikes just the right balance between bitter and aromatic.

And what kind of food might be included as part of aperitivo?

In general, beverages are not served without some kind of snack. At the most basic level, when you order a drink at any time of day, it usually arrives with some combination of olives, nuts, and potato chips.

For an advertised aperitivo, there is usually a small plate or tray of small bites delivered to the table or a full buffet of food where you can help yourself. Especially for those places offering a food buffet, aperitivo has evolved into an apericena, a blending with cena, the word for dinner.

Apericena describes a buffet that is intended to be a substitute for dinner because there is enough food to call it a meal. This is a quite popular way for students or others struggling to make ends meet in Milan of having a satisfying meal without spending much money.

TIP! Since snack plates or buffet spreads can vary widely, it is always a good idea to take a walk inside to look at the food being offered before committing to stay for an aperitivo, especially if you’re planning on it being your dinner.

What if you don’t live in Italy, and won’t be visiting any time soon?

Don’t worry, an aperitivo can be just as refreshing (and appetite-stimulating) at home. Even though I live in the ‘aperitivo capital’ of Milan, lately I’m much more likely to have at least an aperitivo beverage in the comfort of my apartment. I keep a bottle of prosecco and some Aperol handy, and you can do the same for the ingredients in your aperitivo beverage of choice, so supplies are always on hand to mark the end of the work day and lead into dinner with an aperitivo drink.

And if you live in the US or will be going there soon, the spritz (and its many possible variations) is starting to become trendy and more available. The New York Times gives a good overview of how the spritz is evolving and where you can sample some of the variations stateside.

What are your thoughts on the spritz and negroni? Or do you have another preferred aperitivo drink? And has anyone sampled (or made their own!) spritz variations?

Travel Savvy Gal

Making the Most of Your Time Away

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