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| A Woman's Directory For Travel and Life. WAVE Journey is your one stop online resource for women oriented businesses and services around the world. WAVE Journey is for every woman to enjoy. If you love to travel, cook, read or revel in outdoor activities this website is for you. If you are looking to connect with other like-minded women or if you are interested in finding businesses or services that cater to women, WAVE Journey is your number one online resource. Milan's Aperitivo Hour ~ Dipping and nibbling, Italian style Article by Jenna Weiner |
| WAVE Journey |
| Women's Adventures, Vacations & Experiences ~ Your Journey Starts Here! |
| The author (second from left) investigates the northern Italian tradition of aperitivo. |
MILAN, Italy — In a kingdom where fashion is king and wispy
models its princesses, the all-you-can-eat buffet is the last kind of
dining experience you’d expect to find. Yet the two coexist in
blissful harmony, for Milan is the home of the aperitivo—a tradition
that raises the buffet to a new level.
Aperitivo, rich uncle of happy hour, is the beloved Milanese
tradition of pre-dinner drinks accompanied by complimentary
stuzzichini, or appetizers. Derived from the Latin aperitivus, to
open, aperitivo is meant to stimulate the appetite and tease the
taste buds, previewing the delights of dinner. Spreads can range
models its princesses, the all-you-can-eat buffet is the last kind of
dining experience you’d expect to find. Yet the two coexist in
blissful harmony, for Milan is the home of the aperitivo—a tradition
that raises the buffet to a new level.
Aperitivo, rich uncle of happy hour, is the beloved Milanese
tradition of pre-dinner drinks accompanied by complimentary
stuzzichini, or appetizers. Derived from the Latin aperitivus, to
open, aperitivo is meant to stimulate the appetite and tease the
taste buds, previewing the delights of dinner. Spreads can range
from modest olives, cheeses and potato chips to awe-inspiring pastas, pizza, bruschetta,
meats, sautéed vegetables and fruit salads. Drinks come with unlimited admission to the
food bar. The aperitivo starts at 6 or 7 p.m., and lasts until 9. As little as one drink—alcoholic
or not—can be your ticket to the best-kept secret in Italy.
Although you can easily make a free dinner of aperitivo, the real challenge is to learn to act
like the Milanese, who delicately graze through the line, giving the food the respect it
deserves.
As an American student in Milan, amazed by the delicious food and blindsided by the dismal
exchange rate, I was not so sophisticated. My fellow expats and I would dash to the buffet
table as soon as the waitress walked away with our drink order, and return with our hands
guarding our heaps of food, poised to catch the last piece of focaccia from falling.
The Milanese, in their crisp and stylish work attire, would watch us with amusement as they
nibbled the vegetables and cheeses.
Of course, they’ve had time to perfect their technique. Aperitivo is a well-established Italian
tradition, particularly in the north. By the 1920s Milan was known as “the capital of
aperitivo.” Bargoers sipped Campari or similar bitters, accompanied by olives or nuts. In
subsequent years both the food and drink selection expanded, though aperitif liquors—
bitters, prosecco, martinis and white wine—are still the most popular choices. Most popular
is the Negroni (1 part gin, 1 part Campari, 1 part sweet Vermouth).
But the social essence of aperitivo has stayed pretty much the same.
“Aperitivo offers a moment of relaxation at the end of a day at work, where you can allow
yourself the pleasure of conversation paired with the pleasure of good food,” said Grazia
Mannozzi, author and professor at the University of Insubria, near Milan. “It is especially
successful due to the pleasant climate of our country, and the Italian passion for
socializing.” Mannozzi goes to aperitivo about once a week, but says she knows of many
people who go far more frequently (“especially those without children to make dinner for!”
she added).
“It’s certainly a traditional part of the workday (or school day) for lots of Milanese, both
young and old,” said Jenna Walker, a young Italian professional who moved to Milan after
studying in the United States. “It’s a great way to wind down at the end of the day, on the
way home from university or work, either with colleagues or to catch up with friends you
haven’t seen in a while.”
Aperitivo has spread throughout Italy, and has cousins in Switzerland, France, Austria and
Germany. But Milan won’t relinquish its title without a fight.
Where to Graze
Head to Brera, the artsy, bohemian district, where you’ll see the effortlessly hip in colorful
scarves lingering over their white wine in patio cafés decorated with climbing ivy.
Or, for the most elaborate spreads, try Milan’s Venice-inspired Navigli district, where the
canals—designed by Leonardo da Vinci in 1842 to import wine, food and the marble to build
Milan’s Duomo—still wind along the narrow streets. Step into one of the houseboats docked
in the canals, where aperitivo is often accompanied by live music. Most Navigli hot spots
morph into dance clubs later in the evening.
For the classic aperitivo experience, visit one of the more expensive bars around the Piazza
Duomo. (Expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better or more food.) Giuseppe Verdi and
Arturo Toscanini used to hang out at Zucca in Galleria after performances at La Scala next
door. Soak up the historical ambiance as you gaze at the Duomo’s magnificent spires,
listening to the clicks of heels echoing along the marble floors as the shoppers pass by with
their new Gucci and Prada treasures.
meats, sautéed vegetables and fruit salads. Drinks come with unlimited admission to the
food bar. The aperitivo starts at 6 or 7 p.m., and lasts until 9. As little as one drink—alcoholic
or not—can be your ticket to the best-kept secret in Italy.
Although you can easily make a free dinner of aperitivo, the real challenge is to learn to act
like the Milanese, who delicately graze through the line, giving the food the respect it
deserves.
As an American student in Milan, amazed by the delicious food and blindsided by the dismal
exchange rate, I was not so sophisticated. My fellow expats and I would dash to the buffet
table as soon as the waitress walked away with our drink order, and return with our hands
guarding our heaps of food, poised to catch the last piece of focaccia from falling.
The Milanese, in their crisp and stylish work attire, would watch us with amusement as they
nibbled the vegetables and cheeses.
Of course, they’ve had time to perfect their technique. Aperitivo is a well-established Italian
tradition, particularly in the north. By the 1920s Milan was known as “the capital of
aperitivo.” Bargoers sipped Campari or similar bitters, accompanied by olives or nuts. In
subsequent years both the food and drink selection expanded, though aperitif liquors—
bitters, prosecco, martinis and white wine—are still the most popular choices. Most popular
is the Negroni (1 part gin, 1 part Campari, 1 part sweet Vermouth).
But the social essence of aperitivo has stayed pretty much the same.
“Aperitivo offers a moment of relaxation at the end of a day at work, where you can allow
yourself the pleasure of conversation paired with the pleasure of good food,” said Grazia
Mannozzi, author and professor at the University of Insubria, near Milan. “It is especially
successful due to the pleasant climate of our country, and the Italian passion for
socializing.” Mannozzi goes to aperitivo about once a week, but says she knows of many
people who go far more frequently (“especially those without children to make dinner for!”
she added).
“It’s certainly a traditional part of the workday (or school day) for lots of Milanese, both
young and old,” said Jenna Walker, a young Italian professional who moved to Milan after
studying in the United States. “It’s a great way to wind down at the end of the day, on the
way home from university or work, either with colleagues or to catch up with friends you
haven’t seen in a while.”
Aperitivo has spread throughout Italy, and has cousins in Switzerland, France, Austria and
Germany. But Milan won’t relinquish its title without a fight.
Where to Graze
Head to Brera, the artsy, bohemian district, where you’ll see the effortlessly hip in colorful
scarves lingering over their white wine in patio cafés decorated with climbing ivy.
Or, for the most elaborate spreads, try Milan’s Venice-inspired Navigli district, where the
canals—designed by Leonardo da Vinci in 1842 to import wine, food and the marble to build
Milan’s Duomo—still wind along the narrow streets. Step into one of the houseboats docked
in the canals, where aperitivo is often accompanied by live music. Most Navigli hot spots
morph into dance clubs later in the evening.
For the classic aperitivo experience, visit one of the more expensive bars around the Piazza
Duomo. (Expensive doesn’t necessarily mean better or more food.) Giuseppe Verdi and
Arturo Toscanini used to hang out at Zucca in Galleria after performances at La Scala next
door. Soak up the historical ambiance as you gaze at the Duomo’s magnificent spires,
listening to the clicks of heels echoing along the marble floors as the shoppers pass by with
their new Gucci and Prada treasures.
