Guest blog by my friend Paul McCurdie, who travels for work, and works to eat!
Of all of the places I’ve been, the most memorable experiences tend to be in Milano. Particularly restaurants in Milano with friends who happen to be co-workers. Gabriele, the manager of our office, always takes me to amazing restaurants. My favorite is an unassuming little place near the Basilica de Sant’ Ambrosio: Pane e Acqua. If you didn’t know the restaurant was there, you’d be hard pressed to find it. There is no sign outside. The owner and chef is Francesco Passalacqua. Gabriele happens to know him well. He loves to cook and it shows in his food.
Inside there are 5 tables in the front room with the bar and maybe 8 in the back. There is a large table in the basement. You see it when you go to the restroom. The restroom is pretty cool. Yes, singular. It’s a small restaurant, why do you need more than one toilet?
My first visit there was in 2008. Chef Passalacqua came up from downstairs as we were shown our table in the front room. He greeted Gabriele and moved us to the corner table in the back room. I remember this night well because it was the single best meal I’ve had. It also had the single most memorable thing I’ve eaten. More on that later.
Inside there are 5 tables in the front room with the bar and maybe 8 in the back. There is a large table in the basement. You see it when you go to the restroom. The restroom is pretty cool. Yes, singular. It’s a small restaurant, why do you need more than one toilet?
My first visit there was in 2008. Chef Passalacqua came up from downstairs as we were shown our table in the front room. He greeted Gabriele and moved us to the corner table in the back room. I remember this night well because it was the single best meal I’ve had. It also had the single most memorable thing I’ve eaten. More on that later.
He prepares traditional Italian dishes with a modern twist. He also does his own thing. All of the pasta is made there and is amazing.
Now, the first visit: we read the menu. They don’t have an English translation but we manage between my bilingual colleagues and my pidgin Italian. Sidebar: I’ve learned that one needs to understand three things in foreign languages—food, drink and where is the bathroom? Anyway, we figured it out; the wait staff speaks some English as well. Our orders were placed. We were enjoying a nice Italian red Gabriele picked out—I don’t remember what it was other than it was good. Gabriele knows his wines. The waitress comes out of the kitchen and informs us that the chef is cooking for us tonight. We don’t know what we are getting. This is my kind of adventure: one that involves food. It’ll be just like eating in China but the possibility of pig’s asses being served is low.
Now, the first visit: we read the menu. They don’t have an English translation but we manage between my bilingual colleagues and my pidgin Italian. Sidebar: I’ve learned that one needs to understand three things in foreign languages—food, drink and where is the bathroom? Anyway, we figured it out; the wait staff speaks some English as well. Our orders were placed. We were enjoying a nice Italian red Gabriele picked out—I don’t remember what it was other than it was good. Gabriele knows his wines. The waitress comes out of the kitchen and informs us that the chef is cooking for us tonight. We don’t know what we are getting. This is my kind of adventure: one that involves food. It’ll be just like eating in China but the possibility of pig’s asses being served is low.
I don’t remember all of the dishes. There was baby squid, a suckling pig spare rib, fish with spaghetti alla chitara, tortellini and some beef I believe. All of it was wonderful.
The dish that we all remember the most is the lattume de tonno. We were discussing it last week when I was in Milano. Three little white balls with a little olive oil, black pepper and bright green fresh pesto. That was all that was in the bowl. My colleagues didn’t know what lattume was—it’s a Sicilian dish. They are from Northern Italy. Our waitress understood our confusion, so she helped: “Sperm sack of tuna.” Neither sperm nor sack are words you want to hear applied to your meal. She left us in stunned silence. We sat there looking at each other. I took the approach I use in China: steel myself to try whatever it is they put in front of me—9 times out of 10 it’s good—but have my wine, water and a piece of bread at the ready in case this is the 1 of 10. It was amazingly good. Tender, not a big flavor, but a deep one. The pesto was amazing.
The dish that we all remember the most is the lattume de tonno. We were discussing it last week when I was in Milano. Three little white balls with a little olive oil, black pepper and bright green fresh pesto. That was all that was in the bowl. My colleagues didn’t know what lattume was—it’s a Sicilian dish. They are from Northern Italy. Our waitress understood our confusion, so she helped: “Sperm sack of tuna.” Neither sperm nor sack are words you want to hear applied to your meal. She left us in stunned silence. We sat there looking at each other. I took the approach I use in China: steel myself to try whatever it is they put in front of me—9 times out of 10 it’s good—but have my wine, water and a piece of bread at the ready in case this is the 1 of 10. It was amazingly good. Tender, not a big flavor, but a deep one. The pesto was amazing.
I’ve been back two other times. Last year it was when the white truffles were on. They perfumed the whole place. We had two dishes with the truffles: a simple risotto Milanese and the Italian equivalent of steak tartar. Both were wonderful. There were other dishes—I don’t remember what they were. The truffle dishes stole the show.
I was there just last Thursday. Gabriele called to book a table. Passalacqua answered the phone. Gabriele told him we were coming and the chef said he would make something for us. As usual it was an amazing dinner: marinated rombo—which I think is flounder—with homemade foie gras and mostarda, white bean soup (the beans were from Pigna) with some bit of fish—not sure what—and some crisp prosciutto, ravioli filled with lamb with fava beans and asparagus puree, Italian salted cod (baccala) with fish tripe and white asparagus, roasted pork loin. I am sure I forgot something. The food was amazing. Gabriele picked a nice bottle of Primitivo and a nice Slovenian Merlot.
I’ve eaten at Pane e Acqua three times and have yet to order.
I’ve eaten at Pane e Acqua three times and have yet to order.
I am looking forward to my next trip to Milano. Most of my memorable dinners have been in Milano. Gabriele and the others in the office make sure I am well fed. Last weekend I went to a restaurant that specializes in mozzarella, with Stefano and other friends. It was unbelievable. So simple and so good. Next time I will take photos so Barb will be happy!
Thanks, Paul. Irony is, Paul is a fantastic photographer, clearly too happy with his meals to bother to shoot them at Pane e Acqua. So I trolled the internet for help. If you really want a photo-tour, try Gourmantic.com. They must have paid their photographer not to eat.
Thanks, Paul. Irony is, Paul is a fantastic photographer, clearly too happy with his meals to bother to shoot them at Pane e Acqua. So I trolled the internet for help. If you really want a photo-tour, try Gourmantic.com. They must have paid their photographer not to eat.
