Osteria Lagrandissima in Milan, almost country-style quality for €28
We need many more of these osterias, young, with a simple and dynamic approach. Places that don't pretend to be something they're not, that don't aim to shock or seek alternatives, but simply offer a modern, quality osteria, with simple but not banal menus, good wines, and a youthful approach even in non-central Milan neighborhoods. A Hemingway story comes to mind: "A clean place, well lit."
We're at Via Ponte Nuovo 25, in an area that's hard to define and doesn't offer much, even though it's just a stone's throw from the Martesana, between Gorla and Crescenzago, toward Cernusco. The logo is a reworking of the seaweed called Millefoglio d'acqua, the most common in the Naviglio. Lagrandissima (attached, not La grandissima) is an "Osteria almost in the countryside," as the slogan says, even though we're right in the city. It was set up by three young people (Antonio Crescente, Davide Esposito, and Gianmaria Fasce; image consultants Davide Coppo and Fabrizio Vatieri) and can be seen from afar with its slightly Parisian blue awning. The first room is very bright, with a yellow resin floor, a white marble-topped bar, and four tables. Light-colored wooden tables, a neon light on the bar, and a wine rack. Next comes another indoor room and then an outdoor area in a courtyard.
The menu is very simple, with a Cartesian simplicity.
A small page with a few scattered dishes: aubergine meatballs (4 euros), egg, raw tomato, bread and pecorino cheese; aubergines, tomato and parmesan; Albenga courgettes and Roccaverano robiola cheese; Acquaviva red onion, beans and purslane; marinated chicken thigh and potatoes (13 euros); pulled beef and salsa verde; Castagna cheeses.
And then tagliatelle (handmade like all the pasta) with pork and fennel ragù (13 euros). Ravioli alla Norma (11). A panna cotta with white peach for 5 euros. Cover charge for two euros. If you want, there is a very affordable set menu: First courses, Chicken thigh or vegetarian dish and dessert for 28 euros.
Paper placemats, retro pop music playing in the background, friendly service, and moderately priced natural wines. Everything contributes to making Lagrandissima a place you'll want to return to time and time again. The clientele is young and local, but there are also many out-of-towners. It seems like the approach here is more subtractive, eliminating anything that's superfluous, leaving it up to the customers to give the place its heart and soul. But it's not at all cold.
The menu also offers none of the classic trappings of contemporary osterias that try to impress with bombastic, witty, or over-the-top names. Listen: egg, raw tomato, bread, and pecorino cheese. It really sounds like a dish you could get just a stone's throw away, in the countryside. No mention of top-notch producers or artisans, even though the ingredients are top-quality.
Lagrandissima in Milan, via Ponte Nuovo 25, tel 3425593532. From Tuesday to Sunday, from 6 pm to midnight.
