Antica Osteria il Ronchettino in Milan, review: Milanese cuisine at its finest

Let's leave aside reinterpretations, innovations, and the usual creative cuisine. No, simply the ideas and flair of a young, contemporary chef who could only invent "tradition," having never experienced it due to age. So, it's worthwhile to offer Milanese cuisine from a slightly different, more sensible angle. This is why the classic recipes at Ronchettino, even when they adhere to a hypothetical traditional recipe, always have a breath of fresh, light touch. The yellowish, worn-out patina of home-style, proletarian cooking, as conventional narratives dictate, is not represented here.

The picturesque, rustic beauty of Chicken Salad in Green Sauce with Winter Vegetables would be incongruous in a typical yellow, homey trattoria. It exudes a sense of novelty and spontaneity despite its simplicity and lack of anything truly innovative.

The thick cutlet seems to offer a very delicious and ironic nod to fast food culture. It looks like a sumptuous and rich burger, without the burger. It's topped with crispy, savory, and glossy bacon, and drizzled with carrot BBQ sauce and broccoli rabe. Inside, it's barely pink, juicy, and delicious. The frying is softened by the drippings that cover it, a clear, though perhaps unintentional, nod to the noble yet unfairly maligned texture of soaked fried food, so beloved of Japanese, Chinese, and Korean tastes.

In the low-fat version, the elephant ear cutlet is also available in a double size. Outrageous in concept and price, it's appropriately called "imperial." But the single size is more than adequate; it's itself enormous, not too thin, and therefore neither dull nor dry. The almond flakes that enrich the breading shimmer like bronzed shards of amber.

We're just a couple of weeks early to enjoy the fabulous garden of this ancient farmhouse, whisked by a crisp breeze as we arrive in this senseless winter slump at the beginning of April. The garden is a true highlight, though among fairy lights, decorative lanterns, and white iron Provençal-style tables, it easily plays with a graceful and bucolic yet conventional aesthetic. Easier emotions are also targeted by the warm, overly decorated, kitsch-esque interior. The enveloping sense of feel-good atmosphere clashes at times with the creeping anxiety that a confirmation banquet might suddenly come to life out of nowhere.

Collecting memories and impressions about the service, I realize I don't have any, not because it was absent. In fact, what little I did notice seemed pertinent and polite. But because it was completely overshadowed by the head waiter. You have to get used to it a bit; it's an acquired taste, so to speak. You have to concentrate your attention like listening to WhatsApp voice messages in double-take. In the frenzy and the monstrous quantity of anecdotes and information packed into every phoneme, something gets lost. I was fortunate enough to note a few gems, however, like the idea that Milanese cuisine is like a queen whose head needs to be chopped off. A ferrous wine with a pronounced minerality is needed to wash away such proud opulence. The cellar has just the thing for us, a small-scale artisanal Grignolino from Asti, like everything else on the menu, which is not overly extensive but highly qualified.

The risotto giallo comes in two versions, with ossobuco and with sautéed kidney. Slightly wavy and well-separated, the skeptical might find it a bit untidy. But I have the impression that true risotto alla Milanese doesn't always have to be a triumph of creaminess. Decadent and rustic, simple and eccentric at the same time, the spaghetti with shredded tripe and flakes of black truffle is delicious. A complex acidic and aromatic note enhances the truffle's punch rather than its elbowing.

The fried brains are a frothy, fragrant cloud of sweet, white matter, perfectly fried to a crispy, golden brown. The best appetizer, however, is the sweet-and-sour nervetti salad, traditionally prepared. The creamed cannellini beans harmonize in color and texture with the collagen in the nerves, creating a powerful yet delicate combination. All this is broken up by an exotic, sophisticated touch, thrown in as nonchalantly as the Jerez vinegar. The prices are commensurate with the venue's ambition and its context.

Opinion

Anyone who thinks Milanese cuisine is exclusively a winter affair would be remiss not to visit Ronchettino even in the warmer months. The garden that complements this ancient farmhouse is one of its aces up its sleeve. The cuisine strikes a perfect balance between an adequate representation of Milanese classics and the fresh, modern perspective of a talented young chef. The wine list is very well thought out.

PRO

• Enchanting location, although the interiors have a slightly kitsch feel.
• Classic Milanese dishes in a state of grace.
• Concise but very qualified and original wine list.

AGAINST

• For lovers of super creamy and voluptuous yellow risotto, the one proposed here is a more sober version that might leave you less enthusiastic.