Touring and Eating Northern Italy with Fabbian
To properly prepare for the premiere design show in the world next week in Milan, we would be amiss not to share the regional cuisines that most excite us when visiting our home base of Northern Italy!
While the US is awash with pizza and pasta influences from typical Southern Italian fare, Northern Italy boasts an entirely different cuisine. From the fast-paced business lunches and Milan’s street food to the decadent seafood offerings caught fresh in the Venetian Lagoons and the vast vineyards along the 5 hours between, Northern Italy is a culinary wonderland.
Our first stop in Milan next week is the Salone del Mobile 2023 (Be sure to visit Fabbian – Pavilion 13, Stand 210!). We will surely start with a toast to the trip with a glass of Malvasia Bianca or Malvasia Nera wine. This dry, sweet grape, grown just west of Milan in the Piedmont region, is the namesake of our new Malvasia collection of pendants, reflective of wine decanters, complete with a wooden cork for the lighting element.
A traditional Risotto Milanese is a welcome first course to let you know you have arrived. Northern Italy tends to have more rice-focused dishes, and nothing is more typical than this plate infused with flavor from white wine, saffron, and parmesan to brighten your day and your plate!
For “Secondi Piatti,” may we suggest the “Cotoletta alla Milanese.” This veal cutlet, pounded, breaded, and fried in butter, has been served in the Lombard region for nearly 900 years, and stories of Romans enjoying similar dishes date back to the 1st century BC. For the more adventurous gastronomers out there, many restaurants also offer a similar preparation of veal brain.
As we leave Lombardi to make our way to Verona, we will be sure to stop at the waterfront and pay homage to Romeo and Juliet. While there, we recommend stopping at a Salumeria (Italian delicatessen) to enjoy the cured meats of every variety. One of our favorite lunch spots is a 1000-year-old sandwich shop nestled in the historic wine caves, where you can enjoy the dishes amongst the barrels!
The finer elements abound as we approach our offices in Treviso and the glassblowing facilities near Venice. The Veneto region is the home to Prosecco, the lifeblood of our week in Italy, and always available when visiting our offices in New York!
Dinner in Venice delights all the senses as there is nothing more natural and delicious than the variety of fresh fish caught in the local lagoons and prepared by the master chefs of this maritime republic. And to complete the culinary experience, try the regional delicacy, Tiramisu!
We will miss you all in our week away, but we hope to share our Italian culture and fare with you at our next visit to your office. We would love to meet you for a lunch or wine and cheese update filled with Italian aperitifs and delicacies while discussing the new products and how we can work better together to achieve your design goals in your upcoming projects!
