Chef Carlo Andrea Pantaleo, primitive instinct

Do you know Milano37? Probably not, even if you are from Milan. Yet it is only a few kilometers from the city center, reachable even by the green metro. Milano37 is located in Gorgonzola, at 37 Via Milano precisely, and it is a restaurant worth a visit. 

The location does not help you find it, you really have to get there because it is not one of those restaurants you stumble into. That said, there is no shortage of space, it is well thought out (and recently revamped), and even inside you enjoy the brightness that seeps in through the large windows. Milano37 is one of those restaurants where the mise en place is modern, not overdone but well curated. The glasses are appropriate (and replaced from wine to wine), the choice of dishes is not lacking in imagination, the tablecloth is not there but allows the solid tables to stand out and contrast in color with the dishes. 

The offerings range from cocktails to a la carte menus to tasting courses. The average expense is within the reach of a fairly wide audience, neither overpriced nor entirely cheap evidently, but you don't go out starving and above all you'll be happy to return. Wine list representative of the entire national territory, with proposals both by the bottle and by the glass and tasting routes to match the dishes. Chief wine manager is maître (and partner) Enrico Rizzo, originally from Verona but adopted from Lombardy. 

All that being said, there is perhaps one thing above all that stands out and contributes greatly to the characterization of this restaurant, its chef. Supervised, at a distance, by Gennaro Vitto, creative director, active in the kitchen is Carlo Andrea Pantaleo. Also among the restaurant's partners, with his father, just 30 years old he has a great passion...for fire!

Young, but not too young, he has already taken a definite path for his cooking. He has not yet arrived, nor does he feel like one, but I am sure that if he follows his instincts satisfactions will keep coming. Of course the greatest recognition is to have the room full, but a few pats on the back from those who tour a lot of restaurants I hope will please. And for me he deserves it all. 

The experience at Milano37 intrigued me precisely because of this sort of primitive vision of cooking from its cook and chef, who is fascinated by fire and makes extensive use of it. It has not yet completely replaced conventional stoves, but the step is not that far off. And the choice, given the current times, might even seem dictated by high utility bills. In reality it is part of a well-grounded and reasoned vision. 

For years now Carlo Andrea Pantaleo has been experimenting with fire. And with it he burns, grills, cooks, heats raw materials and then reworks them. He transforms them over an open flame, over hot coals, under hot ashes. The game is in changing the textures and mixing the flavors that are always those of home, recognizable and reassuring but with that something extra. The portions are definitely generous, the value for money excellent, but the curiosity to see how his creative process will go on trumps all these reasons to return. He hasn't invented anything, so to speak, let's be clear, but what he does he does well and (at least I think, and hope) he really seems to have a plan in mind. 

The courses change according to season and availability of ingredients. But some must-haves from the menu tend to never leave. A resounding, and mouthwatering, example is spaghetti aglio olio e peperoncino. That said may sound like a platitude, but it is not at all. To enrich the recipe fiordilatte and raw red shrimp. "Kiss-proof" thanks to the processing the garlic undergoes, the technique beats halitosis. Another neat dish is the grilled eggplant with eggplant mousse, tomato paste, olive oil powder and spring onions. But among those tasted, my favorite was the plated potato dumpling with lobster, lettuce and vanilla. It was a dish of a really successful balance between the fatty, vegetable and sweet parts. 

The tasting courses always also include entrées, curated and refined, pre-dessert and final dessert. Another very positive note, there is a pastry chef in the kitchen! The desserts are really very good and not trivial. You will never get hungry for dessert but you will definitely find room. I sampled a trio of homemade mini ice cream sticks, brightly colored and with exciting flavor combinations. My favorite was the citrus one coated in ruby chocolate. 

It's worth a visit, especially if as a Milanese you feel like escaping the metropolitan hustle and bustle and take some time to keep your legs under the table. I will definitely be going back! 

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