MILAN: Classic Art and Risotto

After a delicious introduction to ginseng coffee, we continued on to view classic Italian art at the Pinacoteca di Brera.

[November 2017] – Located in the Palazzo Brera, the Pinacoteca’s main floor houses the Academia di Brera; where students come to study art and restoration.

Upstairs you will find Milan’s main public art gallery containing mostly classic Italian paintings; including select pieces by Caravaggio, Tintoretto and Raphael.

At one point in the gallery you come across a sealed glass room where a massive work is in the midst of being restored. It was a pleasant surprise to see this incredible display of the restoration process in mid-step.

Continuing on through the rooms, I came upon one of the most memorable works (to me): The Kiss by Francesco Hayez. The painting captures the passion of a man and a woman sharing a moment at the bottom of a set of stairs. Were they giving their goodbyes? Or were they welcoming each other back? Or maybe they were sneaking in a kiss like two forbidden lovers? The reason for this kiss was not specified, but regardless, the kiss seemed so powerful and full of passion that all else didn’t matter.

That rainy evening we moseyed up to the trendy via Solferino to enjoy a lovely dinner at Pisacco.

This restaurant’s modern décor was fresh, sleek, and colorful. I sat at one of the narrow bar counters facing the window, looking out at the rain covered street as I sipped my glass of Pinot Noir.

I ordered a plate of risotto alla Milanese, of course. This rich saffron flavored classic was topped with a gourmet swirl and a strip of veal ragu [pictured]. It was a perfect rendition of the classic Lombard dish.

I ended this delightful meal with Pisacco’s special dessert of the night: Zabaglione-flavored Bavarian cream sitting, in a puddle of chocolate rum sauce, topped with panettone-flavored gelato – all made in house. If you’re wondering: yes, it was as delectable and delicious at it sounds.