Drogheria Milanese

It’s Sunday morning and I’m still in bed, debating whether to stay there all day or not… yeah, I was up late last night. I’m hungry and a little hungover… After all that wine! My cell rings, I don’t answer. So they start to text… voicemail 1 – my best friend – that crazy girl is up at 8am even if she’s only slept an hour: “Get up!”. Voicemail 2 – her boyfriend – the guy who go running every morning: “We’ve reserved a spot at the Drogheria Milanese you’ve got thirty minutes to get dressed!”.

At hearing drogheria I open my second eye too. I’m really hungry and I love that place. I get up, a proper brunch cannot be missed. I barely make it on time and we go inside together. We are at the long central table, the one that’s always full of cheer. The bistrot is brimming with people, as usual, and my tummy is rumbling now. There are six of us and even if a bit cramped, we begin by talking about last night’s escapades. Everyone laughs, not just us, laughter fills the air. There’s a saying that goes “good food brings everyone together”, but here the glue is the informal atmosphere. Wooden baskets with cutlery placed in the middle of the table encourage you to serve yourself, to feel right at home, without too much fuss.

The products behind the counter urge you to grab the first menu you can find and order ASAP. Italian style tapas. Little tastes to tease your appetite and perfect for placing right in the middle to share with everyone. We went crazy for fried eggs with truffle, for Cantabrico anchovies and for mini pizzas with naturally yeasted dough and organic flour, but to be honest guys, it’s hard to say what we wouldn’t have ordered! These are followed by a list of traditional first and second plates but today what I really feel like having is a hamburger: not just any hamburger but of Galician beef. We order wine, at this point it’s inevitable. The wine list is carefully selected, always with an eye for the genuine and respect for nature, key words at the drogheria.

It’s also perfect for dinner and as rumor has it the atmosphere really lights up. Apparently, there’s a secret room open to a few select élite, by invitation only. We have to get in there at all costs, so how many lunches and dinners do you think we’ll have to “endure” in order to earn the owner’s graces? We’ll risk putting on 10lbs just to have a chance, the summer is still way off… I can’t imagine a better punishment!