Bindi Cafe -

the bar/cafè

I recently had the pleasure of discoving the Bindi shop/cafe in San Giuliano Milanese.

Aunt Jemima syrup, YUM!... but 9€ is too expensive!
I should import it!

You may know San Giuliano only because you've passed by the exit while on the Tangienziale on the way to somewhere interesting or because you had to stop there to pick up something from IKEA, but the area, previously entirely rural or industrial, is now having a growth-spurt and many new shops are opening up. One of them is the Bindi shop and cafe.

It's a huge space with the shop half offering cakes and frozen foods, housewares such as teapots, cake decoration tools and books, candies, gourmet applejuice and even wines!  The cafe side boasts a huge array of pastries, cakes, sweets, danish, cheesecakes, cookies, coffee and gourmet coffees as well as bagels (a rarity in Italy, and impossible to find), salads and sandwiches at lunch.

We were there for the Sunday brunch where we were presented with a huge platter of dishes, including bacon and eggs, as well as various other savry treats and followed up by the sweet table.  The price is a bit on the high side at 17€ per platter, but they are happy for you to share and there's more than enough food to do so! I ate so much I didn't even have dinner that night!

I hope you enjoy this hidden spot as much as I did. Maybe I'll see you there sometime for lunch!

the shop

Bindi is a brand of cake, coffee and deserts which can be found in supermarkets, restaurants and bars throughout Italy and the world. The cafe and shop are open daily from 6:30am to 8pm.  They are located in Via dela Liberazione 1, San Giuliano Milanese.

For more info visit their site here.

Postcards from Cattolica

We just got back from a sunny week on the beach in Cattolica, Italy. Despite the name, this resort town is not a haven for religious zealots, quite the contrary in fact, unlike most cities in Italy I didn't see a single church during our stay.

No, the Catholic religion isn't the main draw for this resort town. The main draw is the beach. And oh! How the Italians worship their beloved Mare and Spiaggia you might start thinking that this was a religious experience after-all! The entire seafront is tiled with stabilimenti balinear (bathing establishments... private access beaches) each one with rows upon rows of sun chairs and umbrellas set up like pews to worship the sun and sea. This resort city did start out as a stop on pilgrimages (hence the name) but has been a tourist haven and beach destination since the end of the first world war.  Each hotel is affiliated with a beach and when you arrive the first day you're given your seat (back row for us) for the rest of your stay. You can leave your sand toys and towels overnight and find them fresh and ready the next day for more fun in the sun.

Cattolica is not a place I would have enjoyed a few years ago.  The beaches are crowded despite having rented your own little space.  The water isn't crystal or clear or even blue for that matter, but more of a cloudy forest green.  The sand is nicer than I've seen on Puglia's free beaches in that it's cleaned daily (you're paying for that too) but it's nothing compared to my exotic beach experiences of Australia and Thailand or my childhood memories of time spent in Florida or New England.  Regardless, it was sandy enough for Sera to enjoy playing in the shade for hours on end every morning of our stay and get herself breaded with it like a squirming ,laughing chicken breast, ready for the fryer.

In the evenings the city cools down but the nightlife really heats up. After dinner swarms of people take to the pedestrian shopping streets and boardwalk which seem to stretch all the way to Rimini and beyond and just wander around, trying to digest the traditionally abundant vacation food consumed.  I have to admit that we overate as well, consuming starters, first and second courses at every meal, including breakfast!  There were young people everywhere and bars and restaurants were full but there wasn't the same rowdy feeling you can sense in cities like Las Vegas or several islands of Greece.  All in all it seemed like a place for young people on beach based holidays, families with children and teens who hadn't quite ventured out on their own yet, but who were allowed to socialise with the friends they'd met on vacation after sundown without chaperone's.

As a young mum (I like that saying better than a mother of young children as it implies that I'm young as well), the place was fantastic and a perfect family destination. Sera had the time of her life!  In every waking moment the girl was having a blast.  Between jumping in the city's play-fountain, swimming in the sea, playing in the sand, splashing in the pool, making friends in baby-dance, playing in the kids' room and consuming as much ice cream as she could manage the girl just barely had enough time to get in her naps and overnight sleep.  She seemed carefree and entertained the entire time.

Now, that's not to say that I was carefree and entertained. Going on holiday with a two-year-old is not much different than staying at home with a two year old in that it's a lot of work for mum. If Sera was in the pool I was in the pool monitoring her jumps and dives (she's getting quite good but I'm still terrified she'll smash into the wall).  If she was playing in the sand I was on 'stay in the shade Sera!' and brushing sand from her eyes mode.  If she was in the ocean I was on the lookout for crabs, stones she could step on, and her head bobbing under. In other words, lots of hard work... but seeing how much fun she was having and in the moments I did just relax and let things go I was totally and completely happy.

The reason we chose Cattolica this year also had a lot to do with Sera's grandparents and the proximity to their home in Puglia. Cattolica is just about half way driving for all of us.  I think that with the way things went this week we'll probably think about doing the same thing next year.  Maybe we'll see you there!

Gardaland with a 2 year old

We were in Gardaland recently having received tickets as a gift from a friend some of the questions I'm asked by any other mums and dads I mention it to is 'did Sera enjoy it / did you have fun / how was it?' so here goes:

Gardaland is Italy's biggest and well known theme park located next to a whole bunch of newer theme parks by Lago di Garda, a 1.5 hour drive from Milan.  The lake in itself hosts a billion reasons for visiting, but the theme park attracts even more tourists to the area and those who are looking to spend part of the day getting away from all that natural beauty.

The park itself boasts loads of rides and attractions for teens and adults and I think that that's really it's main draw.  There are a whole load of thrill rides and roller coasters and the yearly investment seems to be in those types of attractions. I guess the target audience isn't parents of little kiddies, but rather the 6 and over crown, and especially the 14 and over crowd.

In terms of the little guys, there is an area called fantasy land with a few train rides, a banana 'boat' which spins, but not on water, some horse ride, a few plane rides and other really really boring rides for the parents but which toddlers really enjoy.  Sera was frightened by one of the plane rides but I was on it with her so it was fine.  In other areas of the park you can find shows including a Madagascar branded circus act, a magic show with bubbles and a puppet show that the little ones can enjoy. There are also two carousels, a Pirates of the Caribbean copy and a magic house that gives the illusion of flipping upside down, all of which a 2 year old can ride on.... though at times on some of the rides I was thinking that we were being quite irresponsible parents subjecting Sera to strong images and ideas. I was terrified of the sea monster at the end of the pirate ride and Sera just said 'again!'.

We had lunch at the burger restaurant Covo dei Bucaneri near the pirates ride and later, after Sera fell asleep from all the fun we had a surprisingly good dinner (I had steak) at the Locanda di Corsaro Nero, also near the pirate ride.  Though the prices are more expensive than outside the park, both lunch and dinner exceeded expectations and far surpassed anything I ever ate at a Disney resort.

Sera really enjoyed the day and we had a great time watching her enjoy herself.  Her favourite by far was one of the carousels where every time it stopped she got to choose another animal or seat without having to get off and get back in line. She liked the princess carriage the most.

Seeing how it's so close I figure we'll probably go back another time, maybe when she's 6 or so so that she can enjoy more of the rides and have a stronger memory of the day.  I'm happy we didn't pay for the tickets however as there was a vast majority of the park we didn't get to see or enjoy yet.  All in all it was a really lovely day and I'd give it a 8 out of 10 and recommend it to friends.

off to Friuli - part 2

this is part 2 of our Friuliano wine trip... for part 1 click here
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Sera woke us on Friday morning and we all went downstairs for breakfast in our cottage's kitchen. Our friends soon joined us and we enjoyed bread, coffee, tea, fruit and cookies before heading out.

Our first stop was the cantina comunale in Cormons

Later on we went to the Cantina and had a break in their courtyard.

At Mulin Vecio in Gradisca d'Isonzo I had, sadly to say, the worst dining experience I've ever had while living in Italy.  We initially chose the restaurant because it was recommended by the Slow Food guide, which is normally spot on with reagrds to restaurants and good eating. In this case they couldn't have been more wrong, however and I'm planning to write them to warn them that their reputation is on the line if they keep promoting this establishment.  We had booked a table outside and so when we weren't greeted at the entrance, made our way to the courtyard, where the table was set up for our party. Everyone was hungry and eager to eat and the kids needed to be fed first. When we finally found someone who seemed to be popping in and out of the kitchen (not a waitress exactly) and asked her to heat the baby food, we didn't get a response, just the jar snatched from my friend's hands.

Now, we're lucky that in Italy little kids are accomodated for at all but after our experience with the crayons and the dominoes from the night before you can imagine our surprise at the contrast. Another friend at the table tried to explain the gesture saying that the Friuliani are just brusk like that, but as I suspected, there was more to the story.

The baby food arrived warmed to satisfaction 15 minutes later and we still hadn't seen any wait staff. It seemed as if no one worked there. When we finally did find the waiter and asked for the menu he said there was none (not uncommon for a small restaurant in italy) and began to list the dishes. Pasta and Fagioli, Baccalà con Polenta or Hot Dogs and Crauti.... and that's it. That's all they had!

Well, now having wasted 30 minutes of our lives and the baby eating we couldn't walk out and were stuck with the selection, none of which suitable for either Sera or I.  In the end we ordered 4 pasta fagioli, a salumi plate and a baccala.  After another 30 minutes only teo of the pasta fagioli turned up at the table and the salumi on a styrofoam platter. After having cancelled the others which never arrived we went inside to pay the bill only to discover that the whole debaucle cost 30 euros per person!!  It was infuriating. Not having a written menu meant they could charge whatever they wanted and we'd have to pay it.
Avoid this restaurant!

It was 26 degrees outside and sunny when wre got back to La Subida so Sera and I changed into bathing suits and head down to the pool to check things out.  The main part of the pool was sectioned off as closed but the shallow area was open so we dangled our feet in the very cold water for a while before Sera jumped in for a quick dip. I couldn't handle the temperature and decided that for me up to the knees was fine. Afterwards we played in their garden and playground and then went back tot he room to rest up for dinner.

This photo of gustobase is courtesy of TripAdvisor

We ended up wandering around the town of Cividale del Friuli in search for somewhere to eat. Settling upon Gustobase, an adorable tiny cafe located in Piazza Paolo Diacono, we grabbed a corner boot in the back and proceeded to order pretty much every starter and pasta dish on the menu (afteral, we didn't really have lunch).  The food and service was gorgeous from start to finish, the atmosphere delightful with retro digital clocks and wood panelling, as well as a healthy wine cellar.  This meal entirely made up for lunch!!


gustobase
Piazza Paolo Diacono, 24

33043 Cividale del Friuli, Italy
tel: 0039432731383

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To come in part 3: Trieste, a long walk, Pordenone

Restaurant Review: Trattoria della Gloria

I was lucky enough to go out to eat with Fabri and a good friend of ours on Monday night. Sera stayed happily at home with her italian grandfolk and we went off!

Upon arriving at Trattoria della Gloria on via Pichi in Milan we were greeted by the owner who promptly seated us even though were were 45 minutes early for our reservation. The adorable lace-covered menus were placed in front of us on the cream and wine checked table cloths and Fabri proceeded to study the wine list while I have a look at our choice of food.

There was jazzy funk playing in the air and wonderful smells wafting fromt he kitchen. The whole restaurant only has 40 or so seats and so was intimate, but didn't feel crowded even later when it was packed.

The menu had a good selection of different antipasti, primi and secondi without much repitition to the styles of food. We opted for a burrata for the three of us to share with homemade bread as our starter.  In terms of wine we started off with a Rubrato Aglianico and later moved onto a Barolo.

I ordered the wild asparagus spaghetti alla carbonara for my primo and was happy with the choice. The presentation was lovely, the ingredients fresh and flavorful and my only criticism could be that the whole dish could have been slightly saltier.

Fabri and I both wanted to try the meatballs for secondo, but I knew I would already be full by then so instead I ordered some goats' cheese balls instead and we shared both. The meatballs were gorgeous and I'd have them all to myself the next time we go back.

Yay for Trattoria della Gloria!

Trattoria della Gloria

Via Pichi, 5 (angolo via Borsi)

20143 - Milano

Tel.02/45474710

trattoriadellagloria@fastweb.it