Aperitivo!

Of the things that I miss most about Milan, I think aperitivo is probably number one. I've written about this before; but briefly, it's a daily phenomenon that takes place in the majority of bars in Milan where you order a cocktail and gain access to a buffet full of freshly prepared treats. Clearly, an aperitivo was in order during my short weekend in Milan.

Maria and I arrived at Yguana early, in order to hold down a table for the 20 or so friends I expected to show up. Yguana has an awesome spread when it comes to the buffet, and the cocktails are served in swimming pool-sized chalices. It's located right in Piazza Vetra, which is just around the corner from the funky/bourgeoisie area of Corso Ticinese and Le Colonne di San Lorenzo. It's like the Williamsburg of Milan, if you will. Hipster central.

Marco and his girlfriend Anna were the first to show up, and the four of us ordered our first round of cocktails. My drink, the Negroni sbagliato (or Negroni gone wrong), is a cocktail that became my beverages of choice while living in Milan. It was invented in Milan I don't know how many years ago in a historical bar called Bar Basso, a Milanese friend once informed me. If you've never heard of this cocktail, you're not alone: I haven't found one bartender in New York who has (much to my chagrin). FYI, here is the recipes for the Negroni sbagliato, and a picture of me and mine from Saturday evening:

Negroni sbagliato

--> The classic Negroni uses an equal part of gin instead of prosecco. These cocktails are usually served on the rocks and with a slice of orange. 

• 3 cl prosecco
• 3 cl Vermouth Rosso
• 3 cl bitter Campari

The evening went on, and friendly faces started pouring into the bar. Colleagues, best friends and their new boyfriends, old friends that were in Milan for the weekend from London and France all filled our table. We hadn't been able to make reservations since it was a Saturday night, but even if we had it wouldn't have helped much because I had no idea that so many friends would show up to share some drinks and catch each other up on what's been going on in the past few months. It was a splendid evening, with my only complaint being that it went by too quickly!

Here's a snapshot of some of my lovely amici Milanesi from Saturday night!