A Michelin Star in Milan - Milan, Italy - Day 2

Since our planning for the beginning part of this trip has fallen under the category of "on the fly" we relied on TripAdvisor.com for Milan to pull up sites that other travelers have highly rated. We then just kind of blindly chose the things that sounded good. This is a little tricky in Italy though because everything sounds the same...say them all in an Italian accent with that Italian conviction and they REALLY sound the same: Santa Maria Presso di San Satiero, Chiesa di San Maurizio al Monistero Maggiore, Gallerie de Italia Piazza della Scala....you get the idea. So for Day 2 in Milan we went with the Chiesa di San Maurizio al Monistero Maggiore and the Cimitero Monumentale di Milan.

Later that evening we had dinner with Adriano, a friend of our friend Marco. We met Adriano three years ago when he came to NYC to visit Marco for New Years Eve. Adriano and Marco are from the same home town of Padova, Italy, a small country town close to Venice but Adriano has lived and worked in Milan for the past 12 years. I will let the pictures of our dinner tell the story, as there are few words that can adequately describe the Italian generosity, hospitality and style that took us to a Michelin Star vegetarian restaurant in an ethnic part of town. Adriano described it as "smart".  Smart was an understatement. Thank you Adriano, for an unbelievable last night in Milan.

San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore

The church of San Maurizio al Monastero Maggiore...
unassuming, but rated in the top 5 sights to see in Milan on Trip Advisor.

The church hosts the most integral and exemplary decorative cycle of 16th century Milanese painting.
It stands in the heart of one of Milan's oldest and most prestigious religious complexes, the Benedictine convent known as the Manastero Maggiore.

I'm glad I'm not a nun, but what a beautiful place to be one.

Documentary accounts of the of the first phase of construction have not survived,
but the physical evidence tells that it was built by artisans of the highest caliber.

There were three decorative cycles to complete the church.

If I had a Mediterranean style, Tuscan villa I think I'd have some fresco painting like
this done, especially on the ceiling.

So the main highlight to see in Milan is Leonardo's "Last Supper" painting. However, tickets for it sell out
3 months in advance....and you only get 15 minutes with the painting....so this one will suffice.
It's probably in better condition than the famous one anyway.

Amongst angels.

Trying to book a hotel for two days from now in Florence over lunch.
Someone is not the planning type.

One of my favorite combinations in the world - melon and proscuitto. 

Onward! To the Cimitero Monumentale di Milano

I don't know how many subway tickets we bought but it was one for every time we got on, not a round trip.
It's 1.50 Euros to ride the subway one way and it reminded me of the main thing I DON'T miss about NYC.

The Cimitero Monumentale di Milano is one of the two largest cemeteries in Milan
and is known for its abundance of artistic tombs.
Believe me, I'd rather not go sightseeing through a cemetery but it was recommended as a top sight in Milan
and if I were entombed the way these people were I'd most definitely want tourists to come see my monument.

The entrance to the "other side"....literally and figuratively.

It opened in 1866 and since then has been filled with a wide range of both contemporary and classical
Italian sculptures, as well as Greek temples, elaborate obelisks,  and other original works. Many
of the tombs belong to noted industry dynasties, sometimes world famous with
businesses and brands.

I mean,  seriously?
If they were worried about being forgotten, I don't think that will be a problem.

This was one of the relatively understated ones.

And if there wasn't a family mausoleum, large single sarcophagus were topped with
very dramatic statues like this one.

The main entrance is through the large Famedio, a massive hall-of-fame-like
Neo-Medieval style building of marble and stone that contains the tombs
of some of the city's and country's most honored citizens like the
novelist Alessandro Manzoni, pictured here.
Wonder if her knew he was going into the "hall of fame"?

Not everyone has an obelisk erected in their honor, in fact a majority are laid to rest in very close quarters
to others. However, even the most normal of tombs had stately sculptures, even if they weren't in
prime real estate. This one is worthy of a movie set,  I think. 

And Back to the Land of the Living....

Just for Uncle Bruce....ah, the memories.
(Jacadi's getting pretty fancy with the marketing...
a dress featuring Swarovski crystal embellishment hung in the window....
hey, whatever will sell....7 year olds always love sparkle.)

Still trying to book a hotel room in Florence...wherever we can get wifi, even
if it's in the courtyard of a castle.

True Italian Hospitality

Our evening with Adriano began with aperitivos.
Rich is having a "Spritz" which is a common wine-based cocktail served here.
It is prepared with white wine or prosecco, a dash of bitter liquor like Campari,
and is topped off with sparkling mineral water.
It goes down much like water and is incredibly refreshing.

Adriano then treated us to his "smart" choice for dinner, a one Michelin Star restaurant in an ethnic, once
run down neighborhood of Milan where he knows the owner -- Joia.
Please visit www.joia.it to truly understand the philosophy of the chef's mission.

The owner and chef  Pietro Leeman from Switzerland.

First Course...
I'll just let the pictures do the talking from here on out.

Second Course

Third Course...this was a representation of "muesli" commonly found in the chef's home country...
but it was bean sprouts, zucchini, cilantro, a curry based thick broth amongst a multitude
of other flavors. Absolutely unbelievable in both creativity and taste.

The maitre'd who came to check on us often and introduce some of the courses.

Fourth Course...the brown discs are a type of pasta.

Fifth Course

The kitchen was so small, simple and open for everyone to see the freshness that was being prepared.

A variation on the Italian cannoli.

For dessert we each got to choose from the menu.
Mine was described as this:
"Souffle of chocolate ice cream, condensed milk with almond ice cream, blueberry and bread Bavarian cream
baby biscuit and raspberries, soft honey and orange marmelade froth."
Um, yes please.

Thank you, Adriano for an unbelievable evening of creative cuisine and treating us to
something truly special.