And Giacomo is no longer with us. Last time I saw him around 2005, serving the pizza complement. Mildly speaking, he was already getting on in years and had almost no courage left.

And all sorts of madonnas/dolcegabbanas have also moved out. As they say, to the neighboring bistro which bears the same name.

Yet… despite an expensive check, we had to drink prosecco on the bench for half an hour – waiting on Saturday night (not the worst pastime in Milan spring though) – the place was packed. This proves a very good business.

It’s really cool to come back to a restaurant in 10+ years and find that it’s not just open, but crowded – nice!

Milan isn’t some fucking Moscow, where all this “fashionable fashion” stop coming to a place after it’s been open for three years. They don’t even give it a mere chance to reveal itself. Not to mention creating traditions.

“Oh, are we supposed to come to this old place?” (c).

Makes me wanna ask them in the words of my deceased friend that he addressed to some Moscow “super promoter”:

«Mommy, since when are you in town? Are you even supposed to drink Salon?” (c).

Oh well. We come in!

It’s bright and tight. There’s a stall with seafood, and another one with berries/fruits, and the inevitable multistory cart with desserts (if they didn’t run out of profiteroles with orange cream yet, take two portions). We sit down.

Further things become easier: the WHOLE crudo page in the menu is fucking delicious.

Actually, my personal experience with Italian raw fish (with anything more complicated than salmon carpaccio) started right here about 15-17 years ago. I clearly remember that it was scampi in orange juice with some citron dust and crab salad with wild strawberry. That blew up my taste buds together with the traditional ideas about cooking fish: frying it in a pan and serving with mashed potatoes.

Pasta is also excellent here – «al dente» – and there is a «bone» not only in spaghetti, but also, as it should be, in everything besides «pasta fresco». Noodles aren’t sinking in sauce. The sauce itself is made from some sort of smart tomatoes. It’s delicious and obviously doesn’t come from a can. There is lots of seafood. The portions are good: neither nano-Michelin style, nor useless gigantism. Basil/herbs do smell. Overall, everything is pretty well.

Fish is surprisingly inexpensive (if you compare it to the regular wild seafood prices): all fish comes at 6-9eur for 100 grams. There’s a whole page of it: salt/grill/pan – all the bells and whistles.

Plus a cart with desserts.

Plus-plus profiteroles on this cart.

What else to wish for?