il Luogo de Aimo and Nadia, Trussardi alla Scala, or Innocenti Evasioni for dinner in Milan?

[fress]

We would like to find an excellent restaurant whose food, wine, sense of place, and clientele will make us feel that we are in Milan and could not be anywhere else. Is that an unrealistic goal, particularly for a Monday night? Views on the restaurants listed above, which were culled from reading this site and a few others, would be much appreciated, but any other suggestions would be great too.

{Trying a more focused approach to the questions I posed last month which did not receive much feedback (thanks to those who did respond...)}

[mgmitaly]

Why don't you try La trattoria del nuovo macello (Via Cesare Lombroso) ? Not a Michelin starred resturant but the food is great and very milanese (try Cotoletta). Take a taxi to go there.

[PBSF]

We've dined at Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia twice in the past five years. It was recommended to us by the Alajmo of Le Calandre. Both dinners were excellent and well worth the short taxi or metro ride from central Milan. Does it give one the sense that one is in Milan and could not be anywhere else? That is very difficult to answer and probably depends on what MIlan evoke to the individual. The Moroni family run a wonderful restaurant. The food is not particularly Milanese or from Lombardia but rather from all of Italy. The ingredients are excellent, The cooking style is modern and elegant but does not manipulate ingredients in the degree of Cracco which we did not care for. The decor is contemporary and stylish. The service was warm, friendly, generous yet proper. Both times we were there, the clientele were almost entirely well-dressed Milanese. We have not been to the other two on your list.

[fress]

Thank you for the feedback - sounds very good. In terms of more traditional Milanese cuisine, have you been to Antica della Pesa?

[barberinibee]

I've eaten in a number of very traditional and oft-recommended restaurants in Milan and generally enjoyed my food but, for what ti's worth, my "only-in-Milan" moments tend to hit more in its popular bars at apertivo hour or some of its historic or trendy caffes. PBSF is on to something that it critically depends on what Milan is to you, but that's the life of Milan to me.

I hesitate to recommend any of the traditional restaurants I've eaten at (and, alas, it doesn't include Antica della Pesa) because what I remember more than the food was the preserved-in- amber "old-school" ambience which I very much enjoyed. All these places are in all the guidebooks anyway should you want to risk it.

I probably do more people watching in Milanese restaurants and bars than I do anyplace else in Italy. People in Milan dress so well it activates the eye.

[PBSF]

I have not eaten at Antica della Pesa. I've spent very little time in Milan, mostly side trips from Venice for couple of days or a flight stopover.

[jen kalb]

adding links for mentioned restaurants

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Cracco
Via Victori Hugo,4, Milan, Lombardia 20123, IT

Aimo e Nadia
Via Privata Raimondo Montecuccoli, 6, Milan, Lombardia 20147, IT

Antica Trattoria della Pesa
Viale Pasubio 10, Milan, Lombardia , IT

Innocenti Evasioni
via priv. della Bindellina, nr Via Luigi Veratti, Milan, Lombardia 20155, IT