A final farewell to La Latteria and a farmers market in the Piedmont countryside.
Plus, a bit of This & That.
A Final Farewell to La Latteria
When I started scouting cities for our Italy move a few years ago, my first trip was to Milan. My close friend Marc, who owns a fantastic restaurant in Geneva called Bombar, told me he'd fly down and show me his favorite things in the city. Most importantly, he wanted to take me to a small and storied restaurant that was not only a neighborhood mainstay but a global food lovers "in the know" spot, La Latteria di San Marco. Marc and I share an affinity for the same kinds of Italian restaurants, which are not fussy and have extraordinary food focusing on high-quality ingredients, simple preparation, and flavor. He told me the chef changes the seasonal menu almost daily and sources nearly all ingredients from their family garden outside Milan. It sounded like my kind of spot.
We arrived well before the lunch service to ensure we'd get in as there were no reservations, and the line would get long fast. In fact, they were famous not only for their food but also for this policy. It didn't matter who you were; no reservations, exceptions, or VIPS. It was always important to the owners, Arturo and Maria Maggi, who opened the restaurant in 1965, that they serve everyone, not just people of note as if you were in their home. And the experience they and their two sons, Marco and Roberto, created truly did feel like home, and you felt it with every bite.
Marc had been there many times before, and Marco, one of the sons, welcomed and sat us down. Maria came over to the table to catch up with Marc. I scanned the simple menu with no descriptions. After a bit of back and forth in Italian, Marc ordered a substantial amount of food that would scare off anyone else. But I knew what we were doing here. I knew it was about to go down. He said there were too many amazing things on the menu that we had to eat while we could. I didn't argue. And with each dish, I was increasingly blown away at how exceptional this experience was.
There were three dishes I would have over and over again, every time I went to Milan that really made me dream about the next time I'd be able to eat there: Spaghetti al Limone e Peperoncino Verde (spaghetti with lemon and pepperoncino), Uova al Burro con Bottarga di Muggine in Argento (oven baked eggs with butter and grated mullet bottarga), and Polpettine al Limone all'Arturo (veal meatballs with lemon and Arturo's magic touch). The Spaghetti al Limone e Peperoncino Verde is the most famous dish of the restaurant and one that Arturo would make for his boys, Marco and Roberto, throughout their childhood. It's a not-so-simple combination of chopped lemon rind, chopped green pepperoncino, parsley, salt, pasta water, and olive oil with a perfectly al dente thin spaghettini. It's hands down, one of the most delicious pastas I have ever eaten in my entire life. It's THE dish people from all over the world would come to experience, and it tastes like no other, providing comfort and joy in each bite. It's a perfect dish, combining flavors in what Arturo calls pure alchemy. A dish so iconic that one of the only exceptions ever made was for President Obama and Michelle and their secret service team to take over the restaurant, shutting down the entire block. Marco said they never had so many people inside, and everywhere you looked was an agent in suit and tie holding a bowl and shoveling Spaghetti al Limone e Pepperoncino Verde into their mouth!
Over the past two years, I became friendly with the Maggi family. Maria even referred to me as a regular and no longer a guest...one of the greatest compliments of my life! Once I knew we were moving to Italy, I couldn't wait to take Barrett to La Latteria. And then, I heard the terrible news. The restaurant was closing for good on December 22nd, 2023. At 85 years old, Arturo could no longer continue cooking, and Maria, at 77, was also getting tired. I was happy for them and sad for us! So, in a panic, we booked our babysitter and high-tailed it to Milan on the 22nd, hoping by some miracle we would be able to get in for the final service. We arrived a few hours before lunch and planned to get in line and wait until the doors opened. And then, Marco saw me.
We exchanged hugs and couldn't believe we made it for the last day. I introduced Barrett to the family. Maria made us espresso, and we talked about how wild their final weeks had been and the outpouring of love they had received. Marco told us that on this final day and service, they were only serving their famous spaghetti and some panettone for dessert to the regulars for free, but not to worry, I was a regular. We would be able to join the lunch! At noon, the door opened, and we were ushered into the restaurant, joining a four-top with two other patrons mourning the loss of this institution. It felt like a Christmas miracle; Barrett was finally staring at a perfect bowl of La Latteria, Spaghetti al Limone e Peperoncino Verde. She kept saying, " Oh my God," as she twirled and ate every last strand of spaghettini. Now, she understood.
As we looked up from our bowls, we saw tears, heard laughter, and witnessed the beauty of a community saying goodbye to a place that made so many feel at home. It's sad to see this chapter close. Still, I am so grateful for my experiences there and connection with this incredible family. And with any luck, Arturo may prepare his divine limone e pepperoncino verde spaghettini for my boys one day as he did with his own.
- Andre
A Farmer’s Market in Castelnuovo Don Bosco
One of the remarkable things about Italy is the access communities have to high-quality produce. In addition to the farmers' markets that pop-up throughout Torino every day of the week, there are also incredible hyper-local farmers' markets in the surrounding countryside where farmers, cheese makers, butchers, bakeries, and artisans come to sell their goods.
Today, our friend Vika took us on a tour of her favorite farmer's market in a small town called Castelnuovo Don Bosco, about 40 minutes outside Turin. We made our way to the market after a cappuccino, delicious chocolate biscotti, and pistachio brioche from a local bakery called Et Ab Hic Et Ab Hoc.
As we walked through the quaint, old town, we bought incredible cheeses from the region, like Toma, ate some of the sweetest clementines I have ever eaten and bought beautiful heads of speckled radicchio that looked like blooming flowers. A slow morning full of exploration and discovery that reminded me it's okay to slow down, take your time, and absorb the fact you are having this moment in Italy, on a Thursday morning. It filled me with a deep gratitude for this wild experience and inspiration to create, taste, experience, and be open to all the unknowns ahead of us. Now, the only question is, what shall we make with this mind-blowing produce?
This & That
For any parents who also struggle with the negative effects screens and sweets have on their kids (it’s a big one in our house), this is a great article to read, offering insight and potential ways to help us manage it.
Sadly, one of my favorite plant shops in LA, Folia Collective is closing. Danae and her team created the beautiful plant shelf in the kitchen of our Atwater home and her store has always been one of my favorite places to go to whenever I was in Eagle Rock. They will be open indefinitely, until someone takes over their lease, so please go check out the shop and support in any way you can. Her plants and ceramics are the best.