MissViaggio in Milan

10 September 2022

Milan is the perfect weekend getaway - especially when you like to eat your way through pizza, pasta, and dolci. In fact, eating gluten-free in Milan is a really easy task.

Mama Eat

It was our first night in Milan and we wanted to celebrate my graduation. This time it was just the two of us. I had read on the Internet about Mama Eat, a restaurant chain that has double kitchens, so people with celiac disease can eat exactly the same without fear of cross-contamination. So we decided to give it a try. I usually get all excited when I have the opportunity to try restaurants that offer gluten-free dishes. That was the case here and I was not disappointed, everything was really good and delicious. We decided on bruschetta, pizza and pasta, and sweet fried pizza strips with pistachio cream and sugar (scugnizzielli pistacchio). Benissimo.

We chose Bruschetta as a starter.

What to Do in Milan?

Visit the Duomo di Milano. It is one of the most impressive buildings in Milan (I have never seen more statues on a cathedral). If you want to avoid the crowds, arrive early (tickets can be purchased online in advance). I would recommend going to the roof first and then visit the inside of the Duomo. I did it the other way around and had the church almost to myself, but had to share the roof top with many other tourists.

GluFree Bakery

GluFree is one of the gluten-free bakeries in Milan and offers a wide selection of pastries, bread and sweets. They also have many dairy-free options if you are lactose intolerant. All of the freshly baked items look so delicious that I struggled with my decision. I finally settled on a slice of pizza bread and a chocolate brioche. A good choice, I must say.

I bought two more brioche because they were so good.

One Day in Monza

Sunday was the day we spent at the famous Monza race track. It was an unforgettable experience. Neither of us had ever been to a Formula 1 race before. Expecting crowds, we decided to get up early and take one of the earliest trains and buses to the track. It was like a pilgrimage - we were among thousands of Formula 1 fans heading to the track. They were all trying to secure the best positions for the later races. The same was true for us. We looked for a nice spot and once we found one that was acceptable, we spent more than eight hours there (since there were two of us, one could always stay and we were not forced to give up the spot).

To be honest, I've never been particularly interested in Formula 1, but watching the races in Monza was something special. For me, it was a unique mix of squealing tires, insane speeds, the smell of kerosene in the air, and the thrill of the laps. All in all, it was an experience I wouldn't want to miss.

Ò Peperino

Since we were on our way back from the race track anyway and super hungry, we decided to stop at Ò Peperino. It's very close to Porta Garibaldi and offers lots of pizza, pasta and gluten-free desserts. This time, we had calzone (the best oven-baked, folded pizza I ever had), spaghetti as well as some pizza (also very delicious). Actually we wanted to try one of the desserts, but we were both too full.