I am in Milan with a friend for 4 days...my companion is in Zurich ( still for work) so, with a…read morevery nice train ride from Zurich to Milan in 3.5 hours we came to enjoy the food, fashion and for me, her wonderful company :-)
In fairness, I would like to give PBP a 3.5.... It is well-deserved for the location and the quality of the food and service :-)
We got in to Milan at about 4pm and got to our hotel (not far from the FS central train station). We got un- suitcased, rested and cleaned up. Feeling hungry after our trip in,and once downstairs, I asked the gentleman at the desk about a specific place I remembered in the area (Dinky's) with really good pizza...he said on Tuesdays that spot is closed but that another place, just down from the hotel, is very good and good for the value.
Via Soperga is a street adjacent to the FS central train station, quiet and not walking distance to the "core" of Milan. However, It is a great location for little (very local) places to eat and a quick walk from Corso Buenos Aires (a VERY good area for shopping overall without the mark up of the core and you can enjoy the "everyday" of Milan). But onto our first meal in Milan :-9
We got to PBP at 7pm (all restaurants open for dinner at 7pm) with the owner and others getting ready for the evening. We were seated straightaway and with that asked if we wanted anything to drink .... Just an FYI....most of you may know, but it is RARE that tap water is automatically brought and it is more the norm to order bottled water, even a small one for two is typical (1/2 L).
We both started with a simple salad of arugula and cherry tomato. When I say simple, it was just that, but it was chockful of arugula (chopped...in Italy salad IS cut so you don't have to......HURRAH!) and a nice amount of cherry tomatoes. Olive oil and balsamic vinegar was brought to the table and away we went with our salad. OH YES, we did order pizza....in fact, my friend ordered the Margheria and I ordered the Diavola. Both came after our salad, piping hot and NO, the ingredients did not collect in the middle and (and this is something I still don't understand why it is SO hard to find), the crust is a perfect thick THINNESS that it isn't soggy (sorry, even Famoso, for as good as it is--and I go there a few times a month because it is one of the best I have had outside of Italy--suffers). We ordered a bottle of wine and for dessert a nice, in house made tiramisu' not over the top creamy, but with a mild taste complemented by the cocoa with which each layer had.
YUM overall :-9
Total coat: 50 Euros AND the owner offered us a Limoncello (something many restaurants do in Italy.....that is, offer a small digestif or after dinner drink "bicchierino" [shot glass] of something.
It isn't in the "in" part of Milan, for sure, however, in a good area within reach of the metro, train station, and bus, yes.....