RESTAURANT REVIEW: Peck Italian Bar (Milano, Italia)

Mad Professah visited Peck Italian Bar in Milan, Italy last week and took the following pictures:

The place settings at Peck Italian Bar. Very sleek and modern looking.	The interior of Peck Italian Bar, with lots of recessed lighting and color palates.
Salmone marinato, leggermente affumicato (marinated salmon, lightly smoked)	Riso mantecato alla zucca (pumpkin risotto with manteca cheese)
Cotoletta di lonza alla Milanese con patate rosolate (Traditional Milanese breaded cutlet with roasted potatoes)	Arrosto di vitello con patate al forno (Roasted veal with baked potatoes)
Tiramisu	Gelati (strawberry, lemon and cream flavors)

When MadProfessah and the other half ate at his restaurant a few weeks ago, the owner of Terroni restaurant in Los Angeles had suggested we eat at Peck's when we get to Milan. Unfortunately, the signature restaurant Cracco-Peck was closed for three weeks between Christmas and Epiphany so we went to the sister restaurant, Peck Italian Bar instead.

We started with the lightly smoked salmon appetizer, which although pricey (€20=$29) was absolutely delicious. The pumpkin risotto was amazingly rich and a stunning yellow color the picture does not do justice to the intense color of the dish and definitel does not allow you to experience the creamy cheesy goodness that was riso mantecato alla zucca. We then both had traditional Milanese meat dishes: I had the Milanese veal cutlet (which was the inspiration for the Austrian wienerschnitzel) while the other half had roasted veal with baked potatoes.

The true standout of the meal was dessert. I never order the tiramisu at Italian restaurants because it can be so completely different at different Italian restaurants. However, the tiramisu at Peck's Italian Bar was incredible. The top layer is a thick layer of pure cocoa dust. In fact, the dish was almost dangerous because as one ate the tiramisu it was very easy to inhale the cocoa dust and have one's airway feel full of cocoa instead of oxygen. The custard filling was also excellent; very very creamy and light. At the very bottom of the creamy custard were amaretto-soaked still-crunchy madeleines. A nearly perfect dessert. The gelato flavors we chose were strawberry, lemon and "cream." The lemon was extremely flavorful--like a stiff blow to the head, but in a good way, mostly. The strawberry and cream were also very smooth, with a more balanced flavor.

The ambiance of the restaurant was very nice. It is a very well-lit, modern-looking space. The service was attentive and gave us an English menu almost immediately. It is officially a bar, which also serves food at lunch and dinner time (it closes at 8pm). Usually I imagine most people go over to the Cracco-Peck restaurant next door. Although it would have been nice to experience the superlative food that is rumored to be available at Cracco-Peck, Peck Italian Bar was a very enjoyable and satisfying dining experience as well.

OVERALL GRADE: A-.

FOOD: A.
VALUE: B+.
SERVICE: A-.
AMBIANCE: A-.