La Libera is a restaurant near Parco Sempione in Milan, serving up traditional Lombard meat and fish dishes in cozy dining rooms. As we walked past this restaurant, it looked bustling, and had good reviews. We decided to give it a go. After learning there was a 15-20 minute wait, the staff immediately offered us a spot nice at the bar while we waited. We enjoyed some traditional Compari Spritz’s, and soon enough we were escorted to our table.
After we were seated, a server delivered a massive bread basket. This amount of bread could have singlehandedly filled us up before we even ordered, but we came for the Milanese cuisine, so took it easy on the bread.
For primi piatti, we ordered a two pasta combo. We split the “pappardelle di grano saraceno al ragù di vitello” or buckwheat pappardelle with a veal ragu and the “spaghetti al cacio e pepe con profumo di limone” or spaghetti with pepper and cheese with a lemon scent. The buckwheat pappardelle was a bit different than the other pastas I have had in Italy simply because it was made from a different grain. The pasta was still great because it was so fresh, and I’d say the bitter/nutty flavor of the buckwheat went really well with the tender veal ragu. The cacio e pepe was also very good, and I appreciated the twist of the lemon flavor. Sure, Rome is the home of cacio e pepe and you’ll find the best ones there, but this cacio e pepe certainly didn’t disappoint. The sauce was creamy yet light, and the tang of the cheese, kick of the pepper, and zest from the lemon all paired really well with each other. We really enjoyed both pastas.
So Milan is known for its Cotoletta alla Milanese (veal cutlet) and Risotto Alla Milanese. We were on a mission to try these dishes while in Milan. So for the Secondi piatti, we ordered both. The cotoletta alla milanese is essentially a Wiener schnitzel, which the Italians actually take credit for inventing. The veal cutlet was crispy on the outside, yet it was light. The veal itself was tender, and tasty. I was really impressed with the cotoletta alla milanese and would definitely get it again. The saffron risotto was good, but I don’t know if I would order it again. I was surprised at first because the risotto was hard, and had a crunch to it. This was different than the risotto I have had back in the States, as it is normally soft and fully cooked. I still liked it, it was just not what I expected. The saffron was good, and a little sweet. I am not a fan of saffron, so the flavor was not necessarily in my wheelhouse, but if you like saffron I’m sure you will highly enjoy this dish.
Takeaways: All we were seeking was to try traditional Milanese cuisine in Milan and La Libera hit the spot. The two pastas in the beginning were different, and really tasty. I loved the cotoletta alla milanese, and would get it again in a heartbeat. I was not the biggest fan of the risotto alla milanese, but I’d be willing to try it again somewhere else. Overall, I would recommend La Libera to anyone who is trying to try traditional Milanese cuisine.
Score: 7.9/10
a dude eats abroad 