The sign of the Osteria La Semivuota creates disconcertion if you come across it by chance if you are a cinephile or nostalgic for the most surreal Italian cinema of the 70s. Where between the scenes cult there is precisely that of I tigger, you tigger, he tigger directed by Giorgio Capitani and a young man Renato Pozzettoprotagonist of the first episode (there are three in total): in search of a trattoria for lunch he enters Semivuota, dilapidated, ramshackle, where you only eat minestrone and everyone calls him an idiot (we highly recommend viewing here). A few minutes of the highest non-sense – among the screenwriters there was Enzo Jannacci – remained in the hearts of many more people than one might imagine. «Every day, at least one customer asks me to call him an idiot. And there is also someone who quotes the lines of the gag by heart”, says the owner Mauro Invernizzi30 years of experience in the sector in Italy and Spain, who had long been toying with the idea of opening an authentic Milanese restaurant.
Love at first sight occurred in via Emilio Cornalia 4 – the former Varesine Porta Nuova area – when the real estate agent opened the doors to him of an old, long-abandoned fish restaurant, now worn out, which at the time wasn't even on the market. . «As soon as I saw it I thought: but this is the Semi-empty!». So much so that when it came to thinking about what to call the tavern, “taking a big risk” in the end it was decided that he already had it. «We imagined the possible titles of the reviews, of the series: “Semi-empty in name and in fact”», continues Invernizzi, at the helm of the adventure with his «partner in life and profession» Elena Riili and with the skilled chef Giacomo Salmoiraghi. Instead, just a few days after the opening, last January, the reviews in various sector newspapers were flattering. «We didn't expect so much attention, especially while we were still taking measures. For example, we hadn't even put the famous minestrone on the menu yet, but we plan to keep it on the menu at all times, perhaps to be served warm during the summer months.” Result: customers started arriving, even from outside, exceeding all expectations. Among these, “Renato Pozzetto's nephew, who has recently been unwell, but whom he hopes to bring soon.”
On the furnishings front, the choice was to respect the atmosphere of the film – obviously making it warmer and more welcoming – where the “fortune of having found brick walls” was gradually added tables, chairs, counters – there is even a refrigerator with lever handles from the 1960s – recovered from the markets. On the walls: «La famous print of the automatic duplicator that a friend gave me, the detail most photographed by customers. And vintage cutlery framed by my mother.” And here we are at the center of the discussion, that is what you eat (and drink) from Semivuota: «Milan and Brianza cuisine has great gastronomic and social value», explains chef Giacomo Edoardo Salmoiraghi. «We don't want to copy nearby traditions, we have a heritage of flavors and aromas to enhance. Indeed, we declare ourselves Milanese fundamentalists: We don't have fresh pasta on the menu, only gnocchi; we cook the cutlet exclusively on the bone, high and pink inside because it is cooked at a low temperature. The only exception concerns wine: the only Milanese wine-growing area is that of San Colombano al Lambro and that would have been a bit reductive. Thus, we have Lombard labels – only Lombard, no further – because our territory produces every kind of wine, white, red, sparkling, at the highest levels, for important occasions or lighter and more joyful, like a real tavern.”
Because, yes, this is a tavern as it was once understood, that is, a place designed to meet around a good glass, to be accompanied with small “hunger relievers”: in addition to the small plates of cured meats, we applaud for example the Dandelion sautéed with bacon and apple balsamic vinegar (5 euros); the Traditional Mondeghili based on boiled meat, Grana Padano, cured meats, parsley, garlic and lemon (6 euros). And above all the incredible Sturgeon in oil served with onions (8 euros), which also has the advantage of reusing an invasive fish considered waste, compared to its precious eggs. For those who have an appetite, the menu, which varies according to the seasons, also includes substantial dishes where respect for tradition meets contemporary techniques: the yellow risotto (15 euros) is excellent, rich in saffron and Grana Padano; the flesh ofbraised veal (15 euros) satisfies the very long cooking time; that of bruscitt (13 euros) tender, seasoned just right, perfect on mashed potatoes or polenta. The dessert chapter is entrusted to the pastry chef Chiara Colzaniauthor of a panna cotta that alone is worth the visit, strictly without isinglass or gelatine, made only with fresh baked cream, after the cold infusion of lemon and coffee.
And instead, the famous minestrone? At Semivuota the rule is: from 6-7 types of seasonal vegetables upwards – where potatoes, carrots and celery can never be missing – cut small so that they can all fit in the spoon and then cooked separately, vacuum-packed (for mere mortals who intend to replicate it, boiling is allowed, obviously. Calculate approximately 700 grams of vegetables for four people). Finally, the dish can be completed with a little fresh cream, as was once used in Brianza to give it more substance, as well as a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkling of Grana cheese.
Source: Vanity Fair
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