{"id":370,"date":"2007-07-23T06:24:33","date_gmt":"2007-07-23T06:24:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2007\/07\/23\/summer-means-aperitivo-in-italy\/"},"modified":"2008-09-01T19:29:04","modified_gmt":"2008-09-01T19:29:04","slug":"summer-means-aperitivo-in-italy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.msadventuresinitaly.com\/blog\/2007\/07\/23\/summer-means-aperitivo-in-italy\/","title":{"rendered":"Summer Means Aperitivo in Italy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aperitivo<\/strong> is one of my favorite reasons to live in Italy, right behind gelato<\/a> and pasta. Also known as aperitif in other parts of the world, it comes from aperitivus or aperire, Latin meaning to open. Open your palate before your meal!<\/p>\n

Aperitivo is one of the things Milano does best, and it makes the humid Milanese summer bearable. Between 6-9, depending on the bar, you can get a few potato chips and olives with your drink, or you can get an entire buffet. A traditional aperitif drink will be Campari or Vermouth, or a sweet Brachetto or Prosecco, but more recently many bars are offering any drink as part of their aperitivo list.<\/p>\n

Aperitivo at bars in Milan can usually be classified into two categories: there for the food, or there for the scene<\/strong>. The aperitivo at the Diana Majestic will set you back a cool 10 euro for whatever you order, but the accompanying “buffet” is pretty scarce and having a few snacks before you arrive and brush shoulders with numerous models is advised. Be sure to spray with mosquito repellent beforehand – the beautiful garden and fountains outside can attract a lot of wildlife!<\/p>\n

Some bars offer hot pasta dishes, deli meats, smoked salmon, rice\/pasta salad, fresh focaccia, fruit salads and countless variations of bruschetta and crostini to tempt a drinking crowd. In the winter, risotto and polenta make an appearance at aperitivo. For many single Milanese, often the concept of aperitivo stretches to be their dinner as well, with a “free” drink, and it lets you socialize with friends for a few hours at a pretty low cost. When we get aperitivo in Puglia, I always look forward to fresh mozzarella with my drink<\/a>. <\/p>\n

I had wanted to invite some friends over for a meal this weekend and while my mind was spinning with ideas, the last thing you want to do on a hot summer evening is working over the stove while guests are arriving. And then it came to me: aperitivo! This would be a good time to serve cold dishes and keep things light enough that we could socialize and eat as much as necessary. <\/p>\n

The menu:<\/strong><\/p>\n