The Postcard is an editorial format that we created many years ago and decided to bring back with the launch of the Gourmode Gazette.

Do you remember when, at the end of a holiday, we used to buy postcards for our loved ones and spend hours writing in beautiful calligraphy a thought, a greeting, a piece of advice from a place you had visited? You would buy stamps and insert the postcards in the red mailbox, with that thrill of waiting, the doubt of not knowing when they would arrive at their destination, and with slight dizziness in your legs from having “thrown them into the void”, into a parallel dimension, where the future is already written and from which there is no turning back.

 A lost tradition that should be revived.

Well, here in the small editorial office of Gourmode, we decided to do just that.

How?

We’re going to ask our readers to send us Postcards with authentic tips from their favourite places, in pure gourmet à la mode style of course.

Because who better than a resident, an habitué, an insider to know a place and let us discover it?

But from whom and where to begin?  The question was nagging at us and we couldn’t find an answer.

So, we are starting this column in a rather odd way and we hope you don’t mind.

We have opened a poll and asked you, our audience, what you think is the most Gourmode place in Milan.

Your answers brought us some smiles, some tears, and undoubtedly made us realise that our community has a very special value. A cultured and sophisticated public, who love the luxury of authenticity, of the search for a niche, a precious public who recognise themselves in a real lifestyle that we like to define gourmode.

What can we say, the next Postcards promise very well, let’s start with this ode to Milan?

Thanks to all of you who made it special!

Who: Elena Fogazzaro, for friends Foggy.

Passport: Enogourmand, a bit of a fashion addict, tireless traveller, fan of dachshunds and flamingos. At times nostalgic – my dream era? A mélange of Belle Époque, 1960s Saint Tropez and 1980s Milan.

The most gourmode place in Milan according to Elena:

Peck.

Do you know Breakfast at Tiffany’s? Feeling a little bit Audrey Hepburn, Peck for me is the Peck is for me the perfect afternoon strolling among all kinds of delicacies displayed like jewels in a window. And while tasting with the eyes we pass by langoustines, aged goat cheese, lamb carré and pâté – all carefully wrapped up like gifts to put under the tree in those yellow bags that tell the story of Milan. And intoxicated by all this beauty, the perfect conclusion: bubbly and aged Parmesan in the centre of the boutique… Isn’t this simplement gourmode?

Who: Nick Laus, stage name.

Passport: Born in the mountains, with a passion for beautiful things and ugly tattoos. Cyclist and  sad music player. Most recently a lawyer.

The most gourmode place in Milan according to Nick:

Pasticceria Gattullo. 

Who: Giulia Zani.

Passport: Art is the main protagonist in my life, a passion as well as a profession. The study and research of beauty in all its forms have pushed me to travel, to leave my comfort zone, right in Milan, the beauty is hidden in the most unexpected places … you just need the right inspiration and the courage to get lost in an urban maze full of surprises!

The most gourmode place in Milan according to Giulia:

Giacomo Bistrot.

Who: Giulia Crestini.

Passport: Be brave, always. 🥀

The most gourmode place in Milan according to Giulia:

Giardino Renata Tebaldi.

Amidst elegant palaces and blooming magnolias, everything speaks of decadent romanticism. The scent of flowers mingle with the sun and the life of the city, transporting us to another era. A place where lovers declare their eternal love, while if you close your eyes you can still hear the gentle singing of Renata Tebaldi.

An oasis of memories and a pure hymn to life with all its emotions and facets.

Passport: Textile art director and sales manager in the textile sector. Lover of art, colour, materials and everything that, without the need of words, manages to transmit, communicate and excite. An aesthete by nature, dispenser of passion, determination and positive vibes in her spare time.

“Nothing is impossible to achieve: you just have to want it badly, work hard every day and boldly conquer it”.

The most gourmode place in Milan according to Francesca:

Villa Necchi Campiglio.

Essential and austere on the outside, rich and elegant inside, the worthy home of a family destined to become one of the most influential on the Milanese industrial scene. Destined to become one of the most influential on the Milanese industrial scene.

How could I not mention this as one of Milan’s gourmand places par excellence?

In my opinion, it fully represents the lifestyle that all of us great little entrepreneurs have in common: strong, beautiful from the outside right from the first impact, but even more so when you get to know them in-depth.

Elegant and sophisticated by nature, we don’t need to flaunt it, it just shows.

Determined, strong and admired.

Who: Sara Baschirotto

Passport: Born as a lover of beauty, a gourmet and in constant search of culinary, artistic and stylish novelties. Venetian by origin, Milanese by adoption. In love with places with an atmosphere poised between the ancient verve of Milanese cafés and the esprit de vivre of Parisian brasseries, with a touch of British style. My style is eclectic and personal. My inspiration is the icons of the past, the turtleneck, but also the clean and essential lines of modern Nordic style.

The most gourmode place in Milan according to Sara:

Trattoria Aurora.

The green sign hides the surprise that welcomes diners. Once inside, you are transported to an atmosphere of yesteryear where everything, from the fabric bedside lamps and eroded mirrors to the red velvet seats, recounts a city of the past, where Art Nouveau floral taste was the protagonist.

The secret courtyard under the pergola of wild vines is the jewel in the crown.

Gourmet á la mode, with a hint of nostalgia.

Who: Noemi Giovannino.

Passport: Vintage media designer.

I like nature and I flâner wherever I like. I have dancing eyes that compulsively are trying to find inspirations to capture; I accumulate images and things by creating my multimedia Cabinet de Curiosités. I choose what to dust off, I imagine a story and with a touch of noémien, it becomes real.

In my wardrobe I have witty and colourful goodies, I feel like myself when I wear old-fashioned things.

I have a heart-shaped mole, I speak backwards, I am left-handed; playful and anachronistic, an eternal child.

The most gourmode place in Milan according to Noemi:

The Navigli flea market.

For me it is the gourmode place par excellence; a place that like a few makes you forget where you are by losing yourself among stalls teeming with all kinds of treasures; the same treasures that the Atelier churns out!

More than a place, they are both an experience that takes you on a journey in which you discover that there is history and substance behind a beauty that is mistaken by many for a glossy appearance.

Who: Gloria Sapienza.

Passport: I am a creative and one of the founders of The Rown Club, a reality that combines art, fashion, design, at the centre of which are women and the most important values are empathy and connection.

The most gourmode place in Milan according to Gloria:

Attico of Torre Breda.

A unique place with an elegant and eclectic personality.

Who: Giuseppe De Corato

Passport: I love the world of fabrics and men’s tailoring, so much that I have made a profession out of it.

Originally from Puglia, but a citizen of the world. On Tuesday you can find me walking down Savile Row in a Prince of Wales double-breasted suit and on Friday sipping a Margarita in a sandy Solaro suit on Miami Beach.

The most gourmode place in Milan according to Giuseppe:

Clarita’s Flat.

The flat of Clara, founder of Gourmode, is by definition the most Gourmode place in Milan.

Clara’s den, enveloped in a cloud of amber perfume, is illuminated by the warm light of vintage bedside lamps mixed with modern antiques. As a lover of fabrics, I immediately noticed the mix of velvets, silks and bouclé wool in a fusion of antique and contemporary with its iconic palette of nude and pinkish colours and shades of sage green, olive and emerald.

Very Clara, very Gourmode.