For 150 years, it has welcomed travelers and loyal customers with warmth, passion, and constantly evolving cuisine. The story of a discovery that also speaks of prejudice, homecomings, and gratitude.
The surprise behind my house
When the team at Reporter Gourmet recommended the cuisine of Osteria della Pista, I initially thought it was a case of mistaken identity. It seemed too much of a coincidence: it couldn't be the restaurant located practically ten minutes from my house. There are three fundamental criteria for newsworthiness in journalism:emotional proximity, cultural proximity, and geographical proximity. In this case, it was the latter that threw me off, because when you live in the provinces, everything that is close by often seems less interesting. Fortunately, however, we humans are granted a great opportunity: to discover something new even around the corner. And that's what happened, because Osteria della Pista is a great place to be. It has been for 150 years.
A place with deep roots and an open vision
Founded in 1875 and now considered one of Lombardy's historic restaurants, the Osteria is a piece of history that still lives on, naturally. It has been run by the Taiano family for 54 years. You can see it. But you don't feel it, in the sense that there is never any rhetoric about “it's always been done this way.” The name of the trattoria has equestrian roots, linked to the “track” that once connected Milan to the Casorate stables. Villa Bocconi, the horses, the Milanese aristocracy fleeing the city: these are all echoes that resonate in the halls, rooms, furnishings, and names of the rooms, dedicated to local stables and famous horses. But today, the typical customer arrives from another track: that of Malpensa Airport, just a stone's throw away. And so, among managers in transit, vacationers, and local regulars, there is a hybrid atmosphere that is interesting, cosmopolitan, and authentic all at once.
The art of hospitality, done well and with heart
Then there are them: Celeste, Giacomo, Francesca, and Silvia. The welcome they offer is deep, warm, smiling, and genuine. They seem like family friends, yet they are professionals with a capital “P.” They manage to mask their skillful management behind a composed and luminous naturalness. They advise you with grace, tell you stories with passion, and move with the rare grace of those who really know what they are doing. They tell you about the place, the dishes, and the history. You understand that this is not just a job for them, but rather a place they have chosen to care for every day. In a world of increasingly formulaic and standardized restaurants, they are contemporary hosts. And they remind you what it really means to feel like a guest.
A cuisine that comforts, seduces, and surprises
The cuisine also follows this philosophy of balance between ambition and practicality. It is Italian, of course, but not rigid. Traditional where necessary, creative when it can be. Fish reigns supreme, but the pizzas also play a starring role. The signature padellini dishes are not to be missed. The “Patanegra,” for example, is a small masterpiece: a highly hydrated dough, sourdough, thick but crumbly crust, and an intense aroma of stone-ground wheat. The topping? Stracciatella di burrata and Paleta di Patanegra de Bellota: a successful combination of the sweetness of the dairy product and the nobility of the Iberian cured meat.
The “Mediterraneo” is a hymn to savory lightness: San Marzano tomato confit, buffalo cream, Cetara anchovies, crystallized basil. Every bite makes sense. Then there is the “Ricciola,” perhaps the most surprising: black vegetable char, marinated sashimi, pea and lime cream, tomato powder. A successful combination of freshness and umami, sea and garden.
Among the appetizers to try, the tuna tataki with melon gazpacho, salted melon, soy sauce, and lime-infused puffed quinoa is a vibrant and well-balanced starter, playing on the contrasts between sweet and savory, acidity, and toasted flavors. It is impossible not to mention the zucchini flowers stuffed with ricotta, Cetara anchovies and lemon, served on a cream of zucchini and mint: aromatic, fresh and irresistible. The seared octopus with stracciatella, sun-dried tomatoes and fennel bread crumble is a comfort dish of the highest order. Intense flavors, well-balanced textures and a sure hand.
The risotto with lobster, served with its bisque, parsley powder, and glasswort, is a classic dish revisited with clean flavors and intense marine notes. More earthy but no less luxurious is the dish of Tagliatelle with Fassona beef ragu, enriched with truffle gorgonzola and black truffle perlage: dense, delicious, built on layers of flavor that chase each other without weighing down the dish.
Those looking for something truly different can try the marinated salt cod with strawberries, poppy seeds, basil sauce, and salad: fresh, aromatic, and surprising without being extravagant. Also excellent are the mixed fry and CBT pork ribs with lime, soy, and purple potatoes, dishes that are authentic and clean at the same time. The menu also includes traditional pizzas, which are well made and never boring. The style is that of a “restaurant” cuisine with a trattoria soul: a comfort zone that never sacrifices flair, speaks clearly, and always has something new to say.
The wine cellar, between bubbles and stories to tell
The wine cellar is equally impressive: it is carefully tended by Giacomo, a sommelier and champagne specialist, who has put together an interesting selection of Italian labels, some high-quality champagnes (including Laurent-Perrier) and a few hidden gems, such as the Lambrusco metodo classico 36 mesi sui lieviti from Cantine della Volta, or the wines from Cantine Apicella, a winery on the Amalfi Coast that also processes grapes from the family vineyards, originally from Tramonti. In the end, you realize that certain prejudices—those about the provinces, about proximity, about what we always have before our eyes—are to be refuted. Osteria della Pista is a surprise behind the house, of course. But it is also and above all a place where quality, attention, kindness, and taste do their job every day, with passion. And when that happens, it is always worth telling.
Contacts
Osteria della Pista
Via Verbano, 1, 21011 Casorate Sempione VA
Phone: 0331 295054
