Today is day 5 of the Milan Expo and the calendar of events within the pavilions is very full. I want to mention one of the clusters in the fair – that on rice, a staple the world over. Italy’s north is known for its risaie. One of the appointments’ on today’s calendar is with two chefs known for their menus and its many risotti, the Fratelli Costardi.

When I lived in Milan, I would sometimes order Risotto alla Milanese on a cold winter day, in the warmer months, I liked to sometimes eat the rice salad that would be on any of the lunch menus at bars in the center of the city. My first office in Milan was in the Palazzo dell’Informazione in a fascist era building that housed all of the newswires and media publications. It was next to today’s street of the week, Via Turati. Via Filippo Turati is quite centrally located and ends in Piazza Cavour. All of these streets and piazzas are named for “statisti” or Statesman – politicians mostly.

Via Turati is an important one for US tourists because the US Consulate is located nearby. While lunch in the middle of the city may not be on your list, one should have a least one Caffe Shakerato while in the city. I usually get mine without sugar but it is delicious either way.

The area around Piazza Cavour is also home to two additional sights to visit, the Giardini Pubblici, renamed for Indro Montanelli – a famed journalist and the Swiss Center which has a nice bar for that most Milanese of habits – the aperitivo.