So it was Day 13 of two weeks of travel spanning the Italian and French Rivieras, beginning and ending in Milan, which is a far cry from the beaches in small villages like Camogli and Portofino and the hills of Saint Tropéz. Thus, our last day in Europe was a way to settle back into urban sophistication after the more idyllic charms of the Rivieras.
    Not too long ago Milan endured an image of being a northern industrial city, but today the first thing that comes to mind when the city’s name is uttered is fashion. Milan Fashion Week is one of the most prestigious, highly attended and influential weeks of the year for the fashion industry, when the greatest designers gather to show off their upcoming collections that will shape and dictate the styles to come. In this century Milan has surpassed Paris as the fashion capital of the world.  But Milan is not solely about fashion. It is a city that leads Italy in so many important ways, not least as Italy’s financial center, where its Stock Exchange is located. In the arts Milan sets the standards and the tone for other major European markets. The city is home to one of the grandest Opera houses in the world, Teatro della Scala (left). It is the city where Leonardo DaVinci’s “Last Supper” and the Brera Museum are located, anchored by the Gothic Milan Cathedral and the Galleria, the world’s first shopping mall. And let’s not forget, Milan has some of the most exclusive shopping in Europe.
    On our return to the city for our last night, my wife and I stayed at the Mandarin Oriental Milan. From a narrow cobbled road we pulled up to the main entrance into the hotel’s private piazza, which was long ago a cart entry. Today the premises are made up of four historic 18th  century buildings, formerly a manor house, a bank and the city’s tax office. Via the vision of architect and designer Antonio Citterio, the four structures were transformed into one of the most beautifully modern locations in the city. 
      Upon entering the main lobby, you will easily sense Citterio’s particular style, dimora Milanese—“noble Milanese residence”—by which the design of the façade was kept in tune with much of Milan’s architectural motifs; inside, the design is driven more by modernity central to the Mandarin Oriental group’s style. This blend of old and new is exemplified by Citterio’s use of highly colorful palettes, beautiful oak wood floors, Italian and Brazilian marble, walnut and oak walls, and soft textures of velvet that meld with and complement harder lines throughout the décor, which differs in each room. There are a number of suites inspired by great Milanese designers whom Citterio considers masters, including The Fornasetti Suite, which is playful, full of visual textures, and a departure from the rest. Another is an homage to Giò Ponti, which takes a 1950s minimalist approach highlighted by a Sarfatti chandelier, vases by Christofle, arm chairs and sofas designed by L. Caccia Dominioni, and the ‘Spoon XL’ bathtub from Agape.
    As someone who has traveled through much of Europe, Japan and the continental U.S., staying in a number of Mandarin Oriental properties, I have always noticed the consistency and continuity of the staff towards their guests.
     After checking in, we ventured out into the fashion district just a few blocks away to work up an appetite for dinner and to splurge a little on some high-end fashion. We of course hit the main shops in the so-called Golden Triangle—the cobbled streets of Via della Spiga, Via Santa Andrea and Via Montenapoleone lined with boutiques by Alexander McQueen, Thom Browne, Luis Vuitton and Gianvito Rossi—but we also stumbled across a great vintage couture shop named Cavalli e Nastri (right) where my wife found an Yves St. Laurent bag going back 20 years and a supple white lamb’s leather Fendi jacket.
    By the way, in an effort to attract more visitors, Milan has banned all street food, food trucks, and drinks in glass bottles in heavily trafficked parts of the city, including the area between Piazza XXIV Maggio, Gorizia Avenue, Via Codara, Cantore Square, and Gabriele D’Annunzio Avenue, as well as fireworks and firecrackers, and selfie sticks!
    After a couple hours of shopping, I was ready to throw in the towel, so we headed back to our room to get ready for what was to become the best meal we had on our entire journey over the two weeks in Europe. I guess they’re right when they say you save the best for last. There are two restaurants, the casual Mandarin Bar & Bistro (left)and the elegant Seta, both overseen by Executive Chef Antonio Guida (below, left), who has an extensive history, working in his earlier years for Pierre Gagnaire in Paris, Enoteca Pinchiorri in Florence and Don Alfonso on the Amalfi Coast. Upon his joining Seta (below), the restaurant received its first Michelin star, after only four months of being open, and then in 2016 received its second star—one of only five restaurants in Milan so ranked.
    The Bar & Bistro is done in a sophisticated decor of hound’s tooth patterned furniture and a mosaic of black and white marble décor that goes from floor to ceiling along the walls and pillars. Cocktails and light dishes are served. Seta’s design has plush, opulent fabrics, vibrant deep colors, and glorious woods with crisp white tablecloths and aquamarine veined marble laminates. In the mood for a culinary adventure, we left ourselves in the hands of Chef Guida—resulting in a seven-course journey of modern Italian cuisine, beginning with ostriche con patate, peperoni frigitelli e salsa alla champagne, a succulent oyster just barely poached enough to tighten its texture, set over gently crushed potatoes and draped with a velvety Champagne sauce. Following this was astice blu arrosto con zabaione ai funghi, cardi e polvere di trombette, pan-roasted blue lobster with a zabaione of earthy mushrooms and tart cardoons to balance the essential sweetness of the lobster. Riso in cagnone con verdure, Maccagno e polvere di lampone was one of my favorite dishes of the meal: perfectly al dente risotto was made with Maccagno, a half-cooked cow’s milk cheese from Piedmont that has hints of herbs in its profile to complement the autumn vegetable style of vegetable-based risotto, finished with a dash of raspberry powder that added a kick of acidity perfectly balancing the richness of the dish.
    Though not my favorite, spaghetti with a very pungent mackerel sauce topped with a julienne of cuttle fish was impeccably executed, and if you like those pungent flavors, then make it a point not to miss it. Triglia avvolta in foglie di bieta, salsa di granciporro e conchiglie di mare was my second favorite dish that evening: beautiful whole red mullet cooked till just medium, finished with a king crab sauce similar to sauce Américaine, then garnished with tender morsels of sea snails that added just one more dimension.
    Our final savory course was loin of lamb roasted to its rightful rosy state, complemented with small eggplants and finished with creamy goat’s cheese. Last but not least was dessert, a course that should carry just as much importance as any other course (as I am always reminded by my wife, who is pastry chef under Marc Aumont in New York’s Gabriel Kreuther Restaurant). Our culinary excursion concluded with dolce alla ricotta, cheesecake with wild strawberries, a tomato water sauce and saffron ice cream (right).
    Seta’s wine list is extensive, to say the least, but if you plan on doing a multiple course experience, I recommend entrusting yourself to the wine team and have them do a dish-by-dish pairing for you, as I did. Their services were thoughtful, unique, engaging and elevating.
    So following what was one of the most inspiring meals  of our trip, I surrendered to the sentiment that Milan had become one of my favorite cities in Italy. I had come to the realization that Milan wasn’t just the superficial fashion town I had always assumed but was a city incredibly rich in art,culture and style. It is a diverse city, and one that can satisfy the yearning of many different people from many walks of life.

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USA Today reports that researchers concluded that women who work in “sexually objectifying restaurant environments” like Hooters and Twin Peaks, where they must wear revealing clothing and flirt with customers, were at greater risk for anxiety and eating disorders. According to the study "In Sexually Objectifying Environments: Power, Rumination, and Waitresses’ Anxiety and Disordered Eating"  published in Psychology of Women Quarterly,  a pair of researchers surveyed 250 female restaurant servers at such "breastaurants" and found the in some cases the women's appearance was “graded” by customers and supervisors and that the women "lacked power at work to control their own environment, such as with sexual harassment."