“Poco, ma Buono”

“Poco, ma Buono,” in Italian, literally, “Little, but Good,” is a deceptively simple phrase that sums up in a remarkably succinct way the Italian approach to so much of what is great in the wine, food, and culture.
Take, for example, espresso (not “expresso”). Invented by a Milanese businessman as a way to encourage his workers to speed up their coffee breaks around the turn of the century, it represents a true condensation of all that is great about coffee in one mere ounce of tawny brownish-gold elixir.
Yet this is not what we here in America have come to expect…

I used to be the Peter Burwash International tennis director at Hotel Poiano on Lake Garda. One day, walking through nearby Verona with Chris, an amiable Texan tennis pro working with me at the hotel, he wanted to get a coffee. Heading into the nearest bar, and requesting a coffee, (“Un caffe’, perpiacere”, trans. “A coffee, please”), the barista put a perfectly-pulled espresso in his hand.
With equal parts incredulity and outrage, Chris looked down at the small heavy cup and replied to me & the barista, “Are you kidding me? Are you f*ing kidding me? What is this, some kind of joke?”
Obviously, in West Texas where Chris was from, the coffee from the local Circle K is more often to be found as a 24-ounce “Big Gulp.” How could this small cup even hope to come close to approaching the satisfaction of a “real” cup of coffee?
Ultimately, it’s about expectations, controlled as they are by what we’ve been exposed to.
Naturally, anyone who’s had the chance to learn about, and savor an espresso, either by itself, “corrected,” or in a capuccino, has a different take.
The same could be said for the pasta that one eats in Italy. Italians find it unusual when Americans come to Italy, and only order pasta and a salad. (Salad is always served towards the end of a meal, but more on that in another post.) Pasta is only intended to be part of the larger tapestry of a “complete” Italian meal.
Important Note: The typical portion size for a plate of pasta begins with 60 grams (less than 2.2 ounces) of dry pasta. “Poco,” indeed!
America in particular, has made a virtue of “big.” When you go to a restaurant, the portion sizes are astronomical (32-ounce steaks, bottomless pasta bowls, all-you-can-eat buffets). And we want it fast.
Ironically, the lightning fast espresso of turn-of-the-century Milan can now be considered the remaining foundation of a contemplative “slow food” approach to coffee- selecting the beans with care (La Miscela), grinding to perfection (La Macinazione), and operating the espresso machine with the proper care and technique (La Mano), taken together, represent a diametric opposite from today’s “instant” coffee.
Fortunately, here in America, we have alternatives for a “real” espresso. Two personal favorites here in New York are:

• Sant’Ambroeus
• Basso 56

More about these fine establishments in future posts, as they both offer unique, rare, and authentic tastes of Italy…
And for elsewhere around the world, you could do worse than Starbucks, who recently re-committed themselves to the “art of the espresso,” shutting down all stores and re-training the staff on how to pull the proper shot.
Forget the doppio (double) shot – go for the single, and savor.
Skip the sugar, even, and let me know your experience with “poco, ma buono.”

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