Bringing the flavors of Cilento to Milan, including in a gastronomy format, is Paolo De Simone, owner of Modus Gastronomia and Pizzeria. With 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry, having arrived in the city as one of the partners of the Da Zero pizzeria, De Simone is active on several fronts. The latest addition to the Modus galaxy is, in fact, the gastronomy with its two locations on Via Cesare Battisti and Corso Italia. "The idea is to create places where people can eat well and nourish themselves properly, thanks to a vast selection of Cilento offerings, starting from breakfast," says De Simone.
Can you give us a concrete example of a Cilento offering?
"You can choose between mozzarella nella mortella (fresh caciocavallo cheese wrapped in myrtle leaves, ed.), ricotta, rustic vegetable pies, the Soppressata di Gioi—which is a Slow Food presidium—extra virgin olive oil, and our bread made with ancient grains and sourdough. From savory, we move to sweet, always with a local touch: our tarts are made with local ancient grains and Cilento fig jam."
Do the products arrive directly from Cilento?
"The ingredients arrive every other day, and then we process them in Milan. This way, we are able to offer the old recipes of our tradition using the original local ingredients. I have been striving for years to make this possible: we have been skilled at organizing the logistics."
How has this project been received in Milan?
"Very well. Milan has given me so much; it welcomed me immediately, and the Milanese understood the value of the tradition I brought with me right away. I sensed that there was a need for authenticity here, and I had immediate success. Cilento offers extraordinary raw materials, and bringing them fresh to Milan was the key to our success."
Could a gastronomy format not work in Cilento?
"In Cilento, I work on a similar format called Storie di Pane. There, we produce bread with sourdough and flours from ancient Cilento grains, leavened products, and breakfast items that we then sell at Modus. But in Milan, there is a broader market where you can offer high-quality products that would be difficult to sell back home due to high costs."
Are there other places where you could take this format?
"The logistics are ready and are becoming increasingly advanced. This gives me hope for expansion, perhaps abroad. We haven't studied a specific city yet, but I am considering France or Germany."
Was leaving Da Zero for Modus traumatic?
"For me, yes, partly because I raised the bar, but it was a necessary step. For the customers, however, it was natural: they are rediscovering old flavors with my style."
So now your Milanese system consists of Modus Gastronomia and Modus Pizzeria?
"Yes, in the pizzeria, we also have a kitchen. In effect, we start from breakfast and go all the way to dinner, offering continuity for the consumer."
Many are choosing restaurant formats that cover the entire day: are they winning?
"Yes, I believe this is the future. People prefer a more versatile offering, without having to sit at the table for hours. Fine dining will be increasingly reserved for special occasions, while we focus on daily consumption, even multiple times a day."
Modus Milan
Gastronomy
Via Cesare Battisti, 23
Corso Italia, 42
Pizzeria with kitchen
Via Maffei, 12
Corso Magenta, 25
Source: Mitomorrow
