As Head of Creative & Storytelling at Eataly I was tasked with creating the visual identity for Trattoria Milano, the company’s fine dining restaurant at its first Canadian store in Toronto. But this was much more than a standard branding project. Inspired by Milan’s status as postwar capital of design and by the modern eclecticism of the city’s food scene, Trattoria Milano was conceived as a multi-sensory experience, that intended to meld a traditional Milanese menu with art and performance in a single and unique salon space.
Unsurprisingly given its ambitious scope, the project’s direction — and even its name — were the subject of much debate from the beginning. What started as Casa Milano became the abbreviated Ca’ Milano before reverting to the more conventional Trattoria Milano. I was drawn to classic typefaces such as Bodoni, Futura, Helvetica — as seen frequently in the unmistakeable work of graphic designers Massimo Vignelli and Bob Noorda.
The restaurant’s menu showcased classic Milanese dishes — risotto, cotoletta and ossobuco — and included descriptions in three languages: English, Italian, and Milanese dialect. For the guest check presenters I created a series of postcards with historical photos of Milan’s landmarks, from Piazza Duomo to La Scala, and even the stadium at San Siro!
The most challenging aspect of the project — both aesthetically and logistically — was the decor. For the walls I curated a series of prints by Enzo Mari, Bruno Munari, Mimmo Paladino and Olimpia Zagnoli.
In addition, I obtained a variety of iconic pieces by celebrated Milanese designers — including Gio Ponti, Achille Castiglioni and Richard Sapper — but only provided that they would also provide a function within a working restaurant.
The mid-century vibe was confirmed with used LPs, hefty volumes on design, old issues of Domus, and even vintage brochures from Milan’s tourism board. Of course, the space was incomplete without an original Olivetti Lettera 32 typewriter!
Trattoria Milano proved so successful — both with the Toronto public and internally — that the concept was replicated as “Bar Milano” at Eataly’s flagship location in New York’s Flatiron district.
