This weekend I made a sort of shake from a ripe nectarine and Greek yogurt. This brought me back to long ago in my mother's city, Milan. While visiting, an uncle took us all to the center of town in Corso Buenos Aires, where a modest storefront offered ice cream and fruit shakes famous all over the city. The name of the store was Viel (vee-ELL), and it began in the 40's when the original family set out from near Belluno in the mountains to conquer the big city with their little carts (which would often stop at strategic positions, such as schools).
Well, Viel is still there and going strong. It is now a chain throughout Milan, and has expanded to serve panini, artisanal beer, and crepes (with fruit and ice cream). Well worth trying- check out the site (in Italian only, includes locations and maps) here.
