Hats-Off

#182−2016:
Finally… thanks (once again) Salvatore for the challenge. And thanks Hats Off for making me feel a little less homesick.
I met with some Unilocaled, some friends and some family members for a Sunday funday brunch at this little corner of the good ol’ comfort food of the land of star’s stripes.
We ordered:
— Onion rings (some slightly over fried) with beer batter with honey mustard … YOLO!!!
— cheese burger with raw onions and French fries (truly appreciated)
— pulled pork sandwich (I needed a a shower afterwards… which means it was TRULY amazing)… it was so wonderfully cooked and the meat melted in my mouth.
— baby back ribs with BBQ sauce and French fries (wonderfully cooked, extremely soft and chewable)
— hot wings (ÜBER-​spicy) and some a tad too over-​cooked with gorgonzola sauce.
— pancakes with maple syrup and whipped cream
–super huge and decadent burrito with 3 sauces (guacamole, sour cream and jalapeño)
The squeezed oranges were very nice and the bottled water was good as well. The beer on tap was from Piemonte and very good indeed.
Everything was truly great… EXCEPT for the coffee.. that tasted burnt.
Everything was amazing and tasty and I surely will come back over and over again to try a few more options off the menu… Welcome to my home away from home…
BRAVO!!!

After a couple of stops at Hats-​Off, I’m finally ready to review it and it can’t be less than 5 stars because everytime I’ve found good and attentive service and excellent food.
Cecily’s place is what I would call the most authentic American food I’ve had in Italy, and thanks to her you can eat real bbq baby back ribs, yummy burgers and the best apple pie in Milan (among other delicious dishes).
The place is not big, about 10 tables, you can see that Cecily is always taking care of everything, from the entrance where she greets you, then explaining every dish at your table (I loved the explanation about the Animal Fries: «Italians complain that it seems we gave them leftovers, but that’s the way they are, it’s a typical L.A. dish, so don’t complain if you order them» — seriously, Google them if you don’t believe it) and always checking up on you, if you need anything and if the food’s OK.
I’ve been here for a traditional Thanksgiving dinner where we left super full and satisfied (first approach to their apple pie, yummy!): turkey, potatoes, mac n’cheese, dips, brownies, etc., then for drinks and to watch the game (it can be a valid alternative to a sports bar — big screen, beers, onion rings, what else do you need?), for dessert (apple pie!) and for dinner again last night. As starters, we had the shrimp pil pil (spicy and hot, probably not the best choice on a hot summer evening… we were sweating) and the animal fries (loved them, I would also order them as bar snacks to watch the game); then the famous baby back ribs (be ready to lick your fingers) and the blue cheese burger which was a mess to eat (the patty was too juicy and the bun got too moisty) so I ended up eating it with fork and knife but it was very good and cooked perfectly to my taste; the sides were also good: creamed spinach and cucumber salad with tzatziki… as if we weren’t full enough, we had the apple pie and the cheesecake, both great.
Prices are average for restaurants in the city center and considering the quality and authenticity, well, hats off to Cecily!!!