Apertivi alla Milanese

I am pleased to make the following happy announcement: This weekend we found our first good deal. (n.b., I am not counting the toothpaste we stocked up on in Germany or the deodorant purchased at our local "Tutti 2CHF" store because I do not consider paying a normal price instead of an exorbitant one to be a good deal.) Dinner and two large drinks (each) for a mere 32 euros!

Of course we could not have found this good deal in Milan without the help of locals (we could in fact hardly procure any dinner at all for ourselves upon last visit). Swiss Mr.'s kindly Italian labmates showed us how the unrich in Milan manage a night out: expensive drinks at bars with free food. The quality of this food can vary greatly, we found. In the best case you're eating eating nicely displayed food cooked by a chef with a long gray mustache; in the worst case you're eating potato chips and ham on a bun from plastic plates. But I imagine with a bit of effort a sophisticated bar-hopper could avoid tailgating food altogether.

I also feel compelled to point out that this was an "all-you-can-eat" arrangement. After spending too much time with a cheeky Brit this weekend, I'm still on the defensive about American eating habits. So I would just like to note that, though all-you-can-eat and free refills may have originated in the US, we are not the only country to enjoy constraint-free dining.