The Milan Apertivo Experience- Date Night #1 :)

Well first off, here is how to walk in stiletto heels in Milan....................DON'T :) I'm fairly certain that Milanese ladies have been trained from a very early age on how to navigate cobblestone streets, crumbling, uneven sidewalks and subway grates as large as the pavement.  I did get myself around but we ended up not going for a walk before heading home because my shoes had ripped my feet into strips, note to self for next date night- get better shoes! I actually just bought a pair of Camper shoes today that look fabulous. I've noticed a lot of the Italian ladies wearing them, they have  big thick rubber heel but still manage to look fabulous, so maybe I'll wear those next time.

We didn't have a solid plan just to head into Milan for apertivo and dinner. For those of you that don't know what an apertivo is, Milan has moulded it into something that takes it above and beyond what it is in the rest of Italy!!!
Apertivo
" Aperitivo italiano is NOT a “Happy Hour” in the traditional sense.  Happy Hour in the U.S. is a concept about getting a drink “discount” and drinks and/or appetizers are usually discounted or bundled together. Not so in Italy. Aperitivo in Italy is plain and simply aperitivo: A pre-dinner drink, meant to “open” the palate and it gives you a chance to socialize, relax, and nibble as dinner approaches or is overlooked altogether. Aperitivo is more popular in the north of Italy, though you’ll find a form of it throughout Italy.  Drinks during aperitivo are not only not discounted, but often they have a supplement added to them to compensate for the refreshments being offered alongside. How much supplement will depend on the reputation and location of where you are"

So basically you go into these places, its CROWDED in the best ones and you have to fight for a seat, then you order a drink(alcoholic or non-alcoholic) and then they bring you a plate of bread with meat on it, olives and potato chips. Then there is usually a big food spread at the bar too, salami, bruchetta, brioches, pastries, vegetable plates, fruit etc etc.  Apparently some of them go all out and there is pasta in a buffet style!! All of this food just comes with the one drink you order!! Its brilliant really.
We ended up going to a place called
Radetzky
which I found out today is described as "possibly one of the most “fighetto” (posh) bars around, on a nice night the square in front of this bar fills up with hundreds of people in suits, carrying motorino helmets and checking out…everyone"

Well it certainly was busy, we were lucky to score a table right off the bat but otherwise people just milled around like vultures waiting for someone to leave!!! We saw one disagreement(which of course in Italian sounds like they are about to throw down) about who got the one seat at this big table. The waiter came over and sorted it very quickly. Hilarious! A lady walked in wearing what looked like a small fox on her head in the form of a hat. There was another lady who I'm sure must be a famous porn star because, well, she looked like one!!!  We are laughing this morning that Radetzky is one of the "places to be seen" in Milan, well we were seen there!!! hahaha We only stayed for one drink and some snacks there and then we wandered down the pedestrian way to a place called
Bento
it was a sushi restaurant and it was SO GOOD!!!! Scrumptious, delicious, BUONISSIMO!!!!
So if any of you come to visit and have a hankering for sushi we've got just the place for you. After that we walked back down Corso Como. We went in and checked out Corso Como 10 which is another awesome little place tucked back out of the way in its own private interior garden, might go there next time.
We saw Lollapaloosa, and Hollywood which are two of the major clubs in the Corso Como area, Hollywood wasn't open yet but Lollapaloosa was PACKED with the young and fabulous looking!!!!
We had a blast window shopping and people watching, the Italians are always amusing to watch, they come out in the most ridiculous outfits!!!!!