Our first evening in Milan, out for a walk in the vicinity of our hotel, we discovered Cucina Del Toro, just a short block away. With the exterior being extremely modest in appearance, one could very easily pass it by. But exhausted from our trip—we had flown in from Budapest only about an hour earlier—we were on the look-out for a place to eat, somewhat casual, and close to the hotel. It opened at 7. Perfect timing! We were the first dinner guest, but within the next half hour, a few locals came in.

The host was welcoming, and the service, excellent. He patiently translated the items on the menu, and explained the contents of each. All the dishes were cooked to order, from scratch, using local ingredients. Indeed, I could tell! Everything tasted superb. At the end of our  meal, both the host and the chef came over to chat, and were kind enough to allow me the pleasure of taking their picture. It turned out to be a delightful first night in Milan.