Milan's Duomo cathedral
		Where to Eat
		Home Cooking Alla Milanese Nothing says "Lombardy" like a classic saffron risotto with osso buco
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Some Italian cities are strong on romance, while others offer fascinating ruins or art museums. Milan has all of that, but mainly it's the place to go for great eating. While other Italian cities have wonderful regional food and wine, cosmopolitan Milan stands head and shoulders above the rest, with a range of choices that's bigger and better than anywhere else in the country.

Milan's restaurants, like its fashions, come in every stripe and color. Milanese chefs are at the vanguard of innovative cooking, introducing flavors from around the world to the Italian pantry. There are restaurants that feature the cooking of Southeast Asia, Africa, Central or South America and some where you can even find an American-style brunch. Italian regional cuisines are well-represented, especially those of Tuscany, Piedmont, Sicily and Campania. Yet the food most Milanese cherish is the classic cooking of their native Lombardy. One of Italy's richest agricultural regions, Lombardy fills local kitchens with a wealth of top-quality ingredients. You might expect the trim and natty Milanese to dine solely on salad leaves, but the truth is that the dishes closest to their hearts are rich and hearty. Butter, cream, cheese, veal, rice and polenta are staples.

Milan's deluxe restaurants are on a par with those in London, Paris and New York. At the top of the list are luxurious modern dining rooms such as Sadler, Cracco-Peck and Il Luogo di Aimo e Nadia, offering a world of great wine with formal service, elegant decor and creative Italian cooking prepared by renowned chefs.

For a more casual, local experience, try risotto Milanese, osso buco and cassoeula -- pork and cabbage stew -- at one of the city's homey trattorias. For even more informal meals, there are pizzerias serving pies as good as you will find anywhere in Italy, as well as that uniquely Milanese eating experience, the paninoteca, a sandwich shop featuring crisp, toasted rolls stuffed with the likes of shrimp salad, roast pork, fresh arugula, cured beef, grilled vegetables, or cheeses such as robiola or taleggio.

There are classic grand cafés such as Cova and Sant' Ambroeus, where the fashionable Milanese convene throughout the day—for pastries in the morning, light lunch, tea, evening cocktails, or after-dinner coffee and dessert. Or join the gray- and black-clad fashion crowd at the slick and minimally decorated Armani Caffè for a fortifying shot of espresso or a spremuta d'arancia, fresh-squeezed blood orange juice.

A visit to the newly renovated Peck, the ultimate Italian food and wine lover's emporium, might inspire plans for a picnic. A survey of the enormous cellar wine store offers an education in wines from Italy and the world. Upstairs, a mind-boggling selection of cheese, prosciutto and other cured meats is lovingly displayed. I dream of locking myself in one night and tasting everything from the tropical fruits to prepared foods such as vitello tonnato and cannelloni.

At the heart of Milan is the Duomo, a magnificent pink marble cathedral that dates to the 14th century. A short walk through the surrounding glass-enclosed Galleria, an arcade of restaurants and shops, leads to the Teatro alla Scala, Milan's famed opera house. The nearby Via Brera houses antiques galleries and several famed art museums.

Though a number of Milan's better restaurants are scattered beyond the city center, access is easy. Restaurant personnel will gladly phone a car to pick you up for the return trip. English is widely spoken in Milan, but it helps to have a written destination in hand for the taxi driver. All restaurants are required to close one day per week, and many are closed during August and for a week in January, so be sure to check. Reservations are all but essential, especially on Sundays.

With so many excellent dining options around town, it is hard to choose just a few. You might begin with these, all of them reliable favorites.