The 5 best American food and drink experiences in Milan

With the conclusion of the US Presidential race, we here at Flawless Milano are taking the time to remember what really made America great in the first place. So leave politics aside for a moment and unite with us in love of burgers, barbecue and craft beer.

Here are our top 5 American Food and Drink Experiences in Milan:

Best burgers – al Mercato Burger Bar

Is there anything more American than the humble cheeseburger?
Savory ground beef, sharp melted cheddar, crisp salty pickles all squished between two sweet buns. It’s a utopian melting pot of flavour and texture – the kind of harmony we wish for the world, proof that we are more than just the sum of our parts.
Al Mercato Burger Bar in Via Sant’Eufemia is one of Milan’s best burger joints. Both the queue to get in, and the burgers themselves here are bigger than Texas. Bearing in mind that the ‘standard’ burger is already a challenge to eat, you do have the truly American option of super-sizing with the ‘Superdupermegaburger’ – a whopping 400g of ground beef, topped with bacon, cheddar, tomato and special sauce.
So. Would you like fries with that?

Best barbecue – Carolina’s

Depending where you’re from in the States, barbecue can either mean a cooking technique or a specific food itself – slow roasted pork so tender it falls off from the bone and melts in your mouth.
Whatever your definition of barbecue is, Carolina’s serves it. Ribs, check. Smoked pork, check. Chicken, sausages, beef brisket. Check, check, check. Finding it hard to choose just one option? Why not try a bit of everything with the ‘All You Can Meat’ menu. With a range of traditional barbecue sides including fries, beans and grilled corn, you’ll likely need to unfasten your oversized belt buckles.
God bless America.

Best brunch – California Bakery

Not quite breakfast, not quite lunch. Once considered a culinary fad in Milan, brunch has confounded all expectations and stuck around much longer than expected. Not unlike Mr Donald Trump.
Italians who traditionally preferred a light and healthy breakfast (usually consisting of an espresso and a cigarette), now have countless options for multi-course brunches. While Sydney stalwart, Deus ex Machina in Isola offers a superb brunch menu in a relaxing courtyard setting, adorned by pieces of mechanical art, it’s disqualified because of its Australian roots.
California Bakery is our favourite truly American brunch, serving pancakes, bagels, and scrambled eggs. If like us you’re recovering from a post-election hangover, why not wash it all down with a Bloody Mary. Or two.
In Brunch we trust.

Speakeasy | 1930 Speakeasy

America is the birthplace of some of the world’s finest cocktails. Just think of the Old Fashioned, the Sazerac, and of course, the Manhattan. We have Prohibition to thank for giving cocktail culture its illicit glamour, and there is no shortage of bars in Milan, paying homage to that fact.
Recreate the scintillating settings of 1930s Prohibition America in Milan’s very authentic (if unimaginatively named) 1930 Speakeasy. We’d give you more details, but we’ve been sworn to secrecy…

Craft beer | Birrificio Lambrate

Along with ironic moustaches and casual bow ties, hipsters brought craft beer to the mainstream. So I guess we can thank them for one thing.
In a city more renowned for fine wining and dining, Birrificio stands proudly as a bastion to great beer. You’ll feel like you’ve stepped into your favourite Brooklyn brew house. Muddy Waters records play in the background, and locals jostle for a spot at the bar. Take the chance to sample a few of Birrificio’s US-inspired, seasonally rotated offerings such as their American-style Pale Ale, smoked stout or the West Coast Pils, while nibbling on barbecue chicken wings during happy hour.