Italian breakfast is a very quick affair, with none of the fanfare of the average American morning meal. And nary an egg, a potato, or a grit in sight!

Typically you will pop into the “bar” right outside your apartment building, or one convenient to your work.

You’ll order a “caffè”, which Americans know as espresso, and a pastry. The pastry will be called a brioche in Milano, a croissant in Western Liguria near the French border, and a cornetto throughout much of the rest of the country. They come filled with Nutella, chocolate, creme, apple, jam, etc.

And you will stand right at that bar and wolf that brioche and slam that espresso... less than 10 minutes from walking in the door to walking out the door.

While I have started drinking coffee (1 Euro, as opposed to 2.50 or more for tea... and chai? fuggedaboutit), I drink caffè Americano... which is espresso with a double shot of water.

Another wonderful thing you can get at breakfast in your bar is OJ squeezed while you wait. Sometimes it’s worth going into the bar for the smell alone!

So yeah, sometimes I’d love to have a bacon and scrambled egg bagel, but having a croissant filled with Nutella is a a great consolation prize!

This is the biggest cup of coffee I’ve seen since I left JFK. 

And... no free refills... 

This is from a place called 12 oz Coffee Joint where the schtick is that you can get American sized coffee... still made as Italian caffè plus water, and again, no refills.