Meal times...
The one thing to remember, though, is "meal times". To be on the safe side, let's say these are 1:00-2:30 pm, and then 8:00 -10:00 pm. However, so many places are family run that, if the evening is a bit slow, they might decide to call it a day earlier than scheduled. And, if you peep into a restaurant at about 7:00 pm and see a a tableful of guys and perhaps one woman eating steadily, don't go in. That's the staff fueling up before the official opening. A very encouraging sign, however: they obviously eat on the premises!

Some restaurant suggestions...
Restaurants abound in Milan, of course. Pizza is, clearly, an easy option. There are lots of these around so I will give you just one suggestion. A few metres from the Duomo, try la Dogana, at 3 Via Dogana (http://www.pizzeriadogana.it), closed Mondays.

Here are a couple of great places for lunch, centre of town, cheap and cheerful, where the local office-workers eat. Be prepared to go with the flow.

The Bottiglieria in Via Cerva is packed with office workers from 12:30 to about 2:30 pm. Go late, about 2:00 pm if you don't want to wait in line. There is a two-course set menu at about 13euro, or a la carte. Quick, attentive service, brisk without being brusque. It gets very noisy, so at least once during the session, the owner/waiter will "shush" everyone. It works.

In the area around Via Torino, there is the Bistrot, which is part of the bar on the corner of Via Amedei and Via Fieno. Cheap and cheerful would be the way to describe it. A plate of pasta, a dish of freshly-cooked green beans, and a beer for about 8 Euro is pretty good value, you must admit. The people running it are very pleasant. OK, so it is self-service, but forget university canteens. Try it, from about 12:30 - 2:30 pm Monday to Friday. Busy until about 2:00 pm, and for the whole of the Friday session, when fish is on the menu and it is scrumptious!

While we are on the subject of quick, inexpensive meals with little fuss, the Autogrill self-service restaurants -- one of which you will find in the Piazza del Duomo -- are not at all bad. If nothing else, they are open daily, for both lunch and dinner. The idea might take a little getting used to, you take your tray, and your cutlery, and then proceed to the various counters and choose your food. Has a self-service cafeteria ever been like this before? In a word, no.

For dinner, try Alto Pascio, a Tuscan place in Via Fara which is convenient if you are meeting someone from the central station, or you are having dinner before seeing someone off at the central station or are staying, or have guests staying, at the Gallia. Otherwise it is a bit out-of-the-way. The prices seem on the high side but the portions are plentiful. The address is: Via Fara 17, tel: 02 6702458, closed Saturday and Sunday lunch.

For Sicilian specialities, the trattoria Ottimofiore at 26 Via Bramante, just by Via Sarpi, is great. It can be quite hard to get reservations and the owner is a little bit "funny" at times, but the food is worth it (closed Sundays, tel: 02 33101224).

I hope that this advice is a help to all other Journeywoman travelling to my part of the world.