Don't Request a Diet Coke at Lunch

Modena - the only place on earth where official Balsamic Vinegar is produced.
Also, the place where we made a little "faux pas" by requesting a Diet Coke with our elegant lunch of saffron tortellini with rustic tomato - ham sauce.

A simple question posed to our waiter, "Do you have Diet Coke?" elicited the response of "Oh My God, No!" (with Italian accent), complete with dejected body language. We all had a great laugh over it. And swore never to ask at a restaurant again.

Note - Diet Coke (or Coke Light) is perfectly acceptable at the Italian "snack cafes", where you can get a quick slice of pizza, panini sandwich or calzone. Just not at a "proper" restaurant.

I guess a Diet Coke wouldn't have complimented the delicious tortellini:


Instead, we drank a smooth beer. Simply the best beer I have ever consumed. Really.

But then we found out the beer was a Home Brew, not this Serpico Brand. Darn.

We did find Diet Coke after lunch. Our friend, Dave, really wanted one. He enjoyed every drop of it.

We found the Diet Coke by the Modena Duomo:


So now you know - where to get your Diet Coke fix when in the city of Modena.