A Milk Bar Makes a Better Economic Argument Than Most Ministers

I like a place that understands its assignment.

A good milk bar understands it perfectly: feed people reasonably well, at a sane price, with minimal emotional theatre. No lecture on provenance. No menu paragraph about the chef’s inner journey. Just competence.

There is an economic and social lesson in that. Sometimes a city remains livable because enough ordinary functions stay ordinary instead of being transformed into premium experiences for somebody else’s branding strategy.

Also: mashed potatoes and cutlets still work. Let the record show.