What would you do if you were in Pune on Valentine's Day and wanted to do something really wacky? Round up a couple of friends and treat yourself to another original Italian experience; dine al fresco at the Pune Chowpatty.

It's probably the most unconventional way to spend an otherwise mushy evening, but then again, think of the stories you'll be able to tell your children!

Tucked away in the Camp district of Pune, the Chowpatty, as it has come to be called is nothing like its big sister inMumbai, but it has a character of its own. The Chowpatty consists of an entire foothpath, around 100 metres long, that's a busy thoroughfare by day and a gastronomical orgy by night. Come sunset and the Chowpatty stars bustling with traffic of a different kind. Stalls open, chairs and tables mysteriously spring up on the foothpath and by around 7.30, its ready for another night of feasting.

At first glance, all one can see is a bright haze of tubelights, illuminating stalls and tables alike. Walk down the Chowpatty and the let your eyes feast on the sheer diversity of food and drink available here. Each exotically named stall, beckons you to try its wares. Lovely da Dhaba promises mouth watering Tandoori delicacies; Geeta's Chaat Resaturant gets you salivating at the thought of spicy Chaats and Pizzas laden with cheese; Bombay Juice Bar gets the better of your curiosity with its Good Night and Mastani milk shakes; and Tai-Pan rounds it all of with a Chinese menu that would put many restaurants to shame. But there's a method to this culinary madness.

The first step is to take a walk along the entire stretch (it'll take you about 5 minutes), dodging waiters trying to drag you to their tables.and acquaint yourself with everything that's available. Then, you find an empty table, next to one of the stalls you've decided to try. Before you know it, there'll be a waiter by your side. For whatever one may say about the food at the Chowpatty, you can't fault the service. The speed coupled with a genuine desire to please are overwhelmingly apparent. Once you have a menu for say, Tandoori food thrust at you, ask the waiter for the Chinese Menu and the Chaat Menu, for good meaure. Menus appear as if by magic; only that they belong to other stalls on the stretch specialising in that cuisine. Take your pick of the vast variety of culinary delights on offer, write you order down clearly and then take a deep breath. You'll need all your energy once the food arrives.

Take a look around and you'll soon realise that the Chowpatty is obviously an institution in Pune. Young collegians, families, executives, couples… a cross-section of Puneites who're here for a variety of reasons. For some, it's a place to hang out, a rendezvous for others and a place to go have an inexpensive meal for others. No matter why they're here, it's obvious they're all having a good time.

Ten minutes later, our table was groaning under the weight of our dinner. Lung Fung Soup, Talumein Soup, American Chopsuey and Manchurian Chicken Rice Butter Chicken, Mutton Dum Biryani, Butter Rotis and Italian Pizza. A veritable pot-pourri of food.. It seemed to be enough for an army, but six of us proved quite equal to the task. So, on to the food.

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