How to settle the stomach after a big meal? We Italians like a digestif (aka digestivo): something bitter and herbal and a touch sweet, but angry enough to wage the war in your gut for you. This is Cynar, derived from artichokes. Cynarin is the chemical in artichokes that temporarily deadens taste buds and renders many foods sweet. Cynar is bitter and mean on the palate, but smells oddly floral. Sip it over ice. What music is bitter and angry and oddly soothing enough for a nice cold Cynar? Neil Diamond’s perfect “Solitary Man,” a song from 1966 that is classified as ‘soft rock’ but if you ask me is as punk as it gets; just listen carefully to the lyrics. Play it until the grooves are worn down to nothing. I’m enjoying mine in a glass passed down by my maternal great grandma Jessie.