Hi, everyone! I'm a long-time lurker on the Italian section of the eGullet forums, but since I've suddenly found myself with a couple of weeks in Piemonte, Lombardia, and Liguria due to an engagement in Milano, I thought that I should get some input from the resident regional dining experts to help my eating in the area. To give a bit of background, I am a young grad student, so the Michelin-inflated prices of Al Soriso, for instance, are currently a bit out of my price range, unfortunately. Right now, the time in Milano aside, I'm looking at a three-day stay around the Bergamo/Lago Como/Lago Maggiore area, a day in Torino, several days in Langhe/Monferrato, and then a couple of days down around Genova and Portofino. It's a bit ambitious and slightly surficial, but I feel compelled to spend a decent bit of time touring since it's my girlfriend's first trip to Italy. Time-frame is also mid- to late-January, which I'm aware isn't the best of times. For the Piemonte, I've been considering the following restaurants based on people's prior suggestions, and I'd like to hear what people who've been in the area recently think about how they're currently cooking: Antine I Bologna Trattoria della Posta Il Centro La Libera Cascina Schiavenza Da Cesare Da Renzo If there from that list that are simply "must visits", I'd love to hear people's opinions (and please don't hesitate to suggest somewhere that I've omitted through ignorance). Since it's my own first visit to the area, I'm keen to explore the traditional regional cuisine (although more adventuresome preparations are fine if the restaurant is stellar), so any thoughts on which of the above best represent that vein of cooking would be much appreciated. I'm especially curious about Da Cesare, since there seems to be a lot of mixed opinions of it over the years due to fluctuations in quality, and Antine, which I've noticed has been mentioned on the forums with unreserved praise. In terms of the Lakes region, Torino, and Liguria, however, I'm a completely blank slate, and any and all suggestions would be warmly welcomed. Thanks in advance for the assistance, and I'm really looking forward to what you all have to say! Jonathan Harmon Cambridge, MA
