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Alba, Alba, Alba


Daniel

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So, I am planning a wedding in Alba.. The wedding will take place October 11, during truffle season..

I am headed out that way in 9 days from now to do some planning and check out some places.

No decisions have been made yet and I have very little knowledge on the specifics.. Yes, there are truffles, snails, cheese, and the best wines in Italy.. But that's all that I know..

I would love to know if anyone knows of any great places to get married, Vineyards, Castles, Villas, Restaurants...

Does anyone know of any wonderful caterers or cooks. I am thinking of renting a villa or castle for the guests.. I want there to be a main house where all of the younger people can stay. Here I would like to have a cooking class or go to cooking classes.. At least one nice dinner or lunch prepared there.. Which will hopefully include a roasting of several animals. I also know there is a large market and will be making at least one dinner for the wedding group by myself..Also, I need to find a place or person that will help me stock all the houses with groceries and wine..

Best bakeries, ice cream, breakfast, lunch, pizza, dinner places are all needed.

Since there will be all out of town guests, I am responsible for filling there time.. Any fun group activities would be appreciated.. Like touring cheese caves, going truffle hunting, tours of vineyards(eh, been there), or anything you can think of..

We obviously want there to be one large truffle feast. If anyone can share experience and tell me what there perfect dinner there that would be great.

Thank you Egullet, I have no doubt you all will assist on making this amazing..

Edited by Daniel (log)
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Daniel, first of all congratulations man. That's fantastic.

Lunch/dinner:

-- Piazza Duomo (Alba) >> One of the best young chefs in Italy right now, according to my good friend and according to everything I've read about the place over the last couple of years. Trained with Gualtiero Marchesi, Michel Bras, and Ferran Adrià. This is probably the restaurant in Italy that is highest on my list of places to try right now, actually.

-- Antica Corona Reale (Cervere; about 15 miles from Alba) >> Cuisine of the territory, beautifully executed Piemonte classics. White truffles of great quality and ridiculously reasonable prices. Cannot recommend highly enough. Must, must, must order the egg/fonduta/truffle dish.

-- Guido (Pollenzo; about 8 miles from Alba) >> Also classic Piemontese. I've not been, but have heard good things. Near the heart of Slow Food in Italy.

-- Gener Neuv (Asti; about 18 miles from Alba, easy train ride) >> Really enjoyed this place last summer. My write-up is here.

-- Others more knowledgeable than I will have a lot more to offer here, I imagine..

Drinking/snacking:

-- Vincafe (Via Vittorio Emanuele 12, Alba) >> When I went last summer, we had various crostini, prosciutto, cheese, and wines. Along with the wine and the snacks, I had a proper dinner, of battuta al coltello, a phenomenal and simple dish of raw veal with olive oil, salt, and lemon juice, served atop baby arugula. Then tajarin with asparagus and some other vegetables. After dinner, we had some wonderful mojitos, with, suprisingly, chunks of fresh peach in them. Pretty darn good meal, especially the wonderful battuta.

Sweets:

-- Laboratorio di Resistenza Dolciaria (Via P. Ferrero 11, Alba) >> It's only perhaps a 15-minute walk from the city center, and when I arrived, it looked like nothing. A small, nondescript candy-shop perhaps. The pastries mentioned in an old NYT article seemed to be non-existent. I stepped inside though, and started chatting with the woman working the counter, and eventually, with the owner himself. Federico Molinari knows his food, and knows his wine. He told me all about why the Barolo Chinato wine he uses in his very tasty crema di cioccolato al barolo chinato tastes the way it does. How the climate of the region affects the grapes, how the production process affects the flavor, and how the wine supposedly affects digestion (historically, the wine was used to cure stomach aches, apparently). He loves Sicilian desserts, he said, and always has. So he wanted to do something with marzipan, the almond paste so commonly found on that island. Almond don't grow as well in the Piemonte, he said, but hazelnuts, of course, do. He had me sample a wonderful tart he'd made with hazelnut paste and robiola cheese that is traditionally produced all over the region. "The cheese has a natural sweetness...nice, eh?", he said to me in Italian. Nice, indeed. I bought a good-sized wedge to share with the folks at dinner that evening, and it received praise all around.

Gelato:

-- Gelatissimo (Piazza Navona 10b, Alba) >> Sicilian pistachio? Yes, please.

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Daniel, first of all congratulations man.  That's fantastic.

Wow thank you so much 2Pac.. Really appreciate the effort and time you took to share that with us.. Thanks for the congratulations.. We are really excited and are so happy that we are able to share this with our guests.. We are going to make this a fantastic experience.

I did not know that your blog was a A Life Worth Eating.. I have read some of your wonderful entries unknowingly. I will definitely go through it more carefully..

I must ask, if there was one place to visit or do with a group of people there, what would you suggest? Do you remember any particular areas or special places that you could imagine a ceremony..

Edited by Daniel (log)
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I'm sure you've checked out the Piemonte topic - there are lots of great places in and outside Alba.

We stayed at a terrific B&B/locanda up the hill from Alba whose name escapes me but could make a nice setting.

Are you thinking of La Locanda del Sant' Uffizio by any chance? It's in the Monferrato area of Asti Province and is more hotel and fine restaurant than a B & B but utterly charming, bucolic and the food was excellent last time I stayed there. According to their web site they have 40 rooms.

Kate

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I have been living in Piemonte for three years and I know Alba well and I would rather take you north of Asti to Basso Monferrato which is less crowded and less expensive than the Langhe, and because there has been less growth and fewer modern buildings, our villages are better preserved. The countryside is a series of rolling hills planted with a mixture of crops, for example, from our 16th century church here in Zanco, we can see vineyards, lavender fields, sunflower fields, hazelnut groves, corn and wheat fields and various orchards. As a back-drop you have a fantastic 180° view of the Alps. Most of the local villages are perched on the hilltops and are virtually untouched by the last century. The food is (of course) fantastic here and the white truffles are famous and (by many) more coveted than those from Alba. Moncalvo, Montechiaro and Murisengo have lovely truffle fairs in the Fall and they are far less touristic than the one in Alba.

Here are some my tips:

B&B:

Castello Razzano in Alfiano Natta: http://www.castellodirazzano.it/ A beautifully restored castle surrounded by vineyards. Heavenly and an ideal spot for a wedding.

Restaurants:

Oh where do I begin... here are a few to get you started:

Cascina Martini in Corteranzo: http://www.cascinamartini.com/

Ristorante LA BRAJA http://www.labraja.it

Le Corte in Odalengo Grande: http://www.osterialecorte.it/

I am happy to answer more specific questions, just PM me.

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Daniel, first of all congratulations man.  That's fantastic.

Wow thank you so much 2Pac.. Really appreciate the effort and time you took to share that with us.. Thanks for the congratulations.. We are really excited and are so happy that we are able to share this with our guests.. We are going to make this a fantastic experience.

I did not know that your blog was a A Life Worth Eating.. I have read some of your wonderful entries unknowingly. I will definitely go through it more carefully..

I must ask, if there was one place to visit or do with a group of people there, what would you suggest? Do you remember any particular areas or special places that you could imagine a ceremony..

I'm happy I could help. I'll continue to give it some thought and see if I can dig anything else up.

Thanks a lot for the kind words on my blog. It feels good to know you've enjoyed it. I really need to work on updating it more often, though, because to tell you the truth, I'm a bit ashamed of how rarely I've been doing that lately!

Re: one place to visit. That's tough. I'm not sure I've spent enough time there to give you an answer that's really relevant. Based on the limited number of places I've been to, though, I'd book out the entire restaurant at Combal.Zero (in Rivoli) one afternoon, have them put together one long table that ran down the length of the room (glass on both sides, really nice space) and let chef Scabin do his thing. I really enjoyed the attached contemporary art museum there, and the view is pretty remarkable as well.

Re: a place where I could imagine a ceremony, unfortunately I don't think I know of one. But I'll ask a friend of mine who lives not terribly far from there. Maybe he'll know something.

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first of all congrats!

i would second swiss chef's reccomendations. i was in piemonte in late october of 2006 and i found the monferrato stunningly beautifal.

my now wife and i seriously considered having our wedding here. www.lavillahotel.net.

you couldn't have your wedding at a more beautifal place.

early october may be a bit soon for truffle season. swiss chef would know better than i, but most of the wine makers and locals we spoke with said the best truffles were in november.

Edited by wkl (log)
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my now wife and i seriously considered having our wedding here. www.lavilla.net.

you couldn't have your wedding at a more beautifal place.

Is that website correct? I got a family website--I think they're Mexican, not Italian (it's all in Spanish, and I can only understand so much).

Yes, congrats to Daniel and Miss A! I do hope you'll post more info--about food, in particular to appease the food "gods". I'm sure your wedding spread will be fabulous!

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So we have spoken with a few villa owners.. One looks like it might be perfect for us.. Its owned by a professional food writer and photographer.. He is very knowledgeable and will to help us down to picking the wines for the wedding..

I wanted to share his email with you and get your impressions:

"Alba is really the center of the universe in the region, the VinCafe is a fun place to stop and have something to eat, we know them well. They are related to the Vietti's based in Castiglione Falletto. A good "view and food" restaurant is The Belvedere in La Morra. An absolute must is Osteria da Gemma in Roddino. My two favorites near us are Osteria dei Binelli and Il Verso del Ghiottone, both in Dogliani, the town closest to us. Binelli are our very good friends and they are not open. These are the people I would have cater your wedding. To put it simply, it is one of my favorite restaurants in the world and if they were to cater for you, it would be like having a restaurant at the Villa, not a catered event. It would include little bites, at least 4 antipasti, 2 pasta (or 1 pasta and 1 risotto), a meat course, and desert, cafe, etc. I can also assist with wine if you'd like. Il Verso del Ghiottone is also spectacular (both Binelli and Ghiottone you won't hear about from anyone but you'll just have to trust me) and they should be open in February. What I've learned as a resident of the region is that people who come and visit, no matter how much of a foodie or critic, they don't have their pulse on the region and they tend to be drawn to the places they get sent. And truthfully, being in Italy is so magical, and the owners wherever can be so charming, that sometimes they forget about the actual food or place. I've shot a number of features on the region and I always get sent to the same places because they are more well known, not better.

Another definite to try is Ca del Re in Verduno (another Barolo village). And Boccandovino is the restaurant located within the Slow Food compound in Bra and worth going to.

In terms of wine, there are many directions you can head....not sure you want to get me started on this one! As you can tell I'm passionate about Food and Wine as well as photography. I would need to know if you prefer the modern approach or traditional approach. The wineries that you listed are basically half and half. Traditional Barolo winemaking doesn't include any aging in Small Barriques, it is always done in Grande Botti (large slovenian oak casks). By the way, we have led food and wine tours of the region.....a word of caution, Barolo wines really are best with a bare minimum of 10 years of age (they are babies at that point) but really should be drunk between 15-30 years depending on the quality of the vintage. In other words 1999, 2001, 2004 (the last great years) are infantile and are too young to be appreciated. 2000 was a warmer year and thus more approachable young. Other vintages to seed out while you are there are 1998, 1997 (good now), 1996, 1985, 1982, 1978, 1971, 1967, and 1961....and 1931.

Roagna is one of my best friends of the region and we may be planting vineyards with him on our property. Definitely go see him in Barbaresco, one of the most staunch traditionalists you'll find, Luca is the son's name, just tell him I sent you. He is just now selling his 2000. When you tell people I sent you, just say the photographer from Bonvicino.

Scavino is one of the best producers in the modern style and well worth a visit.

Brovia, I've never been too and is in the modern style, check it out since you love it.

Mascarello is another friend of mine, assuming you are taking about Mauro Mascarello, he is a staunch traditionalist.

Morino I don't know as well.

Conterno, well there are a lot of Conterno's and they are all generally in Monforte d'Alba, but I'm assuming you mean Giacomo Conterno, another good friend of mine who came to dinner in the hayloft this past October. His wines, for me, are nothing short of brilliant. He only makes a Barbera (his is by far the greatest I've ever had) and two Barolos (Cascina Francia and Monfortino). Also a staunch traditionialist.

Another three suggestions from me....

E. Pira in Barolo, a wonderful female winemaker named Chiara Boschis, she works in the modern style but in a wonderful way. Her brother owns the famous Borogogno in Barolo as well. Tell her I sent you.

Bartolo Mascarello, for me up there with Roagna and Giacomo Conterno, and located also in Barolo across the street from E. Pira. Another spectacular femaly winemaker, very small producer, and phenomenal wines. Tell her I sent you.

Also Vietti in Castiglione Falletto, a great winery to visit. More in the Modern style.

I hope I haven't bored you!"

Edited by Daniel (log)
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i wouldn't put brovia in the modern camp.

restaurant belvedere in la morra is worth going to for the view and excellent wine list. the food is certainly good but not among the upper echelon in piemonte. the locals think it a tourist trap. i actually got engaged there after a long, long meal on a beautifal day.

just about any winery is worth visiting in the region. i would add elio grasso to the above list. imo, it is the most beautifal winery i have visited. words don't do it justice. the grassos' are wonderful people too. you could probably get someone at the new york moore brothers to book you an appt.

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just about any winery is worth visiting in the region. i would add elio grasso to the above list. imo, it is the most beautifal winery i have visited. words don't do it justice. the grassos' are wonderful people too. you could probably get someone at the new york moore brothers to book you an appt.

Thanks for the advice.. I forgot about the fine folks at Moore Brothers.. They did a lot of our wine pairings during the early days of Bite Club.

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they are usually happy to do this too. it also helps to have an italian speaker call them. if they don't have one in the new york store they do have a couple in the wilmington, de store.

another thought, can you delay your wedding by one year? (like that will go over well with the missess :raz: ) if so, i believe fall of 2010 will be salone de gusto in torino. i went in 2006 and it is beyond anything culinary you can imagine. the food equivalent of a worlds fair. or the super bowl of all things culinary. your head would explode. worth considering.

i spent two glorious weeks in the same area you are headed to. i'm not sure how much info you are looking for, but i can give you lots of winery info and restaurant suggestions and other areas to spend time in. pm me or just tell if your still looking for ideas.

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I'm sure you've checked out the Piemonte topic - there are lots of great places in and outside Alba.

We stayed at a terrific B&B/locanda up the hill from Alba whose name escapes me but could make a nice setting.

Are you thinking of La Locanda del Sant' Uffizio by any chance? It's in the Monferrato area of Asti Province and is more hotel and fine restaurant than a B & B but utterly charming, bucolic and the food was excellent last time I stayed there. According to their web site they have 40 rooms.Kate

I doubt it; I'm temporarily away from my Italy archives but I recall it out North, over a bridge, up the hill and no more than 3-5 klicks away. It was supereasy to come into town every day. Parking a bit less easy. But restaurants all within walking distance.

John Talbott

blog John Talbott's Paris

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  • 2 weeks later...

Yes lots of pictures and it looks like they had a really good time! It is particularly exciting that he shot pictures of the raw veal sausage. In my area it is made of pork and I have been serving this to unsuspecting visitors for several years now. It is fantastic stuff!

Edited by SWISS_CHEF (log)
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  • 2 months later...

Daniel,

referring to the reply you got, a few pointers from someone who lives in the Piedmont wine and food "zone" (ie the Monferrato and Langhe area which encloses a square area roughly defined as Casale Monferrato and Chieri to the North down to Acqui Terme and Bra/Alba to the south with Asti in the middle): all of the zone includes a fantastic selection of Osterie and restaurants as well as zillions of wine choices.

1. Only an Albanese would describe Alba as the centre of the universe. The whole zone is the centre, Alba is a neat town, but not the end all and above all. We Astigianao are sniffy as we have been beating them up for centuries (similar to Florence and Sienna).

2. Belvedere has a great view, true, but is past its prime. A far better choice near La Morra is the Osterie Vignaiolo.

3. Giacomo Conterno has been dead for many years. His Grandson Roberto now runs the winery.

4. Sorry to say, but IMO the days of long aging Barolos are over, most are made to "wine spectator" standards, ie easy drinking up to 10 years. I call then sideways wines. A few traditionalists and small wine makers still ply their trade, I won't give their names beacuse I am selfish and don't want the prices to escalate. Best to go to the enotecas and try yourself, each of us has a diffrent taste.

The Cortanza Castle north of Asti near to Swiss Chef is quite popular for weddings, I would try them http://www.castellodicortanze.it/. If it were me I would love to get married in the Castle of Grinzane Cavour, one of the best of the Barolo enotecas, near to Alba, they do functions and truffle auctions, you could contact them ask if they do weddings http://www.castellogrinzane.com/, and the other place that comes to mind is the Castello Santo Vittorio in between Alba and Bra http://www.santavittoria.org

Too many restaurants in Piedmont, too little time in life

Villa Sampaguita

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1. Only an Albanese would describe Alba as the centre of the universe. The whole zone is the centre, Alba is a neat town, but not the end all and above all. We Astigianao are sniffy as we have been beating them up for centuries (similar to Florence and Sienna).

Funny you mention this... we have living in and exploring North Western Italy for nearly 5 years now and we have made the 40 minute drive to Alba only a hand-full of times (at best) and in the last two years, only once.

Alba is ok but certainly not head and shoulders ahead of scores of other beautiful villages that have their own charm. In fact, when you consider the tourist crowds, I think Alba becomes a bit annoying, especially during festivals.

But tourists will always tend to be like sheep...

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  • 3 weeks later...
they are usually happy to do this too. it also helps to have an italian speaker call them. if they don't have one in the new york store they do have a couple in the wilmington, de store.

another thought, can you delay your wedding by one year? (like that will go over well with the missess :raz: ) if so, i believe fall of 2010 will be salone de gusto in torino. i went in 2006 and it is beyond anything culinary you can imagine. the food equivalent of a worlds fair. or the super bowl of all things culinary. your head would explode. worth considering.

i spent two glorious weeks in the same area you are headed to. i'm not sure how much info you are looking for, but i can give you lots of winery info and restaurant suggestions and other areas to spend time in. pm me or just tell if your still looking for ideas.

I'm guessing you are thinking of either La Meridiana or La Favorita, both just a walk up the hill from Alba, both with amazing views of the city and the Valley. They are just out of town on the hill road to Neive, Barbaresco, Tre Stelle, Treiso, etc.

You will have incredible hospitality at both, have a great breakfast, dunk in the pool during the hot part of the day, and have a wonderful meal in Alba at night when you return from exploring the area. It's a pretty good life.

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  • 4 months later...

We’re very excited to be attending this wedding. We’ll be staying in Dogliani at the Enolocanda Del Tufo for 5 days exploring Barolo, Bra, Alba, La Morra, Dogliania and the surrounding area. I see above that Swiss Chef and others highly recommend Basso Monferrato. I’m guessing this area is about an hour’s drive from Dogliani? Is this and Acqui Terme an easy and worthwhile half day trip?

As for food, we’ll be looking for casual places doing classic, contemporary or anything interesting. However, baby friendly is a must. (We’ll have our 11month old who is currently perfecting her crawling and not looking to sit still for more than a few minutes). So upscale/fine dining I’m thinking is pretty much out. I read in Daniel’s post the villa owner recommended 2 restaurants in Dogliani; Osteria dei Binelli and Il Verso del Ghiottone. Anyone been or know if taking baby is ok? I wonder if dining al fresco is common this time of year (early-mid October)? This might be helpful.

Any general info on what to do or eat given our situation is much appreciated. Btw, I’ve been combing through the Piedmont thread and wanted to thank you all for your very insightful posts.

That wasn't chicken

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So you settled on Dogliano, very nice just at the edge of the Piedmont wine "zone" and on the boundary of the Alte Langhe, which reminds me of New Zealand sheep country with its rolling hills and pastures, but does have some nice little towns and villages, and will have wonderful little osterie that no-one has discovered on this forum I am sure! And you will be close to the Langhe-around-Alba "sub-zone" with its list of restaurants beloved of all visitors.

I don't think you will have a problem with your bambino at any of the smaller mom and pop osterie, Italian love kids, and even for lunch at the more famous places.Mid October would be considered too cold to eat outdoors by Piedmont standards, but if you get a warm day, why not? We do at home outside of Asti.

Regarding the Northern Monferrato, it will be about an hours drive north to Cocconato or Moncalvo, but I would say spend a whole day, a slow day for sure if your bimbo can handle it. We have an 9 month granddaughter currently staying with us, and on trips to Liguria in summer about an hour was her limit, which was just about the time to get to Noli from Asti, as long as there wasn't traffic on the autostrada.

I would have the same advice for Acqui as it is also about an hour over a couple of river valleys, nice if you like up and down windy hills.

Suggestion; explore the Roero area on the west side of the Tanaro between Asti and Alba, pretty wine country, lots of nice towns and castles and many little restaurants, including the superb Al Enoteca in Canale. The Roero has an lot of trails around the sandstone "Roero rocks" eco-park which could be fun to explore with your child on sunny days if you liked to hike a bit.

Have a great stay in Piedmont!

Edited by Sampaguita (log)

Too many restaurants in Piedmont, too little time in life

Villa Sampaguita

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Yes, Dogliani seemed like a good base as the wedding is very close in Bonvicino. (And we got a nice rate on a double room). Thank you for confirming what I assumed for the baby in the osterias. Lunch would be easier and more acceptable for anything high end. I will look into Roero for a side trip too.

Thank you for this and previous posts shedding much needed insider advice on the area. And for the restaurant guide you created. I’ve printed a copy and plan on using it. Pompa Magna, Locanda Astesana, La Rosa de Vini and Cascina Schiavenza are just a few that interest us.

I also found a place not far from us, Trattoria Nelle Vigne in Diano D’Alba, which does classic Piedmontese and has spectacular views. Have you heard of it? Here’s a pic from their balcony I thought stunning. http://wandererseye.com/europe/piemonte_10.php and their site http://www.trattorianellevigne.it/ing/

Villa Sampaguita looks like a paradise btw. Congratulations on the many positive reviews. We plan on staying with you if we return. Perhaps we’ll try to stop by if we are anywhere near you and the babies can play.

That wasn't chicken

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Haven't been to the Trattorie Nelle Vigne, but it looks very pretty to be sure and hope to get your review! Did I post a restaurant guide? Must have been sometime ago, hope its not of of date - I would favour Schiavenza over Rosa de Vini in Serralunga, and Tacabanda is our #1 in Asti this year, although Paulo at Pompa Magna is pretty good too and he has an enoteca so you can get wine by the glass. But Dogliano is a bit far from Asti though.

If you have the time we would love to have you stop by for a glass of wine and introduce the bambini. If you are in the Roero come up to Asti via San Damiano and we are just close to the roundabout with the wine bottle at Palucco on the main Asti road. Late afternoon is good as baby has had nap (and adults too!)

Too many restaurants in Piedmont, too little time in life

Villa Sampaguita

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  • 3 weeks later...

We got back a few days ago. I'm sorry we didn't get a chance to stop by Villa Sampaguita. We were on such a busy schedule with the wedding and surrounding towns it wasn't possible to get back up to Asti.

Upon landing in Milan and picking up our rental we did stop in Asti before heading to Dogliani but we were pretty jet lagged so we had time for lunch in town.

Based on your restaurant guide we thought we try Locanda Astesana. However by the time we found it

it was completely empty so we walked around town in search of something special but nothing jumped out. It was getting late so we ended up at Hotel Reale for their cafeteria style lunch (also in your guide). The 9 Euro special was a great value. 1 protein with 2 sides and a bottle of gas or natural water. I had breaded and baked rabbit finished in a cognac sauce with a really good porcini

rosoto and roasted fennel and spinach. Michelle had sausage braised in red wine with fusili pomodoro and sliced polenta cakes. Also, a very good combo. This is good place if your jetlagged exhausted, too hungry to decypher menus, and somewhat on a budget. Don't miss that risotto.

(Haven't figured out yet how to load multiple pics inbetween text so I'll start with a couple from this meal and create new posts for the other meals we enjoyed)

hotel real 1.jpg

hotel real 2.jpg

That wasn't chicken

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Another place we loved and the best meal of trip was the rehersal dinner at Il verso del Ghiottone hidden down a tiny side street in Dogliani. They do classic Piemontese with some excellent modern touches. It should not be missed while in the region. www.ilversodelghiottone.it (I've copied my post from another site. Pictures in order of descriptions)

We began with "tuberous and scallop" -my guess is the tuberous were the chips. They were insanely good especially when soaked in the truffle butter sauce. Even better when placed on top of the perfectly seared scallops.

Ligurian octopus and white bean cream (my favorite single dish of the trip). The most tender octopus I've ever had. Played perfect with the smokey white bean cream. When we asked the chef for the secret in the tenderness he said he just boiled them. Haha, right.

Autumn vegetables cappuccino and parmesan foam. Very light and creamy, tons of butter, delicious.

Castelmagno cheese cannelloni and pumpkin cream was rich and delicious. The saltiness of the bacon strip balanced it really well.

Long time cooked piglet cheek and renette apples. Another killer dish. Fork cut (i know that's cliche) tender cheeks. I mean it was increadibly tender. Unlike anything a room full of foodies expressed having had before. The deepfried apples and velvety mashed with truffle oil complimented so fregin well. Ass kickin cheek! Me will love you long time.

Mellon and passion fruit soup, yogurt ice cream and fried spaghetti. Refreshing and definitely needed after the onslaught of delicious dishes. The fried spaghetti was really cool and a first.

Gianduja ingot, fresh cream and coffee. Very rich silky texture, salted pistachio balanced it perfectly along with the cruchy espresso base and creme fraiche.

It was a special night to say the least. So happy to be a part of it. Can't say enough nice things about the hosts. More on the trip and food later

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That wasn't chicken

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