Piedmont Restaurants: Reviews & Recommendations

[Linda Griffith]

I read that you are staying in Bra. Not far from Bra is a marvelous little town called Cherasco. Right in the town square is a superlative chocolate shop called Barbero, owned by Giancarlo Torta. You must stop there. It is one of the finest chocolate shops you will ever visit. In fact, Washington, D.C. chef, Roberto Donna visits it about 4 times a year in order to eat his fill. I've tasted everything Giancarlo makes...and I am not a chocolate lover. His Bacci de Cherasco are legendary.

This is the land of hazelnuts, by the way. And that is what is important in the bacci.

Not far from the shop is a 2-year-old trattoria owned by the chef Marco Falco. Sadly, I do not know the name. But someone should be able to tell you. He had been the chef at another restaurant in Cherasco and opened this place after I left. (My husband and I have written about him in our book, Nuts, published by St. Martin's Press in 2003). Marco is a marvelous chef and friends of ours have loved his new place. Do not forget to try Lardo. It is heaven on earth.

I have celebrated my Halloween birthday twice at dinner at Trattoria della Poste in the small town of Montforte...enjoying the menu tartuffo. It isn't that far a drive from Cherasco, in fact. Which was where we stayed. So it will be an easy drive from La Morra.

We had no difficulty visiting Alba, Asti (a fantastic restaurant there, too) and Barolo. Even driving at night wasn't difficult...although fog could slow you down a bit.

The food is splendid, the wines glorious. And, do get to the Cerretto chapel. It is magnificent. But it isn't always open. Don't forget roasted chestnuts in Alba. They are delicious. And torrone. You must not forget to try some torrone...both kinds.

[Matthew Grant]

I presume this is the chocolate place? Barbero

It's gone on my list.

Swiss Chef are reservations essential at Piazza Duomo?

[pedalaforte]

I talked my friends into going to Piedmont when they go to Italy Dec. 7 -- they were planning to go straight to Tuscany and blah, blah, blah. So they switched, even if just for two days!

Questions:

-- Will they still be able to get fresh truffles in restaurants and for approximately how much (say, shaved on tajarin)?

-- Which restaurants should they hit for lunch or dinner? My recommendations are two years old now; are they still the spots? Antine? Posta? Cesare's new place? Guido's neew place? Vicoletto still going? Il Centro in Priocca? How about in Alba itslef?

-- Are these restaurants outrageously expensive?

Thanks for the help!

[Leslie]

I presume this is the chocolate place? Barbero  Yes, you've got the right place.  And the best news is that if you make to Cherasco, Barbero is not the only place for chocolate lovers, although Barbero's chocolate snails are the best!

It's gone on my list.

Swiss Chef are reservations essential at Piazza Duomo?  And yes, you should reserve--very few places and lots of favorable critical reviews.

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[SWISS_CHEF]

Swiss Chef are reservations essential at Piazza Duomo?

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Sorry for the late reply... no reservations are not necessary but not a bad idea if you plan on going on the weekend or during a festival.

[SWISS_CHEF]

I talked my friends into going to Piedmont when they go to Italy Dec. 7 -- they were planning to go straight to Tuscany and blah, blah, blah. So they switched, even if just for two days!

Questions:

-- Will they still be able to get fresh truffles in restaurants and for approximately how much (say, shaved on tajarin)?

-- Which restaurants should they hit for lunch or dinner? My recommendations are two years old now; are they still the spots? Antine? Posta? Cesare's new place? Guido's neew place? Vicoletto still going? Il Centro in Priocca? How about in Alba itslef?

-- Are these restaurants outrageously expensive?

Thanks for the help!

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Wow, you are a good friend to give advice like that!

Yes they will still be able to get good truffles in early December. If they have trouble finding them they can get in touch me. A good shaving of truffle will add about 8-12 euros to the plate. Many restaurants offer truffles on several dishes for a 15-20 euro surcharge.

What kind of restaurants are they looking for? Not everyone wants the top drawer stuff. My favorites are not famous at all.

In my village Zanco (north of Asti) at Da Maria you can eat 13-15 courses with very good house wines for less than 35 euros per person. The food quality is outstanding and the menu is traditional and pure Monferrato. I strongly recommend this restaurant.

Same is true for La Luna in Sinio (south of Alba)

In Alba try Duomo by the church. they make outstanding agnolotti. (more here)

If they have more questions feel free to contact me.

Ed

Edited November 7, 2006 by SWISS_CHEF (log)

[pedalaforte]

Hi, Swiss. Thanks for the suggestions. I was trying to remember the name of the restaurant, "Duomo," I've seen recommended in Alba itself.

I am recommending that they stay near Alba at either Cascine Reine or at Cascina della Rosa (closer to Neive in Tre Stelle). So I would think they'd be looking for places closer to Alba than to Asti, although the drive is short.

I WILL pass along your recommendation of Da Maria in Zanco. It sounds great, and -- more important -- it sounds less touristy, more real.

To answer your question about type of restaurant, I would say they're open to suggestions such as the ones you gave. They don't NEED to spend a lot of money, but I think they could kick it in if the right restuarant was suggested. On the other hand, I think they really, really want to taste something of the local culture, not just the local food. (Except for truffles!)

Thanks. Any other ideas are certainly welcome.

Cheers

[wkl]

an interesting place we visited just last week was Cascina Cornale, in cornale on the main road that runs from alba to asti. this is an interesting place based on the chez panisse concept of very local ingredients from local farms. matter of fact, alice waters was said to be visiting a day or two after we ate there.

i am pretty sure they do dinner only saturday and sunday and lunch everyday.

we were offered truffles, but you picked the one you wanted from a glass case and essentially purchased the whole thing. they left it on your table with a slicer and you added it whenever you wanted to.

there is no menu here, antipasti are brought, then a choice between two primi (both were pasta), then a choice between two segundi, and then dolce.

the food here is rustic, hearty fare that i thought was very good. interesting wine list of small organic producers.

also, a co-op type of shop is across their courtyard that sells many of the ingerdients they use.

[SWISS_CHEF]

Hi, Swiss. Thanks for the suggestions. I was trying to remember the name of the restaurant, "Duomo," I've seen recommended in Alba itself.

I am recommending that they stay near Alba at either Cascine Reine or at Cascina della Rosa (closer to Neive in Tre Stelle). So I would think they'd be looking for places closer to Alba than to Asti, although the drive is short.

I WILL pass along your recommendation of Da Maria in Zanco. It sounds great, and -- more important -- it sounds less touristy, more real.

To answer your question about type of restaurant, I would say they're open to suggestions such as the ones you gave. They don't NEED to spend a lot of money, but I think they could kick it in if the right restuarant was suggested. On the other hand, I think they really, really want to taste something of the local culture, not just the local food. (Except for truffles!)

Thanks. Any other ideas are certainly welcome.

Cheers

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A pleasure to help! If they want to get a little feel of the Monferrato they can have a look at my mini-blog.

If they want a tour guide I strongly suggest my good friend Paolo who runs Buon Gusto Tours.

[SWISS_CHEF]

an interesting place we visited just last week was Cascina Cornale, in cornale on the main road that runs from alba to asti. this is an interesting place based on the chez panisse concept of very local ingredients from local farms. matter of fact, alice waters was said to be visiting a day or two after we ate there.

i am pretty sure they do dinner only saturday and sunday and lunch everyday.

we were offered truffles, but you picked the one you wanted from a glass case and essentially purchased the whole thing. they left it on your table with a slicer and you added it whenever you wanted to.

there is no menu here, antipasti are brought, then a choice between two primi (both were pasta), then a choice between two segundi, and then dolce.

the food here is rustic, hearty fare that i thought was very good. interesting wine list of small organic producers.

also, a co-op type of shop is across their courtyard that sells many of the ingerdients they use.

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Have never eaten there but have shopped there quite a bit. In fact we found one of our top selling wines at the Cascina Cornale.

You may like to read more, we covered the CC a little in an earlier post .

[Bill Klapp]

Il Centro in Priocca is better than ever, and not to be missed. Ditto Antine in Barbaresco, and Lalibera in Alba. Did not make it to Guido in Pollenzo this trip, but word has it that the inconsistency of its early days that I once complained of here is gone. You may also want to consider Da Cesare in Albaretto. Saw him at the Salone del Gusto in Torino, and after a few strange years where his son took over his ristorante and he opened another up the street (he admits to a 4-bottle a day wine problem during that time!), he is back in his own kitchen and at the top of his game. Cascina Cornale is a great place for the local food preservationist work that it does, but the meals at its ristorante rarely measure up to the prevailing high quality standard in that area of the Piemonte.

[pedalaforte]

Thanks, Bill. You might remember that I GOT most of the choices above from you before my last trip to the area -- and great advice it was back then. Thanks so much for the update.

A couple of followups:

-- are any of these places open for lunch? And do you happen to know which days they are closed?

-- I know this will sound like a major flaw in their character (!), but they are only going to be there on Thursday and Friday. So that's two dinners, two lunches probably. (As I said, they were going to Tuscany, and I talked them into diverting to Piedmont. even if just for two days of truffles.)

-- will they be able to get a taste of truffles around Dec. 7-8?

-- From Malpensa on the way to Neive, is there any place you might suggest that they stop for a reasonable lunch? That is, they'll be tired from the overnight, but there's no good reason to not eat well for their first meal in Italy, right?

-- Do you know these restaurants near Canali: LaSosta in Montabone (near Bistagno/Canelli); Il Bardone (Canelli/Calamandrana); Rabaja in Barbaresco and Cascina Schiavenza in Serralunga? These came highly recommended as lower-key, more local places. Whatever that means.

Thanks again. I'd say I owe you one large bottle of wine, but, hell, you LIVE in Neive. The luck!

Edited November 9, 2006 by pedalaforte (log)

[wkl]

i just stayed in serralunga, and schiavenza was reccomended by the wine maker we stayed with. we opted for il cappalotto however. it was very good and exteremely low key.

[pedalaforte]

i just stayed in serralunga, and schiavenza was reccomended by the wine maker we stayed with. we opted for il cappalotto however. it was very good and exteremely low key.

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Thanks, Ms./Mrs./Mr. wkl!

I will note BOTH places and pass them on. It seems my friends might have some narrowing to do.

But I'll make sure I'M not so rushed when I visit next year.

Ciao

[Bill Klapp]

pedalaforte,

I can speak to Rabaja in Barbaresco only, and I say pass. It is low-key, local and very friendly, but aside from the pasta, the food is not anything special. For a truly great experience of that kind, make it Trattoria del Peso in Castagnito (open for LUNCH ONLY every day but Monday). Truffles should be great then. I had the one I brought back last night here in the U.S., and it was stunning. The only place that I ever stop for lunch between Malpensa and Neive is the Autogrill, the Howard Johnson's of the Autostrada. Let me suggest this: depending upon their timing and hunger, as you exit the rental car counter area of Malpensa and first arrive in the garage where you pick up your car, there is a grocery/deli place on the right (does not open until 11AM, sadly) that, at the rear of the store, has some of the best panini that you will ever eat. Centro, Antine and Lalibera are all open for lunch on Thursday and Friday, I believe. And if these people insist upon going to Toscana after all that you have told them, maybe it is time to look for new friends!

[Christine Barbour]

Following the advice on this board we had a phenomenal meal at Lalibera in Alba a week or so ago. It was so good that, among other things, it inspired me to come out of the mists of lurkdom and join egullet in gratitude.

There were some outstanding things on the menu (succulent batsua, the best agnolotti del plin of the trip, a stunning and delicious insalata di ovuli reali, perfect brasata and, well, everything) but the course that stands out was the tajarin al burro fuso e tartufo bianco d'Alba. I had made a personal commitment to eating as much truffle as possible during our ten days in Italy and it was always good, but all truffles are not created equal and I suspected the helping hand of truffle oil on more than one occasion. But at Lalibera this dish was ethereal. The truffles were the earthiest and most fragrant and even the most beautiful -- a lacy shower of paper thin white (no kidding, nearly white) truffles on steaming pasta. As simple as can be and beyond wonderful.

Since our Italian was spotty (a generous description) the chef (the only English speaker in the house) waitied on us himself. The wines were terrific, the cheeses really excellent, the whole thing was a winner.

Thanks, egullet folks (and especially Bill Klapp)!!!

Edited November 13, 2006 by Christine Barbour (log)

[Bill Klapp]

Christine, I was just there (10/27 through 11/6; I tried to have lunch on Thursday 11/2 without a reservation, but couldn't get in, possibly because you had my table, but pulled the same stunt on Friday with success), but there was no ovuli reali insalata to be found. I am SO jealous! (Oh, sure, I had the vitello tonnato and the tajarin with tartufi bianchi, and they were wonderful, but hey, November in the Langhe, it is not like it is all that difficult to find white truffles!) If you are there again in the fall, be on the lookout for porcini baked in a bag (porcini en papillote?). It will make you weep openly and shamelessly. Also, don't miss the sweet pepper rolatini stuffed with tuna, capers and homemade mayonnaise. The breadsticks don't suck, either!

[Christine Barbour]

Come to think of it, we were there the week before last, so it was someone else at your table. The uvoli reali were really something -- I am sorry you missed them. Photos taken in restaurants rarely do the food justice, but here's what they looked like.

A really special dish!

We will definitely have to go back for the porcini in parchment. What an idea!

Edited November 14, 2006 by Christine Barbour (log)

[pedalaforte]

Thanks, team! I have noted all the suggestions you've made and I'll pass them to my friends.

And, more important, you've convinced me to head to Piedmont myself again next fall. My wife adores truffle oil, so I think it's time to put her in front of a plate of the real thing. Porcini en papillote, uvoli reali ... we're coming.

Cheers, all.

[Sampaguita]

Questions:

-- Will they still be able to get fresh truffles in restaurants and for approximately how much (say, shaved on tajarin)?

-- Which restaurants should they hit for lunch or dinner? My recommendations are two years old now; are they still the spots? Antine? Posta? Cesare's new place? Guido's neew place? Vicoletto still going? Il Centro in Priocca? How about in Alba itslef?

-- Are these restaurants outrageously expensive?

Hi Pedalforte, I have seen you before on Slow Travel Forums.

for my take on this thread, IMO early December is one of the best times for Piedmontese white truffles, the later the year the better, it should be no problem to find good restaurants with superb truffles.

This has been a good year for Tartufi Bianchi, the prices from truffle dealers are around 2.50 a gram, and you should expect to pay around 3.50 a gram at a restuarant. Myself I do not like the restuarants who offer a pre-shaved truffle dish at xxx euro (can vary from 20 to 40 euro depending on the restuarant and the generosity), I want to choose the truffle, have it weighed and shaved at the table, which most of the osterie offer.

Most of the restaurants you have named are very expensive for Piedmont, since this years winter Olympics I have noticed a trend of food critics in US publications promoting some of the more fancier restaurants such as Guido's, La Contea, etc. IMO real Piedmontee cuisine comes from the little mom and pop trattorie which abound in Piedmont, most of them not posted on Michelin or even Slow Food's guide. Some guests of ours ate at Il Centro last week and got stung at 150 euro for two, for essentially a light lunch with one bottle of Barbera, not even truffles. If you pay more then 30-40 euro a head (without wine or truffles) then the food had better be superb, but in most cases it is no better sometimes not as good as the little trattorie, you are paying for the name and ambience.

And furthermore although the restaurants in the Langhe centred around Alba are of course very good, I always think the area around Asti is just as good if not better as its less well known, besides being more central to all of Piedmont's wine areas and closer to Turin. Piedmontese white truffles are not the exclusivity of Alba you know (here in Asti they claim the Albanese come to Asti in the early morning to buy truffles to sell to tourists, but I don't believe that anymore, maybe Umbria!) The entire Monferrato and Langhe hills around Asti, Alba and Allessandria are the home to what is claimed are the best white truffles in the world.

My favourite restaurants for this year, in a real price range are Rabaja in Babaresco, Cascina Schiavenza in Serralunga d'Alba, Barolo & Co and Pompa Magna in Asti, Madama Vigna in Baldichieri, and if you want an expensive (but not too) restaurant try I Bologna in Rochetta Tanaro or Vignaiolo in La Morra.

[Sampaguita]

"From Malpensa on the way to Neive, is there any place you might suggest that they stop for a reasonable lunch? That is, they'll be tired from the overnight, but there's no good reason to not eat well for their first meal in Italy, right?

-- Do you know these restaurants near Canali: LaSosta in Montabone (near Bistagno/Canelli); Il Bardone (Canelli/Calamandrana); Rabaja in Barbaresco and Cascina Schiavenza in Serralunga? These came highly recommended as lower-key, more local places. Whatever that means."

Opps I didn't see the rest of the thread, I am new to this forum. Il Bardon in Calamandrana has an excellent reputation, although it was aways closed or full when I wanted to go there. I have covered Rabaja and Schiavenza, and although some diasagree with me about Rabaja, I beg to disagree with them, almost all of or guests who have eaten there this year have loved it, and we thought that they were one of the best of many restauarants we tried out last year for our reccomended list. Of course you can't always please all the folks all of the time and especially true with restaurants. I have never eaten at Il Centro, but our guests who follow e-gullet were truly disapointed by their lunch.

but I can most highly reccomend Il Gatto e Il Volpe in Ollegio near to Malpensa airport as a great starting point for a Piedmontese experience.

[pedalaforte]

Dear Sampaguita (a.k.a., Mr. T. -- my name too, by the way!). Thanks for all the suggestions. As always. I am coming back myself to Piedmont next Thanksgiving season with my wife and another couple.

I'm keeping a file and surely I will try some of your suggestions. I did eat at Antine last time we were there and, as youo suggest, it was very expensive. But we sure did enjoy ourselves there on our first night of a three-week cycling trip to Italy. It was our splurge, and I think it really was worth it.

On the other hand, the owners of the B&B at which we stayed took us out with their friends our final night in the region to one of their own local standards. We spent a third of the price and enjoyed ourselved tremendously. We ate verrry well there, too. (Ostu d'Ajou? in Castegnito).

I hope to meet you some day and say thanks in person.

Thanks also for the suggestion in Oleggio. We always stay in Oleggio before slying home from Malpensa. Our favorite place there (we don't know many) was closed last time and we were forced to go to a mass-market pizzeria. It was OK, so I'll note your suggestion.

Ciao

Edited November 27, 2006 by pedalaforte (log)

[Sampaguita]

Hi Pedalforte,

actually this is Rina's forum, she has the fine taste and sensory perception for food and ingredients and an intuitive ability to know what combines with what and how to put the whole thing together, (woe betide a restaurant which doesn't do its job properly and then overcharges) as well as acquiring and expressing a superb Piemontese cucina with high compliments from all our local friends, I am just the fingers until she gets her own keyboard (but I do the wine!)

We would love to have you pedal by next time you are in the area, we have had many cyclists stay with us this year as a covenient pit-stop close to Asti, and I am suprised that you didn't find Il Gatto e Il Volpe, its truly a wonderful restaurant for beginning or ending your tour.

Some other guests of ours have spoken highly of Antine, we will have to try it one of these days, problem is just too many restaurants in Piemonte and when you cook as well as Rina does, its not much incentive to go out that much, except to cross check places our guests have raved about (which is how we get to know so many restaurants, we might not be able to eat at all of them, but every year we will be getting direct feedback from hundreds of guests, hich is how we judge the ebb and flow), and we like Rabaja so much that its difficult not to go there when in Barbaresco.

A presto

Tim

[pedalaforte]

"Hi Pedalforte,

actually this is Rina's forum" !!!!

So, THAT explains why I thought that "Tim" was a cross-dresser, given the picture of the woman at the left of your posts!

I do thank you. I will some day say hello. And I definintely will keep Il Gatto in mind as we love Ollegio as a final send-off point.

A presto!

(By the way, are you folks open next November through the end of the month? U.S. Thanksgiving week, which is the third week of the month? I need to expand my horizons beyond Alba/Neive, see some new turf -- not that Alba is bad turf. The web site looks great, and that's with me, the editor! Only a couple of typos; I'll point them out over barbera. I'm joking.)

Edited November 30, 2006 by pedalaforte (log)