Torino Restaurants: Reviews & Recommendations

[Curlz]

According to today's Washington Post,

"(Roberto) Donna, the owner of Galileo, will be returning to his home town as part of the coverage of the Winter Olympics. He will be appearing regularly on NBC's "Today" show starting Friday, when he is scheduled to take correspondent Al Roker on a culinary tour of the northwestern Piedmont region.

Chef Donna certainly is the right guy for this job! Should be interesting...

[Kevin72]

I hope this doesn't take things too OT, but if anyone comes across articles profiling the foods of Torino as part of the Olympics I'd love to get links. Too, if there are TV profiles on FoodTV or one of the networks coming up, please share the schedule.

[ludja]

I was googling for more info on bicerin (here's a thread devoted to bicerin ) and I found this link to food at Café Al Bicerin in Torino: click

Here are some of their desserts:

All homemade, our cakes and pastries provide something for every taste. Here are some specialities of the house:

Hot chocolate toast

Hazelnut cake from Langhe with hot chocolate

Apple Cake

Cinnamon & Apple Cake

Apple, Amaretto & Chocolate Cake

Paradise cake filled with cream

Pear & Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cake

Rusks of the Duchessa ( biscuits)

Canestrelli ( biscuits)

Torcettoni of Mautino ( biscuits)

Polenta imprigionata

[SWISS_CHEF]

We are headed back this weekend and plan to crash the Olympic party next week in Turin, but the only Olympic competition I am interested in would be the Pizza Olympics! Who needs bobsledding, ice skating and the downhill slalom when you can have agnolotti, salciccia and Barbera!!

I will give you a full report!

[menton1]

There has apparently been some weirdly-inspired criticism of NBC in the States for using the name "Torino" instead of the translated "Turin" in all their Olympic Programming. Can't understand why anyone would care.

As a point of interest, why do many Italian cities have English translations? Isn't a name a name? I've never seen a city name in France translated into an English version...

[Pan]

There has apparently been some weirdly-inspired criticism of NBC in the States for using the name "Torino" instead of the translated "Turin" in all their Olympic Programming.  Can't understand why anyone would care. 

As a point of interest, why do many Italian cities have English translations?  Isn't a name a name?  I've never seen a city name in France translated into an English version...

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That's because French was the language of culture in England, I think. We use the French names for many Italian cities.

But getting back to the topic, what is "imprisoned polenta" (polenta imprigionata from the list posted by ludja above)?

[menton1]

That's because French was the language of culture in England, I think. We use the French names for many Italian cities.

Could you kindly elaborate on this explanation? I was asking why most of the larger Italian cities have translated English names, but no French cities' names are ever translated. Why should a name be translated at all, anyway?

[ludja]

That's because French was the language of culture in England, I think. We use the French names for many Italian cities.

Could you kindly elaborate on this explanation? I was asking why most of the larger Italian cities have translated English names, but no French cities' names are ever translated. Why should a name be translated at all, anyway?

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Look at this list of European cities and the different names for the cities in different languages. I'm not sure if there is a simple answer to your question.

But back to food, I found a direct link to Cafe al Bicerin here in English. The translation may not be perfect, but here is their English description of the interestingly named "imprisoned polenta" cookie:

POLENTA IMPRIGIONATA

A delicious variation on the melic grass pastries, these biscuits are made using whipped ‘fumetto’ (very finely ground corn flour ). Invented by the creative ‘Coggiola’(in the province of Biella) the top half is covered in grains of sugar (that literally imprison the biscuit (from which they’ve taken their name).

[johnnyd]

We are headed back this weekend and plan to crash the Olympic party next week in Turin, but the only Olympic competition I am interested in would be the Pizza Olympics! Who needs bobsledding, ice skating and the downhill slalom when you can have agnolotti, salciccia and Barbera!!

I will give you a full report!

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Pictures!

We had some nice eG representation in Athens - where are the Turino reporters? Mr Nielsen? Anyone?

[menton1]

New York Times Wed Feb 15 had a very nice little article about the giandujotto, the heavenly Torinese chocolate only available in Torino and environs.

Can anybody report on this terrific item and just how good it really is?

Also, I was under the impression that there is no "J" in the Italian alphabet. So how can an Italian name have a "j" in it?

[Pan]

"J" is called "I longa" (="long I") in Italian. It's not a usual letter, but when I've seen it, it's been pronounced like an "I" (no doubt, some Italians will clarify this further). In Latin, from what I've seen, the letters were use interchangeably (Julius, Iulius; Jove, Iove; etc.).

[Kevin72]

New York Times Wed Feb 15 had a very nice little article about the giandujotto, the heavenly Torinese chocolate only available in Torino and environs. 

Can anybody report on this terrific item and just how good it really is? 

Also, I was under the impression that there is no "J" in the Italian alphabet.  So how can an Italian name have a "j" in it?

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Alot of dialectical Italian also uses "J", particularly in those border regions that are near other countries. Puglia, for example, uses "j" quite a bit.

[ludja]

The Today Show has been having some food segments each day. They are pretty brief, but here are two things mentioned that were interesting to me:

"Bombardino" a warm drink made from "vov" egg liqueur and further strengthened with whiskey or rum. Sometimes also includes espresso and can be topped with softly whipped cream. I think this is something to warm up with after a day in the mountains.

They featured a nice sounding Piemontese salad the other day: equal parts chopped celery, cubed Toma cheese and roasted hazelnuts in a lemon-olive oil vinagrette.

[Kevin72]

They featured a nice sounding Piemontese salad the other day: equal parts chopped celery, cubed Toma cheese and roasted hazelnuts in a lemon-olive oil vinagrette.

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Oh man, that does sound good.

[menton1]

OK, now that we cleared up the "j"issue (sort of) what about the Giandujotto? Just how great is it? How does it compare to the best of the Brussels ilk of chocolates?

[divina]

Gianduia-- and giandujotta-- are a soft hazelnut/chocolate specialty created in Torino. Shaped like long wedges, wrapped in gold foil.. melt in your hands if you hold them too long! sort of a truffle, but no cream.

They used a hazelnut paste to stretch the chocolate..and created a trend.. in 1865.

Gianduia is the name of the Torino.. Maschera that represents the city, hence the name for the chocolate.

But not only available in Torino.

They are a very soft melt in your mouth chocolate...think nutella for gourmets!

Great with Barolo Chinato.

AS in Florence, locals always say you don't eat well in town. I have enjoyed many a great meal in simple trattoria's in town, can second Tre Galline. Torino is a real city, like San Francisco, Great cinema museum.

[ludja]

OK, now that we cleared up the "j"issue (sort of) what about the Giandujotto?  Just how great is it?  How does it compare to the best of the Brussels ilk of chocolates?

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Thanks, divina. Also, I'm ready to try the different Giandujotto after reading this article from today's NYTimes.

Perhaps in no other place in the world, and certainly no other city in Europe, do so many pastry shops and chocolate-makers roast and blend their own cacao beans. …

But the chocolate par excellence — the one that says Turin to the rest of Italy — is the foil-wrapped mini-ingot called giandujotto.

Some info for when article disappears:

Shops and Producers:

Caffarel

Peyrano

Guido Gobino

Stratta

Gertosio, on Via Lagrange: medium roasted hazelnuts, sweeter than others

Peyrano and Gobino chocolates are available online (at peyrano.com and Gobino from the New York-based www.gustiamo.com).

Stratta

And from the same article:

In giandujotti, Mr. Gobino made his name with the milkless, mini-sized "Tourinot," which has probably the fruitiest flavors and the darkest-toasted nuts of any of the city's elite competitors. Gobino uses only Piedmont hazelnuts, the world's most expensive (almost all other industrial makers use Turkish hazelnuts); one of the five growers Mr. Gobino buys from is his father-in-law.

Peyrano's "giandujotto antica formula," with bombé base and crinkly foil, has a higher proportion of hazelnuts than its "giandujotto nuova formula," which has cocoa butter added for easy machine molding and smooth wrapping. The old formula has a slight smokiness that Dr. Mariella Maione, in charge of marketing, says comes from the olive wood the company still uses to roast chocolate. The "antica" provides a definitive taste, with a satisfying amount of grit and a lingering aftertaste of fruit and roasted nut. It also has no milk — the dividing point in the modern giandujotto competition.

Edited February 17, 2006 by ludja (log)

[Boris_A]

Torino is a real city.

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BTW, back in the times of 1870, during the risorgimento when Italy was created as we know it today, the Piemontese were convinced that Torino is going to be the capital of Italy, as the Kings of the new Italy were of the "Savoya" family and Turin was their place.

The famous hazelnuts are called "Tondo Gentile" and come from the region around Cortemilia in the Alta Langhe. They cost about $40 per kg when toasted and peeled. Great stuff indeed.

[ludja]

Here is some additional discussion and information on chocolate in Turin on David Lebovitz' great blog: click

He gives a nice take on his version of il Bicerin as well and a more complete list of chocolate purveyers as well:

Places in Torino/Turin, specializing in local chocolates, gianduiotti, or to find an authentic bicerin:

A. Giordano

Piazzo Carlo Felice, 69

Tel: 011.547121

Al Bicerin

Piazza Consolata, 5

Tel: 011.4369325

Baratti & Milano

Piazza Castello, 29

Tel: 011.4407138

Caffè Torino

Piazza San Carlo, 204

Tel: 011.545118

Gobino

via Cagliari, 15/b

Confetteria Avvignano

Piazzo Carlo Felice, 50

Tel: 011.541992

Peyrano

Corso Vittorio Emanuele II, 76

Tel: 011.538765

Platti

Corso Vittoria Emanuele II, 72

Tel: 011.5069056

[Carlsbad]

Did anyone make it to Torino during the Olympics?

[SWISS_CHEF]

Here are a few pictures I took in Turin during the olympics...

I realised that I didn't take a single picture that had anything to do with the olympics...mostly just food!

[albiston]

Here are a few pictures I took in Turin during the olympics...

I realised that I didn't take a single picture that had anything to do with the olympics...mostly just food!

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well, there IS a snowboard among those chocolates .

Where did you take the pictures Ed?

[SWISS_CHEF]

Where did you take the pictures Ed?

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Ciao Alberto,

Good question! Honestly I don't know, we were just wandering around and all the receipts are back at our place in Italy. When I get back next week I will see if I can figure it out.

[menton1]

Swiss Chef: It seems that you have now revised your opinion of food in Torino, no? Sure looks great from the photos!!

[SWISS_CHEF]

Swiss Chef:  It seems that you have now revised your opinion of food in Torino, no?  Sure looks great from the photos!!

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Actually it wasn't "my" opinion, it was the "heads-up" I got from several true Piemontese friends. I had never been to Turin before this. When we were there we popped into a little wine bar on a main square and had one plate of dried meats and 3 glasses of cheap Barbera and the bill was nearly 30 euros we could have done it for half that much in the Monferrato. Afterwords, we went to a pizza place and with our order we asked for a carafe of house red and he brought a 15 euro bottle of Chianti and got mad when we turned him back....the Pizza was lame too. But I have to say the farinata was out of this world

Having said that, the gelati were fantastic...especially the gelati torrone semi-freddo!!! Oh Ma God!

Sorry, give me the Monferrato or Langhe any day over Turin... with the possible exception of the sweets!

Edit: I should say.....architecturally speaking, Turin was very interesting and remarkably beautiful!

Edited March 4, 2006 by SWISS_CHEF (log)