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The 2006 Winter Olympic Games are a perfect opportunity to sample the
specialities of
Turin and
drink some of the greatest red wines of the moment. As for sweetmeats, Turin
is the Italian capital of chocolate, which is available in the form of an
incredibly smooth beverage or little hazelnut bars called giandujotti.
If, like Maupassant, you consider gourmandise to be the only respectable
passion, then Turin will appeal to your appetite. Game, white Alba truffle,
great red wines such as Barolo, mountain-pasture cheeses, chocolate: from
starter to dessert, nothing is missing from Piedmont's table.
For starters, try vitello tonnato, thin slices of veal served with tuna
mayonnaise, agnolotti, small ravioli "pinched" by hand and stuffed with
meat, spinach or cheese, or a bagna caoda, a fondue of vegetables served
with garlic, oil and anchovy sauce.
As a main course, you will have the choice between brasato, roast beef in
red wine or a bollito misto, a pot-au-feu of boiled meat (see Del Cambio
restaurant).
The mountains of
Piedmont and the
Aosta Valley provide fine cow's, ewe's
and goat's milk cheeses, including the famous Castelmagno.
For dessert, many chocolate, hazelnut and chestnut cakes, sometimes
coated with whipped cream, have an almost Viennese flavour, which quite
suited us. Lastly, the breadstick (grissino) with its crisp consistency is a
Turinese invention, and some restaurants continue to make it using
traditional methods.
Restaurants
Vintage 1997
In a beautiful building on Piazza Solferino, walls hung with red fabric,
recesses adorned with mirrors, an orchid and a candle on each table, wall
sconces and chandeliers dispensing subdued lighting provide the sober,
intimate, classic and elegant setting of Vintage 1997, Turin's star-rated
restaurant.
In the dining room Umberto, like a maestro, directs a quartet of young
virtuosi dressed in black who provide rapid service, the way we like it. The
FiveCircle menu (8 piccole portate) is an excellent introduction to the art
of Pierluigi Consoni, to be sampled in the company of three great red wines,
a Pescoja Barbaresco Soliter 2004, a Manzone Barolo Vigna Fraschin 1999 and
a Carlo Giacosa Barbaresco 2002.
Our delighted taste buds were then presented with Tomino (fresh goat's or
ewe's milk cheese) whipped and spiced with paprika, a warm Villanova chicken
salad (equivalent to French Bresse chicken) served with pieces of
pomegranate and Murazzano (a fine-grained ivory white ewe's milk cheese),
cardoon flan with Raschera (another mountain cheese) fondue, veal braised in
Barbaresco, a risotto with pumpkin and Castelmagno, a blue cow's milk cheese
from the province of Cuneo.
For dessert, a trio - bonet, a traditional chocolate and almond cake,
vanilla ice cream with almond liqueur jelly - stands up to a glass of Matteo
Correggia anthos (a sweet wine made according to an old tradition of the
Langhe region) and a glass of Barolo flavoured with tarragon (un climato by
Cappellano).
Casa Vicina
After one star and twenty years of good and faithful service in Ivrea, at
the mouth of the Aosta valley in the Canavese region, the Vicinafamily
opened this restaurant adjoining the Boston Hotel two years ago (see our
article 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin). The modern decor in orangy red
shades, a little Pop Art, a little seventies, combines clear plastic chairs
from Kartell, large aluminium-coloured heating pipes and a polished concrete
floor.
"We were born in the kitchen", declared Stefano who runs the dining room
and watches over the superb wine list, while his mother Bruna, brother
Claudio and sister-in-law Anna officiate in the kitchen. Between tradition
and creation, Piedmontese recipes are lightened, refined and sublimated
thanks to the use of excellent produce.
The Canavesano menu (so-called in a culinary homage to the region of
Canavese) at €60 (about £41) keeps its promises. By way of an appetiser, we
start with a variation of bagna caoda: instead of being served raw or
slightly blanched as in the traditional recipe, the vegetables are presented
in several layers of purée in a glass.
We continue with another Piedmont classic dating from the 19th century,
the famous vitello tonnato. This is followed by tonda gentil, green cabbage
from Montalto stuffed with minced pork, eggs and parmesan and sprinkled with
pieces of the famous Langhe hazelnuts. Then come the agnolotti stuffed with
a mixture of meat, sausage and vegetables, served with gravy.
The main course consists of a very tender breast of young guinea fowl,
served with a flan made using the remainder of the fowl, and chopped
"kitchen vegetables", flavoured with onions, garlic, etc.
The dessert sampler includes a pear jelly, an almond liqueur zabaglione
and a chocolate mousse, washed down with a few glasses of a delicious
Cascina Fonda Moscato 2002.
Ristorante del Cambio
Built in 1757 by Antonio Bellino, the del Cambio restaurant, the most
famous establishment in Turin, has always been the favourite meeting place
of the world of finance, politics and literature. It was here that Cavour
came after declaring war on Austria and proclaiming the independence of
Italy. According to legend, he uttered the words: "Today we have made
history; now it's time to dine". Like the architect of Italian unity, you
will dine in a setting of unique refinement amid velvet, screens, mirrors
and gilding, with silver dishes.
The greatest classics are on the menu, such as vitello tonnato,
Piedmontese agnolotti, tortelli with pumpkin, and risotto mantecato.
The Piedmontese gran fritto misto gave us an unforgettable culinary
experience. On the menu of the restaurant since at least 1875, this dish of
boiled meat (pork, veal, beef, lamb's brains) in breadcrumbs is served with
vegetable fritters (cardoon, artichoke, broad beans), fruit fritters (apple)
and a chocolate semolina fritter. An extraordinary taste experience, between
timeless peasant tradition and incredible creativity .
For dessert, we sampled a typical cake from the Langhe, budino di San
Vittoria d'Alba, a sort of egg-free panna cotta, served with a glass of
Moscato d'Asti, a Forteto della Lyia.
Wines from Piedmont
King of Italian red wines, Barolo, from the Nebbiolo grape variety, is a
dark, powerful and tannic red wine, with aromas of truffle, chocolate,
violet and undergrowth. Some vintages are capable of rivalling Côte-Rôtie.
Also made with Nebbiolo and produced in the same areas, Barbaresco is
however very different from its illustrious rival, lighter, but beautifully
complex with its aromas of liquorice, smoke and hints of spice.
Gattinara is named after a village in the north of Piedmont, between
Turin and Lake Maggiore, east of Biella. Comparable in some respects to
Barolo, this red wine of excellent quality, which is good for long keeping,
is reminiscent of the best Côtes-du-Rhône.
To quench a little thirst, Arneis is a light dry white wine, to be drunk
young.
A quick bite to eat
Le Vitel Étonné
The name of this wine cellar is a play on the words vitello tonnato. In a
warm wine-bar decor, you will sample the market cuisine concocted using
fresh produce by Cristina and Luisa. In the beautiful vaulted cellar you can
buy most of the wines sampled during the meal, with a selection of red wines
from Piedmont, Trentino Alto Adige and white wines from Sicily, as well as a
choice of gourmet products (pasta, chocolates) and grappas. This is an ideal
place for a quick lunch before visiting the Museum of Cinema nearby (see our
article 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin).
Peppino
Located on Piazza Carignano, this café/ice-cream parlour is an ideal
eatery in the heart of the city centre.
Its buffet (open from 12.30pm) offers a selection of hot homemade dishes
(agnolotti, beef braised in red wine, fresh salmon with broccoli) and
succulent desserts.
A glass of white Arneis, a caffè espresso, a modest bill: what more could
you want?
Peppino is also considered to be the inventor of the famous pinguino, a
chocolate ice cream covered in hazelnuts.
Historic cafés
The profusion of the marvellous historic cafés of Turin is worth the trip
alone. From Alexandre Dumas to Ava Gardner, from Garibaldi to Hemingway,
from Cavour to James Stewart, everyone has succumbed to the charm of these
establishments where the sumptuous decor, by turns neo-Classical, Rococo or
Art Nouveau (known as Stile Liberty in Italy), marries bronze with repoussé
leather, marble with inlaid walnut wood.
People come here for their espresso in the morning before going to work,
and for a light meal from 1pm. You can try the famous bicerin (small glass
in Piedmontese), a beverage with superimposed layers of chocolate, coffee
and cream, which is to be drunk without stirring. Or indeed a hot chocolate
made with pure cocoa, incredibly thick and incomparably smooth. It is also
possible to have lunch, with a dish of the day and a "house" menu: with
their fast service, these places are perfectly suited to the hectic pace of
sightseeing.
Mulassano
This Art Nouveau café owes its reputation to its little sandwiches called
tramezzini, whose popularity dates back to 1925. Local journalists and
actors from the teatro Regio often come here for a bite to eat. The
immaculately dressed waiters officiate wearing bow ties and white jackets:
in Italy people take convention very seriously.
San Carlo
This legendary institution opened in 1822 under the name of "parade
ground café". Closed down for the first time in 1837 for "subversive
activity", it was still to become the bastion of the Risorgimento at the end
of the century. Its neo-Classical decor combines tempera paintings and
gilded carved wood beneath a colossal Venetian chandelier. Sumptuous buffet,
varied desserts, impeccable service.
Torino
"Rival" of the San Carlo, this Art Nouveau café dazzles by the splendour
of its decor, its large bar and its spiral staircase, shown to advantage by
a glass wall. Once frequented by the famous publisher Einaudi and the writer
Cesare Pavese, it continues to attract high society with its delicious cakes
and its upstairs restaurant.
Platti
Some distance from the centre, this café and confectionery shop offers
one of the best lunch options in the city, thanks to its all-you-can-eat
buffet! Its façade gives no hint of its interior decor, a delightful
pastiche of Louis XVI style with its walnut woodwork, cartouches, festoons
and gilded limewood standard lamps.
Fiorio
Opened in the 19th century, this café covered in wood panelling and
moulding, in red, gold and cream, was the meeting place of the most
conservative wing in politics and culture during the turbulent period of the
Risorgimento. Admire the superb Sienna-yellow bar and sample the very famous
traditional ice creams.
Al Bicerin
Standing opposite the Consolata, the favourite church of the people of
Turin, this tiny 18th century café, frequented by Nietzsche, Puccini and
Alexandre Dumas, concocts divine beverages such as bicerin, zabaglione and a
cioccolata as thick as crème fraîche. It is besieged between every mass.
Chocolate
From 1720, Italy was considered to be a pioneer in the production of the
hot chocolate that is consumed in all the cafés of Venice and Florence. In
Turin, it is a real love story that began under the gourmet rule of Emmanuel
Philibert, which gave this industry a decisive impetus.
The great chocolate makers were then Peyrano, Straglia, Feletti, Talmone
and above all Caffarel, the inventor of giandujotto, which has become the
emblematic chocolate of the city of Turin. Officially presented for the
first time at the Turin Wine Show in 1867, this little trapezoid bar is a
blend of chocolate, Piedmontese hazelnut and sugar, sometimes with a touch
of vanilla added. Today there are as many of them as there are chocolate
makers, and some giandujotti are made with almonds or walnuts.
Stratta
Official supplier of the House of Savoy, whose coat of arms is still in
its place in the wood-panelled boutique.
Guido Gobino
One of Turin's most creative chocolate makers. Here you will find the
most traditional giandujotti (he even offers a recreation of this sweetmeat
as it would have appeared in 1875) and the most audacious. Numerous variants
of chocolate bars with 75% cocoa on average.
La Gerla
For over 30 years Mr and Mrs Ciocato have been selling giandujotti, as
well as large cakes and petits fours. Giandujotto is also available in jars
in spreadable form (hazelnut, pure cocoa, chocolate).
Two addresses for gourmets
La Baita del Formaggio
In this cheese shop you will find all the Piedmontese varieties,
including Castelmagno, made with cow's milk, ripened for around 6 months,
and often considered to be the best cheese in the province.
Castelmagno gnocchi is a classic dish.
Defilippis
Pasta lovers can stock up here on around a hundred homemade varieties,
fresh or not. Defilippis also sells ready-made dishes to take away.
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