Day 8: Great cappuccino before a half day trip to Turin. Dinner at a slow food restaurant in Turin.

Day 8: Great cappuccino before a half day trip to Turin. Dinner at a slow food restaurant in Turin.

Restaurant / Store / Cafe visited:

1. Caffe Vergnano: (4.5 star. Really delicious capuccino. Beautiful espresso machine.)
2. Eataly, Turino (5 star. Must visit if you are in Turino and love Italian food.)
3. Caffe Confetteria al Bicerin (4 star. Super creamy chocolate-y coffee drink called “Bicerin”. Delicious. Stop by if you are in the area.)
4. Ristorante Consorzio (5 star. Incredible value for solid comfort food. Recommended by Slow Food Association.)

Morning Cappuccino

I went to Caffe Vergnano for my coffee this morning. I had walked by this caffe several times, and it looked very modern and clean from the outside. The cappuccino I had was really creamy and delicious. I had expected coffee here to be just average, since it seems to me that the store is more focused on selling coffee beans and souvenir than the drink itself, but their coffee turned out to be really good. Creamy and smooth. A nice surprise!

After the morning coffee, I had an attempt at making truffle Tajarin (a type of pasta special in this region) but I added garlic and parmesan cheese, which I think ruined the truffle. They were too strong for this dish. Lesson learned! Just butter, and butter only, for truffle pasta dishes.

Half-day trip to Turin: Stop 1, The original Eataly store, a drink called Bicerin, and a meal at a slow food restaurant.

After finishing my pasta, it was time to go to the original Eataly store in Turin! I am super excited about visiting this store. It was in New York City when I first discovered Eataly. I had a couple of hours to kill in NYC that day and I was using TripAdvisor City Guide on my phone to see what attractions were nearby. Eataly came up on top of the list and I had no idea what it was. Since it was ranked really high, I figured I’d check it out. It turned out to be a gourmet fantasy come true. I had never seen anything quite like it before. If you ever go to New York City, make sure you check out that store. A mecca for Italian food lovers.

It takes about an hour to drive from Alba to Turin. Oh, and by the way, I recommend paying Italian highway toll with your card instead of cash. Bite the bullet and pay the foreign transaction fee on your card for these charges. It will make your trip much easier and it is totally worth it. Also to know is that on some highways, they charge toll based on the distance you’ve traveled. That means when you enter these highways, you will take a paper ticket from the machine. And when you exit these highways, you have to put in the ticket, and then the credit card into the same slot to pay the toll indicated. No English on these machines. I got stuck there on my trip to Alba for 10 minutes last Friday until a person came out to the machine and showed me that I had to put in the paper ticket and then the credit card. Also, they will check the time of your check-in and check-out and cross-check the speed limit. If you check out too early, you will get a speeding ticket!

Back to the Eataly. The drive to Turin was pretty smooth this time. Once I entered Turin city limit, it was again 3-car-side-by-side-in-one-lane situation. LOL. I am very impressed that I survived driving in Turin not once, but twice! I followed Google driving directions and arrived in Eataly without any difficulty. There is a parking lot attached to the store so you can park there. You do need to pay though.

I’m not sure if this store is bigger than the one in New York City, but it has a lot more local specialty products here, namely chocolate, hazelnuts, chestnut and rice. There is also a small food-related book section and a huge wine section that occupied the entire basement. There is also a section for kitchen tools and small appliances. There are several restaurants scattered in different places in the store, just like the one in New York City.

Look at all the chocolate selection that have here. This is only 1/10 of the shelf space!

There are many cute kitchen tools that I’ve never seen before. Like this pasta timer that you throw into the boiling water with pasta and when the pasta is al dante, the timer will make a sound!

And also this macaroon kit!

And this beautiful grill. There is no way I can bring this back with me. I’ve found it on eBay. I’m so going to order one when I get back.

I also went down into the basement to check out their wine selection. I am not a big wine drinker, but I know that Barolo is the most famous wine in this region. The more reasonably priced Barolo are all the way in the back. Just when I was wondering why I didn’t see any famous Barolo producers, such as Gaja or Bruno Giacosa, I saw two guys walking into a glass-wall chambered and I quickly followed them into that room. And wow… This is where all the highly-sought-after wines are displayed! Look at the prices of these Gaja wine. In Euro!

Half-day trip to Turin: Stop 2, a drink called Bicerin from Caffe Confetteria al Bicerin

Caffe Confetteria al Bicerin is located closed to city center where parking is much harder to come by. I circled around a bit and drove by an area that looked like a parking lot. I drove in and there was a guy gesturing me to drive in and he pointed to an open space, so I parked my car there. He was in a black jacket that looked like a city official so I asked him how much it would cost to park my car there. He said “One, or two, or three. I watch it for you.” Uh…… Just when I was deciding what to do next, another group of Italians parked their car and walked by us. This guy said something to that group of Italians and they looked at him like he was crazy and they just walked away…Whenever in doubt, do what the locals do! I turned and just walked away from that guy. I heard that guy calling me. I continued to walk away and never looked back.

Caffe Confetteria al Bicerin was so small that I missed it the first time when I walked by it. There were just 8 very small tables. A woman came out to the bar from the back room to get my order. I forgot the name of the drink, so I just started by saying, “Uh…The drink…”, and she smiled and said “Bicerin?” Hahahaha. I guess everyone comes here for THE drink. It was delicious! Thick cream on top, melted chocolate in the middle and hot espresso at the bottom. I don’t think it is by itself worth driving to Turin for, but if you are in the area, check it out.

I hadn’t made any plan for dinner yet, but I remembered that I had saved some restaurants in Turin on TripAdvisor app. I checked my phone and the closest one, Ristorante Consorzio, was about a half a mile away. It is recommended by Slow Food Association. I decided to walk over to check it out. On my way walking there, I got more and more worried about my car. Would they flat my tire or key my car? If I go pick up my car late after dinner, will there be less people around and I end up getting robbed by him? I decided to go pick up the car and park somewhere else now instead of later. Thankfully, when I got there, everything was fine. I got in my car quickly and drove away.

Half-day trip to Turin: Stop 3, Ristorante Consorzio: A Slow Food recommendation

I found a parking space on the street about 5-minute walk from the restaurant. The restaurant opens at 7:30pm and it was still about an hour away. I remember reading somewhere on the Internet that restaurants in Italy prefer people calling ahead to make a reservation instead of just showing up at the door, even if it is just an hour before the reservation. The number was already on TripAdvisor app, so I just called them. The owner picked up the phone and he speaks English! Good English, too! I asked him if I could come in at 7:30pm to have dinner and he said yes, but I’d have to leave before 9 because they need to free up that table for another group of people. Awesome!

I walked around a bit to kill some time and even gave another guy directions with Google map on my phone to where he wanted to go. LOL. I got back to the restaurant at around 7:20 and took some picture of the store front of the restaurant. A really cute little restaurant, but seems like they have won lots of award and recognitions! I am getting excited!

 

The owner came and opened the door at 7:30pm sharp. He told me that the restaurant opened 5 years ago. Impressive to gain so much recognition in such short amount of time! Inside was a cute humble little space. Almost like going to grandma’s house for dinner. There was a photo of what I thought the chefs of the restaurant. The person who opened the door and spoke English to me was the second one from the right.

 

I went with their tasting menu, which was just 32 Euro. I also ordered a glass of Barbaresco. to go with it. Again, like every other restaurants in Piedmont, there was Amuse-bouche. I am starting to think that it is their tradition of showing hospitality! I love it!

Amuse-bouche. Fried ravioli with hazelnut crumbs on top. Delicious!

Beef tartare. The best way to serve it. Just great quality Piedmontese beef and salt. They also put olive oil, black pepper mill and salt on the table for me. I drizzled a bit olive oil on top. It was delicious.

Fried egg with spinach and bacon. Feels like a brunch dish back in the US? The egg was cooked perfectly.

Ravioli. It was delicious. I have no idea what meat the filling was but it was really good. The menu says “Agnolotto gobbo”

Braised Piedmont beef and seasonal vegetables. The beef was cooked perfectly. So tender and melt-in-your-mouth. From the texture of it, I think it was the shank.

Dessert. Panna Cotta with red wine sauce. Really delicious! Just the perfect ending for the meal.

I left the restaurant just about 5 minutes before 9 o’clock. It was a great meal.

Day 5: Alba white truffle festival and a meal at Osteria La Torre

Day 5: Alba white truffle festival and a meal at Osteria La Torre

Restaurants visited:

Osteria La Torre (5 star, Excellent food and great services)

Truffle Festival: So much truffle and just 1/3 of the prices in the US

The day has finally arrived. The main reason for this trip to Alba, the truffle festival!

As I stepped outside of the apartment, I was greeted by a lot of people on the street. Turns out, the entire street is turned a street market every Saturday!

As I moved towards the main city plaza, I realized that I was going to need some help finding the truffle market. I was really lucky because as I turned my head, I saw the tourism office right there by the plaza. I walked in and was greeted by a friendly Italian girl who speaks great English! She gave me instructions to the market, the general directions in this regions and lots of helpful ideas and free maps. She also set me up with free wifi access. Only 2 hours per day though. (I don’t really understand this restriction, but I was not going to turn down free wifi!)

People can also purchase tours and other activities here. I was asking about cooking classes and they wrote down my available day/time and asked me to come back later to check for class availability.

I left the office and move on to the truffle market. As I walked pass what felt like a million people coming in the opposite direction, I suddenly sniffed a faint familiar fragrance… Oh my God! White truffle!!! I looked up and saw this sign with the only Italian word that I know: “Tartufo”!!!!!!!!

Following the sign, I arrived at the entrance of the market. I paid 2 Euro for the ticket and stepped into this gastronomic heaven. The air was completely filled with white truffle aroma at every corner. The most amazing sensory experience I’ve ever had in a market. There were at least 30 truffle traders/hunters selling white truffles right here. The average price is around 200-300 Euro per 100 grams. In the US, the same amount of white truffle would go for 1000 dollars or more!

    
 

There were sample tasting of truffle paste, pasta, chocolate, hazelnuts cakes, etc. I don’t know what else to describe this place except “paradise”!

Towards the end of the space, there was an area where many wine producers in this area showcase their wines and a wine bar area that people buy wine by the glass, and also can purchase light eats such as pasta, panini, ect. Add 25 euro for truffle shaving, of course. I ordered a glass of nebbiolo and a bowl of Tajarin with white truffle shaving on top.

 

The pasta was just okay though. I should’ve known better not to have high expectation for festival cafeteria food, but I couldn’t resist the truffle aroma that filled the air.

As I munched on the pasta and drank the wine, a cute couple from Genova at the same table and I started a great conversation about the olive oil that they produce in their olive tree orchard and the B&B they are building. The girl is from Canada and the husband is from Italy. Was it the classic story of a girl coming to Italy and fell in love with the food, the land, the people, and eventually a man of her own? I didn’t ask. They looked really happy. We were all happily submerged in the truffle aroma, the wine, and the beautiful Italian spoken words in the background that surrounded us. She left me their contact information and I promised to get in touch with them. The next time I come here, I will for sure stay in their B&B after it is open. I also promised to buy some olive oil from them. Organic and first cold pressed, they promised. :-)

(P.S. I realized that I didn’t save their contact information on my iPhone at the last step. Must be the alcohol! The couple from Genova, if you see this post, please email me and let me know your contact information. I want your olive oil. :-) )

I circled around more and bought some hazelnut chocolate and cakes, then went back to the apartment. Every time I drink wine, I get really sleepy. So I took a short nap before heading back out again.

Afternoon walk in Alba: Duomo and a local supermarket!

Every Italian city / town has at least one main church. I wanted to check out the one in Alba. The sun was setting, which made it hard to take photos of the half shaded church building. Still, it was a beautiful church and I couldn’t help taking some photos.

When I was in Florence 4 years ago, I walked into a church and took a few photos, but then was quickly stopped by someone. I did some research online afterwards and realized that in most churches in Italy, photography is not allowed once inside. Unfortunately, it was the case with this church as well. It was beautiful. I wish that I could show you guys.

When I was walking around in the church, a friendly old priest said hello to me and started chatting with me. We sat down and had a long conversation about the history of this church and other churches in Italy. We used the TripAdvisor app on my iPhone looking for many different churches throughout Italy. It was fascinating watching an old Italian priest using iPhone and the app UI that I designed.

He told me that this church in Alba is of Gothic style. The columns and the ceiling were built to mimic the forests. The columns reach up to the ceiling and branch out like trees in the forest reaching up to the sky, and the ceiling is painted dark blue as the night sky and with stars painted on it. The style was originally from Germany where people believed that forests held special power.

I told him that I will stop by Paris before I head back to San Francisco. He then gave me a pendant of Maria that he got from a church in Paris and asked me to check out the church if I have time. What a lovely and warm priest here in Alba! As we shook hands and said goodbye, I could feel his passion passing through to me with his big warm hand.

When I walked out of the church, it was already dark. I was getting really thirsty and there was no more drinking water left at the apartment. I walked to a local supermarket and got myself some water, a packet of breadsticks and a jar of Nutella. (Ferrero, the maker of Nutella, set up its headquarter here in Abla.) Sandro, a French intern in our team told me that Nutella in Italy uses the hazelnuts from Italy and tastes better than the ones that we get in the US, which uses the hazelnuts from Canada. I don’t know about the hazelnuts from Canada but the hazelnuts here in Piedmont is amazingly good.

Oh, and they have the best shopping baskets ever. It has a handle and wheels at the bottom!

Osteria La Torre: My truffle ultimate experience continues…

I found out about Osteria La Torre on chowhound.com. I also checked TripAdvisor and the photos looked amazing. I made a reservation on their website before I came to Italy. When I called them today to reconfirm the reservation, no one spoke English. They only speak either Italian or French. Even though it was a bit challenging to communicate with them, eventually I made it here and was seated promptly.

The location on Google map is about half a block off. However, there is a sign of the restaurant at the Google pin location pointing to where it is. It’s pretty easy to find.

A lovely girl approached me and she spoke English. Woohoo! She patiently explained everything on the menu to me and helped me decide what to order.

We decided on the Coccotte tartufata (Similar dish as I had yesterday at Antica Corona Reale, that egg, cream and cheese dish.) and Ravioli quadri rid e coi al burro (chestnut ravioli with sage and butter). And depending on how full I feel after the ravioli, we will decide if I’ll order more.

We again started with amuse bouche. Vegetable flan and sour kraut. Really delicious.

 

One thing that I noticed is that breadsticks seem to be one of the standard “bread” that restaurants here serve. Everywhere I go, breadsticks are served. Delicious!

Next up. Cocotte Tartufata. I was again in paradise. Egg, cream, cheese and butter, with truffle shaved on top. It is really the ultimate truffle experience. After this, no other dish will be able to come even close to the truffle high I get from this combination.

The next dish was the ravioli. I had truffle shaved over it. It was pretty good but the problem of having any dish after Cocotte Tartufata is that everything will just pale in comparison. Good dish though.

To my surprised, I felt that I could have one more small dish afterwards. I haven’t had any meat dish yet, so I asked my waitress what she would recommend. I can’t remember the name of the dish and it was not on the menu, but it was basically every body part of a rooster except for the meat. Like the brain, the guts, the crown, etc. She said it was a regional specialty and she looked concerned that it may be too weird for me. It must have been really obvious. Hahaha. But, hell, how many times am I going to make it here in my life time to have a chance to try this dish. “Yes”, I said. And the dish arrived!

It was pretty good! I had no idea what half of the stuff was and I ate them, but they were very tasty. There were two pieces of fried polenta on top of them but I wish that there was one more. There were some pickled vegetables, which balanced out the gamy taste of some of these body parts. I’m not sure if I would order it again but I’m very glad that I tried.

I was really full by now but wanted some sweets, so she brought me raspberry sorbet, which was delicious! If I wasn’t this full, I would’ve wanted to try their panna cotta, but oh well.

After the dessert came the sweets. Highlights: Dark chocolate covered hazelnuts. These hazelnuts are amazing. If you have a chance to come to Piedmont, make sure you bring some home. Hazelnuts in this region are super sweet and delicious.

And this concludes my day full of amazing experiences. Tomorrow, I will visit my 2nd Michelin 3-star restaurant in Italy: Piazza Duomo, here in downtown Alba.