I recently spend nine days leading friends on a tour of my favorite wine region, which included stops in two of Italy’s greatest cities, Turin and Milan. The former I knew a bit from having covered the Winter Olympics there in 2006 for the Houston Chronicle. The latter was largely a blank canvas for me because, when I’m in Europe, I generally go to extreme lengths to avoid major traffic-choked metropolitan areas.
Why? Because I live in one in Texas. Enough is enough.
However, you may now call me a fan of Milan. It was a crazy weekend to be there, on what amounted to Italy’s Fourth of July, but the weather was perfect — fairly cool, no smog, no clouds — and the energy was off the charts. The Galleria shopping area (pictured above) was teeming with celebratory folks, the bars were jammed and the ubiquitous fashion boutiques were all open. I could have shopped til I dropped except for the price tags on the stuff I was drooling over. I mean, who spends $5,500 on a sports coat even if it’s a Brunello Cucinelli? Pas mois.
Anyway, since this is a wine-and-food-centric blog, I’m going to keep it simple and share links to those spots that deserved a five-star rating. Pretty much every place we wined and dined did, too. Chronologically:
Contesto Alimentare, Turin — From the Michelin guide, which gives it “Bib Gourmand” status: “Situated on the central Via Accademia Albertina, this small, simple and unfussy restaurant with small tables set close together serves top-quality Piedmontese cuisine. Alongside its delicious regional specialities, the menu also features dishes from elsewhere in Italy, including Sicily. The tajarin pasta made from 40 egg yolks and served with a veal ragu is superb, as are the rabbit and pork belly dishes. There’s a focus on meat options, followed by some delicious desserts, which include specialities from Piedmont such as panna cotta and typical bacio di dama biscuits.” contestoalimentare.it
Ristorante Savure, Turin — We learned all about pasta making here, then ate more great pasta than I thought possible in a single seating. In effect, we had six main courses, all of them excellent. Better still, it’s amazingly inexpensive considering the quality. https://www.savure.it
Caffè Gelateria Pepino, Turin — Opened in 1884, when it was given a royal warrant to supply the House of Savoy, it claims to be the oldest gelateria in Italy and the setting on the Piazza Carignano is perfect. The gelatos are sublime, of course, and a full bar adds to the appeal. A special treat was Amista Vermouth (you read about same in my last posting) over a scoop of vanilla. Mama mia! Pepino is also famous for inventing the Pinguino, gelato on a stick covered in chocolate. gelatipepino.it
Le Quattro Stagione, Saluzzo — Although I didn’t personally dine with my group here, some felt this was the best restaurant experience they had over the entire tour. Dreamy Saluzzo is in the foothills of the Alps just below Monte Viso and the resto, set in an historic 17th century building, checks all the boxes, especially for value. I’ll be dining there the next time I’m in Italy, guaranteed. http://ristorante4stagione.com
Poderi Luigi Einaudi, Dogliani — A superb producer founded by Luigi Einaudi, who was elected the first president of the Italian Republic after World War II, the winery’s magnificent hilltop site also includes a lovely boutique hotel, the Relais Luigi Einaudi (shown above). I can’t think of a more beautiful, well-situated place to stay while exploring the Langhe. The tasting room offers to floor-to-ceiling windows with views of the grounds and the surrounding vineyards. poderieinaudi.com
Locanda del Sorriso, Dogliani — Dogliani, with its gorgeous cathedral, is a seriously underrated town in the Langhe, and this gorgeous resto proved to be a terrific find. Sorriso means “smile” and we did plenty of that while dining. The wine list, of course, features the best Dogliani dolcettos. lalocandadelsorriso.com
Ceretto, San Cassiano — I’ve been friends with the Cerettos since the mid-1990s and have witnessed their remarkable evolution through the years. While the wide range of wines have always spoken for themselves, the modern tasting room with its “Grape” overlook is second to none, as is the tasting experience. And you can buy everything on site, including some rare single-vineyard wines. ceretto.com
Massimo Camia, La Morra — Michelin gives it a star. Here’s why: “In this restaurant decorated with modern furnishings, the attention is drawn to the picture windows offering fine views of the La Morra hills and the surrounding countryside. The cuisine prepared by Massimo Camia and his daughter Elisabetta includes classic favorites from the chef’s much-loved repertoire, such as the delicious rack of lamb beautifully presented on Luserna stone and served with a barbeque sauce, as well as other elegant dishes, including a few fish options. The excellent selection of Piedmontese cheese is also worth a mention. The chef’s sommelier son Lacopo skilfully and enthusiastically guides guests through the encyclopaedic wine list which includes an extensive choice of Barolo wines and other local labels.” massimocamia.it
Ristorante Modda, Monforte d’Alba — A driving rainstorm made our arrival down a narrow pathway a bit treacherous and kept us from dining on one of the most attractive patios you’ll find anywhere, but, once inside . . . paradise found. The food was universally praiseworthy and the ambience unbeatable. modavenue.eu
Poderi e Cantine Oddero, Santa Maria — Located in a tiny hamlet with a most-impressive church below the hilltop town of La Morra (pictured above), it’s the consummate family winery, dating from 1878 when Giacomo Oddero first bottled the wines in 1878. The current winemaker, Maria Christina, was among the first women to oversee a cellar in the Langhe. Her excellent wines are sold on site, too. oddero.it
Trattoria Il Risorgimento, Treiso — While it almost qualifies as what we Texans call “a hole in the wall,” the food is first-rate and the wine list diverse. Chef/owner Gioele, who’s as local as local gets, may be soft-spoken, but he carries a big stick. We could hear him dressing down Treiso’s mayor while we were lunching because of the noise being made by the machines re-painting street lines beyond the patio. The ruckus quickly stopped. trattoriarisorgimento.it
La Piola, Alba — This is my favorite trattoria anywhere, end of conversation. Situated on the Piazza Risorgimento across from Alba’s Duomo, it offers all the Piemontese classics — the vitello tonnato, agnolotti and tajarin are my holy trinity there — and has a superb wine list to boot. Enrico Crippa, who has earned three Michelin stars for his Piazzo Duomo one floor up, oversees this kitchen, too. lapiola-alba.it
Piazza Duomo, Alba — Crippa, whose food is equal parts edible and artistic as the photo above illustrates, is one of the world’s best chefs and this stylish spot, with its Francesco Clemente mural on the pink main dining-room walls, is most-deserving of its three Michelin stars. We did a lunch there, which offered incredible value at 170 euros per person for four courses. (But Crippa’s justifiably famous salad with upwards of 50 ingredients during high season is a lunchtime add-on for 50 euros.) The Michelin Guide’s assessment: “What is obvious in every single, delicious bite is the chef’s passion for plants, with vegetables, flowers, wild and cultivated herbs harvested daily all featuring in memorable, beautifully presented dishes. The iconic appetisers featuring countless delicious ingredients are a feast for the eyes and the tastebuds alike and were particularly enjoyed by our inspectors. It hardly needs mentioning that this region is passionate about wine, so it’s not entirely surprising that the restaurant offers three different wine lists: Solopiemonte pays superb homage to the region, while Tuttoilresto (divided into two options, white and red) is a celebration of French wines. The efficient and enthusiastic serving staff succeed in taking good care of guests without being excessively formal.” piazzaduomoalba.it
Pio Cesare, Alba — The only winery located in Alba proper and also the only one allowed to produce Barolo outside of the Barolo DOCG because of its historic status, it has a magnificent cellar (shown above) split by a for-real Roman-built wall . Since 1881, five generations of the same family have presided over the Pio Cesare up through the current director, 27-year-old Federica Pio Boffa, who took over for her larger-than-life father, Pio Boffa, after he died of complications from COVID-19 in 2021. Don’t let Federica’s age fool you. She’s got the right genes. piocesare.it
Barolo Bar, Monforte d’Alba — We opted for the elevated outdoor patio across the street from the main bar, which features live music after 8:30 on Wednesday nights, and we weren’t disappointed. Owner Silvia Aiassa’s Langhe-centric wine list is expansive and the small bites were delicious. If you op to take in the tunes, you must order a full meal. Coming off the Piazza Duomo experience, that seemed a tad excessive.
La Baia di Moltrasio, Moltrasio — On the shore of Lake Como, this cozy spot with its eclectic, inventive menu proved a superb find on a night that became too windy and rainy to take our scheduled boat ride. No regrets, to be sure. They had me with the asparagus,egg and parmigiano appetizer. labaiadimoltrasio.com
Senato Caffe, Milan — This lovely wine bar in the Senato Hotel puts Franciacorta front and center, and it thereby saved us a drive to Franciacorta country, about 40 miles east of the city. Thanks to a partnership with the Franciacorta consortium, the wine list offers a superb selection of Italy’s best bubbles, which were the first in Italy to be made exclusively with a second fermentation in the bottle. Franciacorta and its 7,500 acres of vineyards of chardonnay, pinot noir and pinot blanc, has had DOCG status since 1995. senatohotelmilano.it
Marchesi 1824, Milan –– This extraordinary bakery, which has been in business since 1824, offers the best panettone I’ve ever tasted — by far — and is said to have invented this famous leavened Christmas cake (pictured above). Marchesi’s is made with raisins from Sei Corone, naturally candied fruit, Bourbon vanilla from Madagascar, Italian honey, and eggs from free-range chickens. The other pastries looked no less fabulous, too. marchesi1824.com
Locanda Perbellini, Milan — With a kitchen overseen by the highly acclaimed, Michelin-starred Veronese chef Giancarlo Perbellini, this stylish, high-energy off-shoot osteria in Milan’s fashionable Brera district offers an eclectic menu featuring classic dishes from all over Italy. The divinely creamy, perfectly textured seafood risotto blew me away. locandaperbellini.it
Il Marchese Osteria, Milan — The most beautiful stop on our culinary adventure with excellent live music to boot (at least on Saturday nights), its Roman food played to somewhat mixed revues within our group, but I’ve never had a better carbonara pasta (pictured above) anywhere. Note that its sister restaurant in Rome has a Michelin star. ilmarchesemilano.it
H-town happenings
Fireworks! Best of the ’80s covered by the Spicolis — 8:30 p.m. Thursday, July 4, at Deep Roots Vineyard in Plantersville. $24. http://eventbrite.com
Summertime UNCORKED — 2 p.m. Saturday, July 20, at Barcelona Wine Bar. $65. http://eventbrite.com
Wine Symposium — 4 p.m. Saturday, July 20, at Stella’s Wine Bar in the Post Oak Hotel. $75. http://eventbrite.com
Cheers for Charity — 4-7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17., at Red Oak Ballroom Norris Meetings & Event Center. $65-$125. http://cheersforcharity2023.eventbrite.com
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Friends of mine to follow
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