10 DAYS IN ALBA: PALIO, TRUFFLES, AND WINE
Nov 8th, 2009, 02:14 PM
#21
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Yes, cardoons are bitter! I enjoyed the cooked version much more.
Now on to Day 2 in the Piemonte – to La Morra for more wine!
A solid night’s sleep and I’m up by 7:00. Quick shower (lots of very hot water) and down to a great breakfast at La Favorita. Fresh juice from Roberta’s grapes, yogurt, Madernassa pears, prosciutto, and frittata with fresh herbs.
We head towards La Morra for an appointment at Renato Ratti. The winery used to be at the old abbey of Annunziata and we pass by twice without seeing the newer, modern building. I ask an old man weeding his garden by the road. 300 metres, a destra, e descendere. The building is located on the downhill side from the abbey and is invisible from the road. We press a buzzer to be admitted.
Francesca will show us and another couple from Boston around the winery. We first see the ground floor vinification rooms with steel tanks and holes in the floor for huge hoses that carry the fermented grape juice down to the barrels in the cellar. The cellar actually has multiple levels underground. Ratti is a rather large facility, comparatively speaking. Grapes are brought here from land that they lease throughout the Langhe and the Roero. We see an exposed wall down in the lower cellar, and you can smell the mineral-ly scent of the tufa soil that makes this area good for grapes. There are blue and green streaks in the gray soil from iron.
In the tasting room, we look at maps of the La Morra area to see where Ratti’s vineyards are located. We taste several 2005 Barolos, which are very good even this young, full of spice and heavy red fruit. We buy three bottles including a Barolo Brunate.
It’s 12:30, so we head for our chosen lunch spot Osteria del Vignaiolo in the hamlet of Santa Maria. There is a church, a small hotel, the restaurant, and not much else. About 10 tables inside and they fill up fast. All Italians. To our left is a large family – 3 generations. Two small boys eat gnocchi and loudly announce that they must make “la pi-pi.” The grissini are homemade and delicious. We have wine by the glass since we already downed the equivalent of a few glasses at Ratti. Domenico Clerico Dolcetto 2007. An amuse bouche first of a savory flan of zucchini with a fresh tomato basil sauce, (Note for ekscrunchy – you remember in your post on Alba that there seemed to be an Italian “a” word for amuse bouche, but we could never quite figure out what it was? Several people on our trip referred to “un piccolo assagio.” Does that sound familiar?).
Then we have –
Tortino of porcini mushrooms
Warm salad of duck with a savory compote of vegetables
Tagliolini with salsiccia ragu
Brasato of veal, cooked in Nebbiolo
All excellent. Total with wine, water -= 47 euros.
Next we’re off to La Morra centro and Marcarini. The winery is in Piazza Martiri at the edge of town. We join Elena and two other couples for the tour. This winery is very busy. Grapes are going through the de-stemmer. We go into the cellars and the vinification rooms. Huge tanks of Moscato are fermenting. We taste a Moscato, two Barolos, an Arneis and a Barbera. Elena explains that the two Barolos are exactly the same in terms of grape, vintage, vinification process. The only difference is that one was grown at the top of the hill for maximum exposure and one comes from a vineyard in a concave between two hills.
We then walk through pretty La Morra. Stop at several shops including Gallo which has an amazing wine selection plus all types of gourmet foods. I buy quite a few things! We stop at the church and to our surprise, it is very ornate with frescoes, marble, and lots of gold leaf. I put a coin in the slot in the chapel but instead of lighting a candle, I flick a switch on the electric candelabra. We walk to the old walls on the edge of town. Vine-covered hills for miles.
We go back to Alba for a late afternoon stroll and café macchiato. After stopping back at La Favorita to freshen up and change and chat with Roberta, we head back into Alba to eat dinner at La Piola. Despite the fact that this casual restaurant has a well-known gourmet counterpart upstairs, we find the menu very limited - mashed cod, chickpea soup, and broccoli flan with anchovy sauce are the only three choices besides the standard agnolotti and tajarin. We make the best of it and order a plate of salame, cheese and prosciutto for starters along with a Ceretto Dolcetto. I have the chickpea soup and Mike gets the agnolotti which comes with a perfunctory tomato sauce. Mike, ever hopeful in the face of adversity, orders the panna cotta with moscato sorbet. OK, not great. This was our least favorite meal in the Langhe. Total – 57 euros.
Next day – truffles, truffles, truffles!!
Now on to Day 2 in the Piemonte – to La Morra for more wine!
A solid night’s sleep and I’m up by 7:00. Quick shower (lots of very hot water) and down to a great breakfast at La Favorita. Fresh juice from Roberta’s grapes, yogurt, Madernassa pears, prosciutto, and frittata with fresh herbs.
We head towards La Morra for an appointment at Renato Ratti. The winery used to be at the old abbey of Annunziata and we pass by twice without seeing the newer, modern building. I ask an old man weeding his garden by the road. 300 metres, a destra, e descendere. The building is located on the downhill side from the abbey and is invisible from the road. We press a buzzer to be admitted.
Francesca will show us and another couple from Boston around the winery. We first see the ground floor vinification rooms with steel tanks and holes in the floor for huge hoses that carry the fermented grape juice down to the barrels in the cellar. The cellar actually has multiple levels underground. Ratti is a rather large facility, comparatively speaking. Grapes are brought here from land that they lease throughout the Langhe and the Roero. We see an exposed wall down in the lower cellar, and you can smell the mineral-ly scent of the tufa soil that makes this area good for grapes. There are blue and green streaks in the gray soil from iron.
In the tasting room, we look at maps of the La Morra area to see where Ratti’s vineyards are located. We taste several 2005 Barolos, which are very good even this young, full of spice and heavy red fruit. We buy three bottles including a Barolo Brunate.
It’s 12:30, so we head for our chosen lunch spot Osteria del Vignaiolo in the hamlet of Santa Maria. There is a church, a small hotel, the restaurant, and not much else. About 10 tables inside and they fill up fast. All Italians. To our left is a large family – 3 generations. Two small boys eat gnocchi and loudly announce that they must make “la pi-pi.” The grissini are homemade and delicious. We have wine by the glass since we already downed the equivalent of a few glasses at Ratti. Domenico Clerico Dolcetto 2007. An amuse bouche first of a savory flan of zucchini with a fresh tomato basil sauce, (Note for ekscrunchy – you remember in your post on Alba that there seemed to be an Italian “a” word for amuse bouche, but we could never quite figure out what it was? Several people on our trip referred to “un piccolo assagio.” Does that sound familiar?).
Then we have –
Tortino of porcini mushrooms
Warm salad of duck with a savory compote of vegetables
Tagliolini with salsiccia ragu
Brasato of veal, cooked in Nebbiolo
All excellent. Total with wine, water -= 47 euros.
Next we’re off to La Morra centro and Marcarini. The winery is in Piazza Martiri at the edge of town. We join Elena and two other couples for the tour. This winery is very busy. Grapes are going through the de-stemmer. We go into the cellars and the vinification rooms. Huge tanks of Moscato are fermenting. We taste a Moscato, two Barolos, an Arneis and a Barbera. Elena explains that the two Barolos are exactly the same in terms of grape, vintage, vinification process. The only difference is that one was grown at the top of the hill for maximum exposure and one comes from a vineyard in a concave between two hills.
We then walk through pretty La Morra. Stop at several shops including Gallo which has an amazing wine selection plus all types of gourmet foods. I buy quite a few things! We stop at the church and to our surprise, it is very ornate with frescoes, marble, and lots of gold leaf. I put a coin in the slot in the chapel but instead of lighting a candle, I flick a switch on the electric candelabra. We walk to the old walls on the edge of town. Vine-covered hills for miles.
We go back to Alba for a late afternoon stroll and café macchiato. After stopping back at La Favorita to freshen up and change and chat with Roberta, we head back into Alba to eat dinner at La Piola. Despite the fact that this casual restaurant has a well-known gourmet counterpart upstairs, we find the menu very limited - mashed cod, chickpea soup, and broccoli flan with anchovy sauce are the only three choices besides the standard agnolotti and tajarin. We make the best of it and order a plate of salame, cheese and prosciutto for starters along with a Ceretto Dolcetto. I have the chickpea soup and Mike gets the agnolotti which comes with a perfunctory tomato sauce. Mike, ever hopeful in the face of adversity, orders the panna cotta with moscato sorbet. OK, not great. This was our least favorite meal in the Langhe. Total – 57 euros.
Next day – truffles, truffles, truffles!!
Nov 9th, 2009, 03:07 AM
#22
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DRBB: Thank you, thank you or should I say grazie mille for your sleuthing! The word that I was looking for is, indeed, "assagio!" Now I have to remember where I was asking about that word!
I saw the cardoons again at the Saturday market here in NYC. I laughed when I noticed a taxi pulled over at the side of the market and a woman was trying to shove a huge bundle of cardoons into the trunk of the taxi.
This recipe looks fairly easy; I have had good luck with most Batali recipes, so perhaps will give it a try:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/m...pe2/index.html
I am glad you were able to visit Marcarini; at least I can have vicarious thrills after my inexcusable lapse in missing our appointment.
I saw the cardoons again at the Saturday market here in NYC. I laughed when I noticed a taxi pulled over at the side of the market and a woman was trying to shove a huge bundle of cardoons into the trunk of the taxi.
This recipe looks fairly easy; I have had good luck with most Batali recipes, so perhaps will give it a try:
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/m...pe2/index.html
I am glad you were able to visit Marcarini; at least I can have vicarious thrills after my inexcusable lapse in missing our appointment.
Nov 9th, 2009, 07:43 AM
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Glad we were able to solve the mystery on the A word! As soon as I heard it, I actually thought of you and said to myself "I bet that's the word."
The cardoon recipe looks good. Another recipe by Batali on The Food Network site sounds more like what we had (baked romana style with a bechamel sauce and grated cheese) only ours was in a flaky crust. I note that Batali also has a sformato (flan) recipe that looks scrumptious. I've never seen cardoons down here in the south unfortunately.
We really enjoyed Marcarini. The winery is in a tiny building in La Morra. If you have not had their Moscato, you should give it a try. It's delicious and not too sweet.
ekscrunchy, thanks for the tip on Gallo. The San Cassiano foods were amazing. I bought several jars of cugna for cheese as well as marinated porcini mushrooms.
More trip report in a bit including our visit to Profumo de Vino.
The cardoon recipe looks good. Another recipe by Batali on The Food Network site sounds more like what we had (baked romana style with a bechamel sauce and grated cheese) only ours was in a flaky crust. I note that Batali also has a sformato (flan) recipe that looks scrumptious. I've never seen cardoons down here in the south unfortunately.
We really enjoyed Marcarini. The winery is in a tiny building in La Morra. If you have not had their Moscato, you should give it a try. It's delicious and not too sweet.
ekscrunchy, thanks for the tip on Gallo. The San Cassiano foods were amazing. I bought several jars of cugna for cheese as well as marinated porcini mushrooms.
More trip report in a bit including our visit to Profumo de Vino.
Nov 9th, 2009, 09:18 AM
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Love your winery reports, not many people write about these and they deserve some attention. Osterie del Vignaiolo is still simply a great little restaurant, fame hasn't changed them at all. I noted that this year they have added outdoor tables.
Nov 9th, 2009, 12:57 PM
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Day 3 in the Piemonte – Grazing our way through the Truffle Fair
Another great breakfast at Roberta’s – the usual plus a pastry of apples and apricot jam. We then headed for the Mercato Tartufo in Alba. It was Saturday which meant market day in full swing along Alba’s streets. All manner of clothing, food, truffles, household items, shoes. Of course we stopped and looked at every stall displaying cheeses, produce, and salame.
At the Mercato: two euros each admission + eight euros each for wine tasting. You got a wine glass in a pouch that hangs around your neck. And two tickets for full pours of red and white. The middle of the exhibit hall was filled with small stands – the truffle hunters have brought their wares. The air was heavily perfumed with the scent of white truffle. The sellers pulled them out of their cases to be admired and sniffed. Around the outer edges were dozens and dozens of stalls with beautiful displays of food products – cheeses and salames of course, but also wines, cakes, dried pastas, vinegars, preserves. Most were giving away free nibbles and sips.
We worked our way down one side and at the back was a counter selling hot foods, with or without truffles. You placed your order, paid and then picked it up at another counter to be eaten standing up at some tall bistro-type tables. The going rate for tajarin with butter and sage was 8 euros. With a shaving of truffles and a glass of Barolo – 35 euros. We got the non-truffle version, and it was some of the most amazing pasta I’ve ever eaten. So deliciously fresh, cooked perfectly with scads of fresh mountain butter and just the right sprinkle of fresh sage and salty grated cheese. And even though they were serving hundreds of people, no paper plates and plastic forks here. We turn in our tickets for glasses of Barbera and slurp down our pasta.
We continue to walk and walk, grazing all the way. We turn in our second tickets for glasses of moscato d’Asti. We decide that tomorrow would be a great picnic day. Now we just have to decide what to buy. We settle on a nice hunk of creamy tangy cheese with black truffles. And a little round culatello covered in herbs. It had a little stamped brass tag on it certifying production date and producer. It was exquisite with that distinctive savory prosciutto flavor and creaminess, but taken to the next level.
At 2 PM we went back to La Favorita, and at 3 PM we were on our way to Serralunga d'Alba for a tour of Fontanafredda. This winery has a long history having been started in the late 1800s by King Vittorio Emanuale II. The buildings had the distinctive brown and yellow Savoy stripes. This was a large estate with acres of grounds, gardens, a restaurant, a guest house, housing for some employees and the winery. We stopped at the wine shop to meet up with Silvia. We paid 20 euros each for a private tour.
We saw all the usual winery sites – the vinification rooms, the cellars, the bottling rooms. We went through a long damp dark tunnel to a different part of the cellar where Moscato was fermenting in huge stainless steel tanks. You could actually hear the wine bubbling.
The tasting included a sparkling Brachetto, a Barbera, and a Barolo Serralunga 2005. We were not overly impressed compared with other wines we had tasted, but after our tour we went back to the wine shop and Mike found a Barolo La Rosa 2001 that he had read about. So we bought that bottle to add to our growing collection.
Back to La Favorita. We sat outside for a while and enjoyed the sunset. Then at 7:30 we headed for Treiso and Profumo di Vino. The Garmin got us there without a hitch, only about 5 minutes away. We were still early for our 8 PM reservation so we walked the town – twice – before going into the restaurant. We started with a wine made in Treiso, Lodali “Lorens” Barbera 2006 – very red with loads of cherry. Un piccolo assagio of soup in a shot glass came next. Crema di zucca with curry and cumin, with a cube of melted mozzarella on top. It is hot, savory, and very good.
Then we had
A large ravioli encasing a bright orange egg yolk and cheese fonduta, served in a light brown butter sauce and sprinkled with parmigiano – excellent!
Tortino of sweet shrimp and leeks in a light curry and saffron sauce – also very good
Tajarin with leeks and shrimp
Fileto di fassone, served with a rice cake, a sliver of fois gras, and a little jar of roasted garlic in olive oil to spread on the filet
Panna cotta with a caramellata of moscato
The second courses were a little less successful than the starters, lacking the punch of flavor of the ravioli or the tortino, but all in all a good meal. Cost with a bottle of wine and water – 83 euros.
Sunday’s report coming up next – donkey races!
Another great breakfast at Roberta’s – the usual plus a pastry of apples and apricot jam. We then headed for the Mercato Tartufo in Alba. It was Saturday which meant market day in full swing along Alba’s streets. All manner of clothing, food, truffles, household items, shoes. Of course we stopped and looked at every stall displaying cheeses, produce, and salame.
At the Mercato: two euros each admission + eight euros each for wine tasting. You got a wine glass in a pouch that hangs around your neck. And two tickets for full pours of red and white. The middle of the exhibit hall was filled with small stands – the truffle hunters have brought their wares. The air was heavily perfumed with the scent of white truffle. The sellers pulled them out of their cases to be admired and sniffed. Around the outer edges were dozens and dozens of stalls with beautiful displays of food products – cheeses and salames of course, but also wines, cakes, dried pastas, vinegars, preserves. Most were giving away free nibbles and sips.
We worked our way down one side and at the back was a counter selling hot foods, with or without truffles. You placed your order, paid and then picked it up at another counter to be eaten standing up at some tall bistro-type tables. The going rate for tajarin with butter and sage was 8 euros. With a shaving of truffles and a glass of Barolo – 35 euros. We got the non-truffle version, and it was some of the most amazing pasta I’ve ever eaten. So deliciously fresh, cooked perfectly with scads of fresh mountain butter and just the right sprinkle of fresh sage and salty grated cheese. And even though they were serving hundreds of people, no paper plates and plastic forks here. We turn in our tickets for glasses of Barbera and slurp down our pasta.
We continue to walk and walk, grazing all the way. We turn in our second tickets for glasses of moscato d’Asti. We decide that tomorrow would be a great picnic day. Now we just have to decide what to buy. We settle on a nice hunk of creamy tangy cheese with black truffles. And a little round culatello covered in herbs. It had a little stamped brass tag on it certifying production date and producer. It was exquisite with that distinctive savory prosciutto flavor and creaminess, but taken to the next level.
At 2 PM we went back to La Favorita, and at 3 PM we were on our way to Serralunga d'Alba for a tour of Fontanafredda. This winery has a long history having been started in the late 1800s by King Vittorio Emanuale II. The buildings had the distinctive brown and yellow Savoy stripes. This was a large estate with acres of grounds, gardens, a restaurant, a guest house, housing for some employees and the winery. We stopped at the wine shop to meet up with Silvia. We paid 20 euros each for a private tour.
We saw all the usual winery sites – the vinification rooms, the cellars, the bottling rooms. We went through a long damp dark tunnel to a different part of the cellar where Moscato was fermenting in huge stainless steel tanks. You could actually hear the wine bubbling.
The tasting included a sparkling Brachetto, a Barbera, and a Barolo Serralunga 2005. We were not overly impressed compared with other wines we had tasted, but after our tour we went back to the wine shop and Mike found a Barolo La Rosa 2001 that he had read about. So we bought that bottle to add to our growing collection.
Back to La Favorita. We sat outside for a while and enjoyed the sunset. Then at 7:30 we headed for Treiso and Profumo di Vino. The Garmin got us there without a hitch, only about 5 minutes away. We were still early for our 8 PM reservation so we walked the town – twice – before going into the restaurant. We started with a wine made in Treiso, Lodali “Lorens” Barbera 2006 – very red with loads of cherry. Un piccolo assagio of soup in a shot glass came next. Crema di zucca with curry and cumin, with a cube of melted mozzarella on top. It is hot, savory, and very good.
Then we had
A large ravioli encasing a bright orange egg yolk and cheese fonduta, served in a light brown butter sauce and sprinkled with parmigiano – excellent!
Tortino of sweet shrimp and leeks in a light curry and saffron sauce – also very good
Tajarin with leeks and shrimp
Fileto di fassone, served with a rice cake, a sliver of fois gras, and a little jar of roasted garlic in olive oil to spread on the filet
Panna cotta with a caramellata of moscato
The second courses were a little less successful than the starters, lacking the punch of flavor of the ravioli or the tortino, but all in all a good meal. Cost with a bottle of wine and water – 83 euros.
Sunday’s report coming up next – donkey races!
Nov 9th, 2009, 03:27 PM
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<i>fresh tajarin (tagliatelle pasta) smothered in butter and fresh sage.</i>
Just returned two days ago...our favorite Piemonte dish...although I had one superb version of tagliatelle at Al Zucca in Venice with melted gorgonzola and pistachios ...and another tajarin dish with butter and sage, and Roz tried the tajarin ragu at Trattoria Risorgimento up the street from Profumo in Treiso. If I were to rate the tajarin dishes, Antica Torre in Barbaresco would win...again with burre and salvia (butter and sage)...so much for the Langhe tajarin competitions...(and we are decidedly not foodies, but did enjoy an occasional half-carafe wine..bought no bottles, visited no wineries..not our thing. (did however visit a massive winery in Beaune two weeks before)
We thoroughly enjoyed Villa Favorita...and it is now on our Top Ten list of lodgings around the world. We had the very large room (Camera Rossa) and being in the off season, no noise. Roberta was the most delightful hostess imaginable, so ably assisted by Giovanna and Teresa.
We too, found Alba to be an impressive little town. Enjoyed strolling throughout...and the Thursday market.
I have many pix which I will soon share. Your report is excellent.
stu tower
Just returned two days ago...our favorite Piemonte dish...although I had one superb version of tagliatelle at Al Zucca in Venice with melted gorgonzola and pistachios ...and another tajarin dish with butter and sage, and Roz tried the tajarin ragu at Trattoria Risorgimento up the street from Profumo in Treiso. If I were to rate the tajarin dishes, Antica Torre in Barbaresco would win...again with burre and salvia (butter and sage)...so much for the Langhe tajarin competitions...(and we are decidedly not foodies, but did enjoy an occasional half-carafe wine..bought no bottles, visited no wineries..not our thing. (did however visit a massive winery in Beaune two weeks before)
We thoroughly enjoyed Villa Favorita...and it is now on our Top Ten list of lodgings around the world. We had the very large room (Camera Rossa) and being in the off season, no noise. Roberta was the most delightful hostess imaginable, so ably assisted by Giovanna and Teresa.
We too, found Alba to be an impressive little town. Enjoyed strolling throughout...and the Thursday market.
I have many pix which I will soon share. Your report is excellent.
stu tower
Nov 10th, 2009, 06:57 AM
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Stu - Glad to hear that you had a grret trip and enjoyed La Favorita as much as we did. Were you the only guests?
Didn't get a chance to go to Antico Torre nor the nearby Rabaya in Barbaresco. Too many restaurants, too little time.
Did you also get a chance to sample the agnolotti? How about the white truffles and porcini?
Hope to hear more about your trip.
Didn't get a chance to go to Antico Torre nor the nearby Rabaya in Barbaresco. Too many restaurants, too little time.
Did you also get a chance to sample the agnolotti? How about the white truffles and porcini?
Hope to hear more about your trip.
Nov 10th, 2009, 11:19 AM
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Day 4 – The Palio degli Asini
We had a leisurely breakfast this morning – the usual. Then Giovanna brought two small squares of warm parchment, each encasing a small tomino cheese baked with a little oregano and a drizzle of olive oil. It was so good on a piece of rustic bread with a sliver of prosciutto. She also brought hazelnut cake, but we could not eat it.
Then we jumped in the car as we were on a mission – to find fresh-baked grissini to go with our picnic lunch today. Roberta has given us the name of her favorite bakery north of Piazza Savona. We walked near the Duomo first to see the donkeys being assigned to the riders. It was done randomly, pulling numbers from a bin. There was a makeshift corral in front of the Duono holding about 16 or so gray, white, black and brown donkeys. You could tell already that some of them were not happy.
As we walked towards the bakery, we saw the “marching bands” (drums and trumpets only) and the flag twirlers of the various Cuneo borgos that will be competing in the palio. They all had distinctive colors for their costumes and flags. The streets were again packed with food stalls, dogs, people, and truffle displays. We found the bakery and purchased grissini and a small square of tomato and arugula pizza. We wandered back through town, stopping to look at food stalls that we had not seen the day before.
We came back to La Favorita at about 12:30 and borrowed knives, forks, plates and glasses from the kitchen. We set up our picnic on the patio table to enjoy the nice weather. Roberta gave us a ripe pear from her tree. We sliced the culatello and truffle cheese, ate grissini and pizza, and drank Roberta’s nebbiolo. Sally came out to sit with us in the sun.
We went back into Alba at about 2:00. We strolled up Via Maestra and then stopped for limone and lamponi gelato. We sat in Piazza Savona to eat it and people watch. The square was wall-to-wall people by then. We started making our way to the piazza where the Palio was to be held, and noticed that everyone seemed headed in the same direction. We had reserved seats in the stands (thank goodness!). The parade of medieval costumes had already started. Each of the borgos had a procession into the arena; everyone was in medieval costume and with flag tossers and bands. Each borgo then did a short “skit” on some historical event. There was a medieval fair, a reenactment of the death of Lionel, a court of king’s entertainers including fire eaters, jugglers and stilt-walkers. Then the delegation of Alba came out with a cart drawn by 4 white bulls. The cart displays the banner of the 2009 Palio which will go to the winner.
Then we got down to business. Lots of older men in plaid shirts pulled out bales of hay that had been stacked along the edges and built the inner wall of the racetrack. Another man got a shopping bag full of lime and drew the starting line across the sand, Heat #1 was announced and the riders (and sometimes their helpers) pull, push and drag their uncooperative mounts to the line. The donkeys have their numbers spray-painted on their butts. Riders fell off before they even started. The riders were wearing medieval-style tunics and tights in the borgo colors with matching bicycle helmets and athletic shoes. It was pretty comical. Then they’re off!
I couldn’t tell exactly how many circuits they had to make. Some donkeys went fast, some refused to go at all. Some went backwards. Riders fell off and chased donkeys. Some riderless donkeys went around the track by themselves or stopped to munch on the hay bales. Some donkeys were impossible to steer, so their riders jumped off and led them around the turns, then re-mounted for the straight-away. There is a stand at the front of the arena where the “royal court” of the Palio sits. Also there are all the people who participated in the borgo costume processions. So up front, there was a lot of shouting, cheering and screaming. Then the winner #11 of Borgo San Lorenzo crosses the finish line. He and three runners-up watch heat #2 from the winner’s circle on the inside of the track.
Heat #2 started a lot like #1. Mass confusion getting the donkeys lined up. As they seemed about to start, somebody realized that a donkey was missing. #5 is literally drug into the track by four people. When the race started. #5 would not go no matter how his rider prodded and kicked. Finally in disgust, the rider pulled him off the track. Again the top 4 went into the winner’s circle to await the final race, including #17 who was the only girl. There was a slight intermission to give an award to the best “skit” by a Borgo. There was so much noise I couldn’t hear the name. The MC shouts out “Who is from France? From Switzerland? From China? Etc. With some prompting, the crowd does “the wave” four or five times around the arena.
The final race – 8 donkeys and riders lined up at the mark. Judges carefully eyeballed the start line to see if any hoof went over too soon. They’re off! Mass chaos ensued in the crowds and on the track as everyone cheered their favorite. But a winner was declared - #7 from Borgo Brichet and he was promptly led to the royal court podium and presented with his winner’s banner. Which we saw, incidentally, in the Brichet neighborhood a few days later. Proudly displayed in the window of a bank.
The crowd broke up quickly and we followed their lead – quickly retiring to the nearest café and quaffing prosecco and little sandwiches.
Dinner at Osteria dell’Arco – next post.
We had a leisurely breakfast this morning – the usual. Then Giovanna brought two small squares of warm parchment, each encasing a small tomino cheese baked with a little oregano and a drizzle of olive oil. It was so good on a piece of rustic bread with a sliver of prosciutto. She also brought hazelnut cake, but we could not eat it.
Then we jumped in the car as we were on a mission – to find fresh-baked grissini to go with our picnic lunch today. Roberta has given us the name of her favorite bakery north of Piazza Savona. We walked near the Duomo first to see the donkeys being assigned to the riders. It was done randomly, pulling numbers from a bin. There was a makeshift corral in front of the Duono holding about 16 or so gray, white, black and brown donkeys. You could tell already that some of them were not happy.
As we walked towards the bakery, we saw the “marching bands” (drums and trumpets only) and the flag twirlers of the various Cuneo borgos that will be competing in the palio. They all had distinctive colors for their costumes and flags. The streets were again packed with food stalls, dogs, people, and truffle displays. We found the bakery and purchased grissini and a small square of tomato and arugula pizza. We wandered back through town, stopping to look at food stalls that we had not seen the day before.
We came back to La Favorita at about 12:30 and borrowed knives, forks, plates and glasses from the kitchen. We set up our picnic on the patio table to enjoy the nice weather. Roberta gave us a ripe pear from her tree. We sliced the culatello and truffle cheese, ate grissini and pizza, and drank Roberta’s nebbiolo. Sally came out to sit with us in the sun.
We went back into Alba at about 2:00. We strolled up Via Maestra and then stopped for limone and lamponi gelato. We sat in Piazza Savona to eat it and people watch. The square was wall-to-wall people by then. We started making our way to the piazza where the Palio was to be held, and noticed that everyone seemed headed in the same direction. We had reserved seats in the stands (thank goodness!). The parade of medieval costumes had already started. Each of the borgos had a procession into the arena; everyone was in medieval costume and with flag tossers and bands. Each borgo then did a short “skit” on some historical event. There was a medieval fair, a reenactment of the death of Lionel, a court of king’s entertainers including fire eaters, jugglers and stilt-walkers. Then the delegation of Alba came out with a cart drawn by 4 white bulls. The cart displays the banner of the 2009 Palio which will go to the winner.
Then we got down to business. Lots of older men in plaid shirts pulled out bales of hay that had been stacked along the edges and built the inner wall of the racetrack. Another man got a shopping bag full of lime and drew the starting line across the sand, Heat #1 was announced and the riders (and sometimes their helpers) pull, push and drag their uncooperative mounts to the line. The donkeys have their numbers spray-painted on their butts. Riders fell off before they even started. The riders were wearing medieval-style tunics and tights in the borgo colors with matching bicycle helmets and athletic shoes. It was pretty comical. Then they’re off!
I couldn’t tell exactly how many circuits they had to make. Some donkeys went fast, some refused to go at all. Some went backwards. Riders fell off and chased donkeys. Some riderless donkeys went around the track by themselves or stopped to munch on the hay bales. Some donkeys were impossible to steer, so their riders jumped off and led them around the turns, then re-mounted for the straight-away. There is a stand at the front of the arena where the “royal court” of the Palio sits. Also there are all the people who participated in the borgo costume processions. So up front, there was a lot of shouting, cheering and screaming. Then the winner #11 of Borgo San Lorenzo crosses the finish line. He and three runners-up watch heat #2 from the winner’s circle on the inside of the track.
Heat #2 started a lot like #1. Mass confusion getting the donkeys lined up. As they seemed about to start, somebody realized that a donkey was missing. #5 is literally drug into the track by four people. When the race started. #5 would not go no matter how his rider prodded and kicked. Finally in disgust, the rider pulled him off the track. Again the top 4 went into the winner’s circle to await the final race, including #17 who was the only girl. There was a slight intermission to give an award to the best “skit” by a Borgo. There was so much noise I couldn’t hear the name. The MC shouts out “Who is from France? From Switzerland? From China? Etc. With some prompting, the crowd does “the wave” four or five times around the arena.
The final race – 8 donkeys and riders lined up at the mark. Judges carefully eyeballed the start line to see if any hoof went over too soon. They’re off! Mass chaos ensued in the crowds and on the track as everyone cheered their favorite. But a winner was declared - #7 from Borgo Brichet and he was promptly led to the royal court podium and presented with his winner’s banner. Which we saw, incidentally, in the Brichet neighborhood a few days later. Proudly displayed in the window of a bank.
The crowd broke up quickly and we followed their lead – quickly retiring to the nearest café and quaffing prosecco and little sandwiches.
Dinner at Osteria dell’Arco – next post.
Nov 10th, 2009, 04:48 PM
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B.B...we were not the only guests...there were two lovely young Japanese ladies and one other Florentine couple...that's it. Roberta also gave us the run of the kitchen for the few take home goodies we brought back. Agnolotti was served at a small wine bar in Alba (mushroom, and sage butter)...delicious.
The Japanese ladies did not have a car for their last two days...I bumped into them at that wine bar.....then as I was driving back to the villa, there they were hiking back all uphill!! And neither of them had said a word that they would be walking...but they sure as hell appreciated the ride. I even sang them an old heart-breaker Japanese ditty I learned when stationed in Japan 63 years ago...happy to hear from them that my version was the clean one! LOL. They even convinced Roz of that.
stu
(keep on writing, BB...seems like only a handful of us Fodorites have been to Piemonte...too bad you and Julie couldn't have met for a mini GTG)
I can see where Piemonte can really entice people to return time and again. Looks like the best kept secret in Italy has been "outed"...
The Japanese ladies did not have a car for their last two days...I bumped into them at that wine bar.....then as I was driving back to the villa, there they were hiking back all uphill!! And neither of them had said a word that they would be walking...but they sure as hell appreciated the ride. I even sang them an old heart-breaker Japanese ditty I learned when stationed in Japan 63 years ago...happy to hear from them that my version was the clean one! LOL. They even convinced Roz of that.
stu
(keep on writing, BB...seems like only a handful of us Fodorites have been to Piemonte...too bad you and Julie couldn't have met for a mini GTG)
I can see where Piemonte can really entice people to return time and again. Looks like the best kept secret in Italy has been "outed"...
Nov 10th, 2009, 07:30 PM
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"keep on writing, BB...seems like only a handful of us Fodorites have been to Piemonte...too bad you and Julie couldn't have met for a mini GTG)"
Actually if you look back on these forums over the years Piedmont has been "discovered", naturally as popular a destination as the big 3(RFV), but many people who have been to Italy before and "done" the more popular places come here to discover the charms of Piedmont, the wine and food are of course famous, but also the cultural attractions are not too shabby.
Recently Piedmont has been a bit slow on this Fodors forum, but then not as many people are travelling this year either.
Right no it's one of the nicest times to be here especially if you are a "foodie", the tourists have left, the Alba truffle fair is over and now the real truffle season starts, as you go into November and December they become more pungent and intense, and the flavours of Autumn come out, people are gearing down towards Christmas, new wine is in the cellars, its time to start celebrating the joys of this year's harvest. Sure its a bit coder and a bit more rain, but its autumn and a beautiful time to be here with the fall tapestry all over the hills.
Actually if you look back on these forums over the years Piedmont has been "discovered", naturally as popular a destination as the big 3(RFV), but many people who have been to Italy before and "done" the more popular places come here to discover the charms of Piedmont, the wine and food are of course famous, but also the cultural attractions are not too shabby.
Recently Piedmont has been a bit slow on this Fodors forum, but then not as many people are travelling this year either.
Right no it's one of the nicest times to be here especially if you are a "foodie", the tourists have left, the Alba truffle fair is over and now the real truffle season starts, as you go into November and December they become more pungent and intense, and the flavours of Autumn come out, people are gearing down towards Christmas, new wine is in the cellars, its time to start celebrating the joys of this year's harvest. Sure its a bit coder and a bit more rain, but its autumn and a beautiful time to be here with the fall tapestry all over the hills.
Nov 13th, 2009, 07:38 AM
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Day 4 continued - Dinner at Osteria dell'Arco
Osteria dell'Arco is noted as a designated Slow Food restaurant featuring the most traditional recipes and foods of the region. It's located on Piazza Savona, in a modernized courtyard area. There were a good number of Americans in the restaurant, the first time that we had really encountered that many.
We orderd wine by the glass - a Ruvei Barbera 2007 and a Castello di Verduno Barbaresco 2004. We ordered the following dishes:
Cipolla gratinata filled with a fonduta of raschera cheese topped with black truffles - this was very good, cheese heaven
Soup of porcini with ravioloi and black truffles
Risotto of porcini
Fried snails
The soup and risotto were OK, not fantastic. The snails were just so-so, and there was no sauce or accomponiment. Mike finished with a panna cotta served with pears cooked in moscato. The service was not particularly noteworthy. And you had to go up to the front counter to pay. Definitely not the gracious hospitality that we had experienced at other restaurants. I was a little disappointed with this one.
Day 5 is next - truffle hunting
Osteria dell'Arco is noted as a designated Slow Food restaurant featuring the most traditional recipes and foods of the region. It's located on Piazza Savona, in a modernized courtyard area. There were a good number of Americans in the restaurant, the first time that we had really encountered that many.
We orderd wine by the glass - a Ruvei Barbera 2007 and a Castello di Verduno Barbaresco 2004. We ordered the following dishes:
Cipolla gratinata filled with a fonduta of raschera cheese topped with black truffles - this was very good, cheese heaven
Soup of porcini with ravioloi and black truffles
Risotto of porcini
Fried snails
The soup and risotto were OK, not fantastic. The snails were just so-so, and there was no sauce or accomponiment. Mike finished with a panna cotta served with pears cooked in moscato. The service was not particularly noteworthy. And you had to go up to the front counter to pay. Definitely not the gracious hospitality that we had experienced at other restaurants. I was a little disappointed with this one.
Day 5 is next - truffle hunting
Nov 13th, 2009, 04:37 PM
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Hi, drbb. We were reserved at dell'Arco, but a major accident caused the local police to block the road we expected to take to get to town that night, so we diverted to Treiso and dined at Osteria dell Unione, another Slow Food place. As you'll read in my report, if I ever get to it, we found it a fine plae to dine but I was afraid we might have missed a good dinner at dell 'Arco. Guess I may have gotten the best of the deal. Sorry it wasn't what you had hoped for.
Nov 14th, 2009, 09:53 AM
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Dell'Arco is owned by the same folks as Osterie Boccondivino in Bra, the original Slow Food restaurant (it all started here). I would always choose Boccondivino out of the two.
BTW, speaking of Slow Food, it seems that Eataly franchise is rapidly expanding; besides the flagship in Turin, now joined by other EATALYS in Bologna, Milan, Pinerolo and Tokyo (anyone know what happened to the New York one?), a new Eataly will open in December in Asti.
This Eataly is in partnership with a company called (what else) TUIT (web site only in Italian) and will be located just off Piazza Alfieri on Via Grandi, on the same street as the Teatro Alfieri - in fact I found out walking to the ticket office to apply for opera tickets-and it looks like as if it will be principally a restaurant. Will keep everyone posted of course.
http://www.eataly.it/
http://tuit.it/index.php
BTW, speaking of Slow Food, it seems that Eataly franchise is rapidly expanding; besides the flagship in Turin, now joined by other EATALYS in Bologna, Milan, Pinerolo and Tokyo (anyone know what happened to the New York one?), a new Eataly will open in December in Asti.
This Eataly is in partnership with a company called (what else) TUIT (web site only in Italian) and will be located just off Piazza Alfieri on Via Grandi, on the same street as the Teatro Alfieri - in fact I found out walking to the ticket office to apply for opera tickets-and it looks like as if it will be principally a restaurant. Will keep everyone posted of course.
http://www.eataly.it/
http://tuit.it/index.php
Nov 15th, 2009, 06:27 AM
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Maybe ekscrunchy has an update on Eataly in NY. I think it was supposed to open this month.
Julie, what did you eat at Osteria dell Unione? I'm dying to hear more about your experiences.
Julie, what did you eat at Osteria dell Unione? I'm dying to hear more about your experiences.
Nov 15th, 2009, 10:30 AM
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I've not heard anything more about Eataly since it was announced that it would open this fall...I will try to find some info and report back..I thought the one in Turin was a food-lovers Nirvana!
Nov 15th, 2009, 12:08 PM
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According to Mario Batali,it will open in June 2010:
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.c...e-in-new-york/
http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.c...e-in-new-york/
Nov 15th, 2009, 12:38 PM
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Thanks, Zerlina. I have to admit that I do not hold out such high hopes for the NY branch. We already have access to lots of food products from Italy, and with the midtown location, my guess is that their prices are going to be exorbitant. But I certainly will be very curious.....
Nov 15th, 2009, 09:45 PM
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Have any of you eaten at the Risorgimento in Treiso? Both the Risorgimento and dell'Unione get high marks from our guests who have eaten there, as inexpensive and great local osterie, whereas Ciau del Tornavento is saved for special occasions. And everyone knows by now our opinion about Profumo
