I've kind of answered the third part of my question myself. I think the Albergo Castiglione is probably too far from most places we'll be wanting to dine and travel to while in the region. would require about 30 min drive to Alba and longer to many other places. So I'm still obsessing about Corte Albertina vs. Marcarini, but just those two not a third into the mix.

Hope you're enjoying yourself while you're away from your Fodorite fans.

Julie, have you considered Villa San Carlo in Cortemilla?

On second thought, there may be too much cooking class activity there.

Have you seen this?

http://www.starchefs.com/features/tr...ml/index.shtml

zeppole, thanks zo much for the site. I haven't seen it and it has great information. It'll go in the file for the trip.

zeppole's post (thanks!) led me on an Internet wandering that resulted in learning some about a place called Cascina Cornale in Magliano Alfieri. It is a agricultural and food products cooperative but there is a mention of a restaurant on site (see Power Truffling through Piedmont at the forbestraveler.com site). It sounds like my idea of foodie heaven, and if I'm reading the Italian website accurately (questionable at best!) the restaurant has seating for up to 50 and appears to have a kind of tasting lunch (?) for 25 euros pp, although I'm pretty sure that is an outdated price.

Anybody been there or know anything about this place?

On one of my planned day trip days from Alba this October, I'd like to drive to the Enoteca Regionale in Canale and then to Neive. My original lunch plan was La Contea in Neive, but Sampaguita indicated that La Contea may not be the best choice. Cascina Cornale might be a wonderful alternative.

ekscrunchy - welcome back and we hope to hear from you soon!

Drbb: I asked about Cascina Cornale in my planning threads, both here and on Chowhound. But I did not make it there so have no information for you.

Julie: Sorry I could not reply in more details a couple of days ago; back now (from London) and ready to respond: Marcarini is out in the country and there are no shops or services within walking distance. We visited both Navigle and Trezzo Tinella. Both of these are tiny hamlets with perhaps one bar and a couple of small shops. You could cover them in a few minutes on foot.

However, there are an astounding number of good restaurants within a 15 minute drive--in and outside Barbaresco, in Neive, in Treiso, and probably in many other places. The driving is simple, even at night, and even for timid drivers like us. You could reach Alba in about 15-20 minutes, and that would also be a very easy drive. There is also an agriturismo with restaurant a couple of minutes away; the Marcarini woman told us that this was good but we had no time to try.

The advantage of Marcarini is that the rooms are large and what I would venture to call "plush." When we were there, the only person on duty was a local woman (no English) who minded the office and prepared breakfast, but was not a resource for restaurants or sights in the area. (There is a lot of literature, and maps, on offer in the office.) But my guess is that this might be different in high season when more guests are on the premises. You probably do not need much guidance anyway, since you will probably make your own reservations for dinner and wine tastings.

I should mention, in case this is of any import, that there are small tvs in the rooms, but the satellite was not working on the night we were there due to storms in the area.

Let me know what else you would like to know and I will do my best to answer, and also to finish this report soon.

Thanks, I'll ask Roberta. I'm sure she has some info.

Thanks. DH has left it up to me to decide between Marcarini and Corte Albertina. I'm certainly leaning to Marcarini. Something about Pollenzo just looks a bit too "past" for me. And the wine connection with Marcarini is pretty enticing.

OMG-had to stop reading because we are going to NYC. ekscrunchy, what's your favorite place to eat there? You have super taste! Great report.

Julie: Remember that their winery is in La Morra. But I am sure they will set up a tour and tasting is you spend the night at the agriturismo.

TD: You have to give me a clue: Type of food; price range; location. It is a great time of year to be here in NYC!

Nope, no clues. What's your fave? An old standby?


OK, clues-fresh delicious food, bistro rather than haute.

Thanks!

Thank you for sharing this trip report. The area sounds just like what I have been looking for.

Eks, I did it, rebooked at Marcarini after cancelling in Pollenzo. I've counted 14 one starred restaurants within a 35 km radius of Marcarini, 6 within 20 min drive time. Very excited.

Was your appointment at the Marcarini winery for a full tour or just for tasting? We are fairly serious about wine but not to the point of purchasing a case at 100+ per bottle, so I don't want to get in over my head here, but we would enjoy a tasting if it doesn't involve a lot of "overhead." Thanks.

Julie: I think you will be very happy at Marcarini. Our appointment was set up for my partner, who is in the trade, and since we did not make it to the winery, I am not certain about what would be expected. But certainly no one would expect you to buy an entire case. I think a couple of bottles would be a nice gesture, but nothing is required, especially since you will be guests of the agriturismo.. I will see if I can get an opinion from someone who might know a bit more and report back.

The driving is very easy and you will be spoiled for choice. Maybe two lunches per day?

We went to NYC and had a great time.

ek, I'd still like to hear about your favorite restaurant as we will return.

TD: I am sorry that I am falling down on the job here, both with this dribs-and-drabs reports and with my lack of recommendations in New York. Lately I have been eating a lot of outer-borough Asian food, so was hitting a wall about bistros. Did you happen to write about where you ate on the US board and if so,I would like to read..

I am going to finish the Turin portion, but meanwhile if anyone has any questions about the city, I will be happy to respond. I have the name of an excellent English-speaking guide, too.

Thanks, ek! I already posted an into but will add to it soon.

Can't wait to hear what you ate in Turin. Fabulous food there and Bologna.

Meant to say 'intro' not 'into'

Although I had been anxious about the weekday morning drive from Marcarini, near Alba, to Turin, I needn’t have feared. The ViaMichelin directions were perfect, and we had absolutely no trouble navigating the route, which took us directly to the front door of our hotel in under 90 minutes.

After much research, I had narrowed the hotels down to a choice of two, the Victoria and the Sitea, and finally settled on the Grand Hotel Sitea because they offered a tempting weekend package including a double room (153 euro per night; late checkout guaranteed) and Chocopasses for two. Parking in the tiny hotel garage cost an additional 18 euro per night.

The GH Sitea is ideally located a few blocks from Piazza Castello. All sights within the historic center are within walking distance. Our room was quite plush, with a comfortable bed and large marble bathroom. The front desk people, fluent in English, were very helpful.


http://www.thi-hotels.com/hotels/gra...tel-turin.html



Our room was not quite ready when we arrived, so after checking in, we set off, armed with our Chocopasses, to do some damage.

For those unfamiliar with this uniquely Torninese concept, the Chocopass is a booklet containing coupons for 22 chocolatey tidbits ranging from pralines and Bicerin to chocolate cakes, cookies, and the famous Gianduiotti. Using the coupons is a bit tricky, however, because the participating outposts are grouped in 3s, and you can choose only one from each group and they are somewhat scattered around the city. At some places pass-bearers receive a crème-hatted hot chocolate at the bar, at others you can take a seat at a table for a slice of chocolate cake, while at a few places you are handed a little bag of chocolates to take away. My advice is to sit down with a good map of the city before setting out on your chocolate spree.
(The pass booklet does include a small map, but several outlets are located beyond its confines).

http://www.turismotorino.org/index.php?id=688

I loved the Chocopass! We plotted our touring around the locations.

I remember that you had one! I felt like a little kid trick or treating!

One of the cafes on the ChocoPass itinerary is the legendary Caffe Torino on the Piazza San Carlo, the “drawing room of Turin,” a 17th-Century ensemble inspired by the royal squares of Paris and overlooked by two twin churches: Santa Cristina and San Carlo, which reminded me of the twin churches of Rome’s Piazza del Popolo.

The Caffe Torino is one of a clutch of quintessential 19th-Century Torinese cafes, resplendent with frescoed ceilings and glittering chandeliers:



http://www.caffe-torino.it/uk/index.htm


After making the rounds with our ChocoPasses, we headed to another Turin landmark, Baratti & Milano, under the porticos of the Galleria Subalpina which rims the southern perimeter of the nearby Piazza Castello.

Baratti e Milano have been making chocolates for more than 100 years and I had become enamored of the hard candies from their Ottocento Classico collection when I purchased a bag in Santa Margherita Ligure last fall. Even if you do not plan to purchase chocolates or candies, stop by for a café just to peek at the jewel-like interior:



http://www.barattiemilano.it/main.html

Armed with three bags of Ottocento Classico candies (the tamarindo and rosa canina flavors bring hard candies to a new level for me!)
we made our way back to the hotel for a quick rest, before setting off by taxi for Eataly.

We returned late Monday from our two week European vacation with one wonderful summer like week in the Piemonte. It was sunny and around 85 degrees, I think they were having a heat wave. I will post a trip report in a few days.
JulieVikmanis- please let me know if you have any specific questions for a second opinion. I would not be too concerned about the size of the town where you stay as you will be busy visiting so many other towns. We were just outside of Alberetto and Sinio at an agriturismo with a vineyard and hazelnut groves.

Nicci, will look forward to reading your report. What was the name of your agriturismo? Right now we are in Venice where we had 85 degree temps on our first day, but now down to lower 60s. Tough to plan the right wardrobe for such changable weather.

For DRBB from our Villa Sampaguita local restaurant guide:

Cascina del Cornale (Magliano Alfiero) – Corso Marconi 64, 0173-66669. Part of a co-operative, serving their own organic farm-raised foods. Has a co-operation with Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Ca. Highly recommended and reasonable. On the main road to Alba.

Note the location is on the old SS231 road in-between Asti and Alba in the Tanaro valley.

We stayed at http://www.cascinasanteufemia.it for 6 nights. They have 5 rooms, two have kitchens and cost 10 Euro more at 65 Euro per night and all come with a great breakfast of cured meats, local cheese, honeys, jams, fruit salad, cherries from their tree, fresh bread and a different homemade baked item each day. The views are stunning and we were able to see the snow capped mountains a couple days when it wasn't hazy. The owners are very friendly, super helpful and speak great English. They have 2 dogs and two cats that are all so sweet. Although the property is a working farm, the rooms were just renovated a few years ago and interior is very modern. Trip Advisor also has rave reviews on the property.
We were in Munich, Alsace, Verona, Belagio and Salzburg as well. We did not expect it to be so warm at all the locations. Luckily we were able to use thier washing machine at the agriturismo and hang our clothes out to dry.

Good report!

Ek...

I'm so glad I found this report (can't believe I missed it!). Just started to read the first post...but really looking forward to settling in for a good read tonight! :-)

Thanks Sampaguita!! This sounds like a definite sidetrip for foodies. Have you ever been?

Drbb: I just want to warn you that when I was doing my research, I turned up some info alluding to the fact that the restaurant is not always open...so make sure of this before you set off.

Before I write further, I would like to dispel some assumptions about Turin that I read here when searching for info. The most memorable comment was this one, in response to a poster (who had never been there) inquiring about a possible trip to the city" "Turin?? What's in Turin?" The answer is, in a word: Plenty! Also contrary to assumption is that Turin, while it has a storied industrial past as the home of Fiat, is not by any means an "industrial city." There is no "industry" visible in the center of the city, and there are no smoke-skewing factories within the outskirts that we drove through en route and when departing by car.


I will note here that we glimpsed but a tiny portion of the attractions within Turin and around the city, so this is by no means an exhaustive account of all that there is to do and see in this surprisingly lovely former capital.


From our hotel on via Carlo Alberto, we had a choice of taking the bus or a taxi to Eataly. The bus to Lingotto, where Eataly is located, departs from the train station, about a 15 minute walk south from our hotel. Due to the inclement weather—it rained off and on throughout the day—we opted for a taxi. Twenty minutes later and about 10 euro less rich, we arrived in the area known as Lingotto, home to Matte Truco’s 1916 Fiat plant known as the “Temple of Modernity” in its time and converted by Renzo Piano into a complex containing the Agnelli art museum, cinemas, a convention center, etc. Across the street, another gorgeously reconfigured early 20th-Century industrial building, the former Carpano vermouth factory, now houses another type of temple: EATALY.

http://www.eatalytorino.it/eatalytor...come_eng.lasso

I am not exaggerating when I call this place a temple. Without launching into gushy descriptions of the products, let me say that this place is an absolute must for anyone with an interest in Italian food. At times I almost felt as if I were hallucinating, so vast and colorful, and so beautifully arranged were the displays of every type of food from every region of the country. Used to a shelf of pasta back in your homeland? Here there is an entire section, aisle after aisle of dried pasta in every conceivable incarnation, not to mention the cases containing fresh pastas. I live in New York and I am lucky if I get to glimpse more than 2 or 3 mostardas (mostardi?) in my local Italian store. Here: floor to ceiling shelves stocked with the most mesmerizing selection: Mostarda from Cremona, mostarda from Alba, Mostarda Bolognese, Mostarda Mantovana… What seemed like acres of chocolates and candies. Row after row of fresh produce, of breads, of pastries and preserves. Shelf after shelf of jarred pesto made with basil, made with arugula. Floor to ceiling of vegetables sott' olio. An extravaganza of pickled vegetables. Dried peppers. Dried herbs. Fresh herbs. Diary products in every conceivable incarnation. Counter after counter of meats. Canned and bottled tuna. Anchovies. Colatura. Sardines.


There are also counters dedicated to fish, to salumi, to pizza, to pasta-- where you can grab a seat and devour the day's special lunch dishes for about 12 euro or so.

(A branch of the celebrated restaurant, Guido, is tucked away on the lower level, which is devoted to wine and spirits, and could consume hours on its own.)

We came away with pitifully few treats to take home, due to space concerns. Mostarda, a farinata package (the chick pea flour, salt and rosemary all included in the little bag), a few bags of Carnaroli rice, a variety of black rice, dried white Piemontese beans, jam
made from the irrestistible combination of figs and cacao, a large ball of smoked provola from Campania, and a package of my new favorite fresh cheese: Crescenza from Val d’Aosta. A few things I've probably forgotten.

Major oversight: I spent a week in Piemonte and did not sample one bite of Castelmagno., a relatively rare cow’s milk cheese considered the most important of the region. Yet another reason to return!


We spent about 2 hours here, marveling at the bounty of food, wine, and spirits on two floors, and sampling some superb gelato.
The doorman then called a taxi for us and we departed, laden down with about 55 euro worth of goodies.

Thanks for the tip on Cascina del Cornale. I'll definitely check on it beforehand.

EATITALY . . . another reason to return to Torino . . .

ellenem...

I was thinking the same thing...except I haven't been to Torino yet, so for me it's the perfect reason to plan my first trip there! ;)

BTW...if you are on Facebook Eataly has a fan page with pictures that people who have been there have taken of the place...incredible selections!

Eataly was a worthy stop. About the size of an IKEA and very polished...almost Disneyesque(if that's a word). Reminded me of a combination of an Italian product focused Williams-Sonoma and upscale indoor farmers market. I was surprised to see Sierra Nevada beer for sale...it was 3x the price than US. They sold everything. We also left with about 80 Euro of goodies, including their pretty cloth grocery bag.
We only spent a day in Turin and it was not enough. We had a car and it is much bigger than I expected. We really enjoyed the outdoor farmers market as it was very lively.

I should also mention that while Eataly offers foods, wines, and alcohol from all over Italy (and even beyond), the focus is on the products of the Piedmont.

sorry: ...of Piemonte, not THE Piedmont!

Here is a bit more about our first (of two) days in Turin:





We had a very interesting taxi ride on the return trip from Eataly to our hotel in central Turin. The conversation ranged from George W. Bush (“Bastardo!”) to the WTC attacks, to the Amalfi Coast.
Several times during the drive, our taxista got so worked up about our former president that he turned around completely in his seat, sputtering and shouting epithets, completely neglecting the primary task at hand.

Once we reached the hotel (12 euro), he pulled over into a parking spot and we continued the discussion for more than 20 minutes. After I gave him some recommendations for inexpensive agriturismi in Furore, he returned the favor by sharing his mother’s recipe for torta di nociole (hazlenut cake)

(“Toast whole Langhe hazelnuts, grind, mix with butter, egg yolks, Amaro, and sugar, and bake at 180C.)

Along the lines of this recipe:

Ingredients: 300 g toasted hazelnuts, 6 eggs, 100 g butter,
150 g sugar, baking powder.
Whip six yolks with sugar, add the melted butter, the baking powder and the toasted milled hazelnuts.
Whip the white of the eggs, then add it to the mixture of hazelnut and
mix gently.
Cook in the oven at 170°C in a buttered cake tin for about 30-40 minutes.



When we finally extricated ourselves from the taxi and were just about to enter the hotel, he called us back to the taxi. Thinking that we had forgotten something, we were surprised to hear, (in Italian)

“I can’t let you go before telling you one more thing: Thank you for liberating our country. My mother still remembers the American soldiers handing out chocolates and chewing gum!”

Only in Italy!


The weather had deteriorated considerably by this time (about 3pm), so we set off for an indoor venue and one of the highlights of Turin: The Museo Nationale del Cinema.

Not the least of the wonders of this wonderful museum is the structure in which it is housed: The Mole Antonelliana. The most famous landmark of the city, the Mole evades description.

Reminders of Gaudi’s Sagrada Familia, the Parthenon, and the Eiffel Tower merge into a surreal start-crowned confection soaring 549 feet into the sky. Originally commissioned in the 19th Century as a synagogue, the Mole is reputed to be the energy center of this magic obsessed city. An interior elevator whisks visitors through the interior to an observation deck that offers and astounding view of the city, even on a gloomy day such as we encountered.


Museo Nazionale del Cinema (Cinema Museum) , as seen from Mole elevator:


http://www.mediasound-online.de/blog...eum_kuppel.jpg

Cinema Museum website:


http://www.museonazionaledelcinema.it/en/index.php#

Mole seen at night:


http://www.comune.torino.it/canaletu.../monuments.htm


More on the magic and mysticism of Turin (remember, this is the city of the Holy Shroud)

http://www.extratorino.it/ENG/scheda.php?ID=681

Eksrunchy,,
I have a question for you... With only a short time in Piedmont would you spend time in the city Torino or outside d do Alba?
Teri

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