LADYLYN

We will be in the Piemonte area for 5 days this September and I am having difficulty
choosing restaurants. I guess we are very plain eaters - unfortunately most of the dishes
I have read about do not appeal to me and especially my husband. We love, love, love wine and can't wait to visit this area, but maybe someone can help us with our eating dilemma. I am hoping that the restaurants in and around Alba, La Morra, Treiso etc have other items on the menu that we would enjoy that have not been mentioned because they are not typical of the area. We like pasta - with a red sauce. Braised meat in Barolo sauce is fine - but I can't find it on most menus. We like mushrooms - we have never had truffles- but I am sure we will love them. We do not eat runny eggs, anchovies, raw meat or tongue, hoofs, sweetbreads and (to us) exotic body parts. I am sure the food is sublime to many people - more adventurous than us. Perhaps someone give us some suggestions? We are staying in Treiso.
Thanks so much!

Jean

Do you have to choose restaurants before you go? I don't think you'll have any trouble finding what you want. Except that red sauce on the pasta. Generally, think butter and cheese rather than tomatoes and olive oil. Just peruse menus. We had great egg-y pasta, polenta and risotto dishes, several versions of beef with barolo or nebbiolo sauce, veal, pork, mushrooms and truffles, lots of vegetables.

HappyTrvlr

Profumo di Vino in Treiso, near Alba, was exceptional. We returned for a second time. Give Vitello Tonnato a try, a regional specialty that is perfect in the warm weather.
Red sauce and pasta is southern Italian and Piemonte is in the north.

tower

https://picasaweb.google.com/stuartt...baAndVicinity# Aside from restos seen in these pictures, there is also a small wine bar in the center of town..excellent menu,including tajarin! (Vin Bar)...Treiso offered a marvelous resto (see pics)... superb. With Tajarin try the burre/salvia sauce (butter and sage)..the best of all we tried.

Enjoy Piemonte...we missed the truffle season, barely. Prices per piece were sky high as you can see in one of the window pics. ("Small shave please")..sinful gelato shop in midtown Alba ("Sacherro").

LADYLYN

Thanks for the replies. HappyTrvlr - do you remember what was on the menu?

HappyTrvlr

Not pasta and red sauce. Vitello tonnato( cold veal slice topped with puréed tuna) was done in a contemporary manner. Rarely eat any beef do wouldn't know if that was on menu. Chef/owner was French Cordon Bleu trained, raised in Mexico and US. He opened this place after working across the street in a Michelin starred restaurant. The menu is online but I couldn't translate it, sorry. We really liked the food in the Piemonte and I shy away from organ meats, don't recall that at all. The local pasta is called Tajarin and risotto is served as in N. Italy.
There are several trip reports for the Piemonte here on Fodor's. Two excellent ones are by LowCountryIslander and Ekscrunchy. They are on their profile pages under Trip Reports.Do a search in the box on upper right and hopefully the reports mention restaurants and dishes. It is a wonderful region, without the tourist crowds of many other places.

LADYLYN

Happy Trvlr - Thanks I have read both reports as well as DaveTroy and John183. They are all beginning to run together I think.
I used google translator the the menu. I emailed the restaurant for a reservation. My husband would probably like the pig. I think we will try Tratoria Antica Torre as well. The rest we may have to wait until we get there.
Its interesting, I have been to Sanremo three times and never had so much angst about the food.

ekscrunchy

There is no reason to have angst about the food. Any restaurant can cook you plain pasta with tomato sauce. I think you are having too much anxiety, when you will be easily able to avoid anything that you deem as "odd." I never ate tongue and hoofs anywhere in Italy. And most menus will change by season and often day by day, so a printed menu will just give a vague idea.


http://www.fodors.com/community/euro...nd-bicerin.cfm

HappyTrvlr

Glad to see Ekscrunchy here to help you! Honestly, this area is one that I would have the least angst with anywhere. Italy and it's various regions offer wonderful food, never a problem. The places I have problems with are Central Europe, Germany as they are so heavily meat centered.

LADYLYN

We are definitely meat lovers! I'm sure you are both right and we will be fine and I am over thinking it.

Thanks for the input!

jangita

If you feel like reading lots of Langhe restaurant opinions and info look here:
http://www.chowhound.com/post/piemon...1035355?page=2

So much Piemonte foodie talk is on Chowhound!

LADYLYN

jangita - thanks!