This blog will take you to places you’ve always wanted to see and to some you may only have heard of. Its purpose – to immerse you in extraordinary tastes and colors, smells, sights and experiences, infecting you, or perhaps aggravating, an already serious case of wanderlust.
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Italy – Bra – Birthplace of Slow Food
The Slow Food Movement, founded by Carlo Petrini, was born in Bra in 1986, and has spread across the world from this provincial city. We had dinner at Osteria del Boccondivino, at Slow Food headquarters, on one of our first nights, and came back there to eat our last lunch in Piemonte. Both times we sat in the courtyard where two ancient wisteria vines wrap their tendrils around second floor balconies. Each meal was perfect.
At the next table, four-month-old Gabrielle was dining with his parents. You can’t start too young in Italy.
Tajarin are Piemonte’s contribution to the world of pasta. Rich egg noodles (Boccondivino calls theirs “40 yolk”) are cut impossibly fine by hand. Mark’s were dressed simply with butter and sage, mine with black truffles.
Tajerin with black truffles
Squid and cuttlefish
Mark’s second course was beef in barolo. I ordered a great squid and cuttlefish combination mounded on pureed potatoes.
Mark had the best-ever panna cotta for dessert – essence of cream.
Panna Cotta
I opted for semi-freddo crocante with pistachios.
For lunch today we both chose a starter of vitello tonnato – the thinest possible slices of rare roast veal with a perfect tuna sauce.
Vitello Tonnato
Gnocchi di patate al Raschara
Mark went for the Tajarin with a ragu of local sausage and I chose the Gnocci al Raschara (local cheese). Fabulous. We repeated our dinner dessert selections.
The young woman who served us both meals wants to see Las Vegas after “growing up between the vines” – and she’s sure she’ll see us again.
We hope so!
Italy – Cuneo – Into the Big City
We set out for Cuneo, an hour drive from Barolo. It’s a city of over 100,000 at the base of the Maritime Alps, not far from the French border. The drive drops us out of the hilly wine country and onto a flat plain. Cuneo, itself, sits on a high plateau (cuneo means wedge). Founded in about 1200, it changed hands lots of times as the French, Swiss and Austrians came and went. Its wide boulevards and formal architecture are reminiscent of Turin’s and have a definite French feel.
We have lunch at ‘4 Ciance’ on a narrow pedestrian street. The proprietor very much wants to speak 
English and is happy to hear that we came all the way from Seattle to eat at his restaurant. I’m sure not too many Americans find his cozy place. The other diners – local businessmen – appear to be regulars.
I am definitely slowing down. One course is all I can
My ‘Cruset” of the Stura valley with sausage ragu
handle, and I order the local pasta – an orechiette shape, made with fresh pasta. It is very pillowy.
Mark goes for the tasting menu again. How does he do it? Our host chooses a Nebbiolo and a
Mark’s gnocchi with Castelmagno cheese
Barbaresco to go with our lunch. Every dish is just what it should be. As we leave, the proprietor accompanies us onto the street to wish us a good time in Cuneo. Everyone we’ve come in contact with so far has been welcoming and charming. Great people!
Mark’s beef in Barolo wine
Mark’s bunet (chocolate flan) with home-made ice cream
The Tuesday market fills Piazza Galimberti, Cuneo’s huge main square, with hundreds of vendors selling clothes and housewares.
On one corner of the piazza is the Arione Chocolate shop, famous for their Cuneesi al Rhum, large rum-laced pralines. Their window features a picture of 
Ernest Hemingway who stopped in to buy a box.
Down the street is the Gelateria Corso with 20 or more flavors and ice cream cakes that are works of art. Somehow I 
make room for three flavors – marron glace, chocolate and waferino. Mark has his dish crowned with whipped cream.
Glorious excess!!
Italy – Morra – Ristorante Bovio, A New Contender?
Just below the 1,000-year-old town of La Morra (means sheep fold) sits the Ristorante Bovio looking out over the valley and vine-covered hills. We reserved a table — a good thing as the terrace is filled when we get there at one o’clock. We can see for miles, though the hills are hazy, and a slight breeze keeps us comfortable on a warm day.
Mark bravely chooses the tasting menu — too much for me. I’ll stick with an antipasto and a first course. The host brings us glasses of Barbaresco and Nebiollo made by the owners from grapes grown on the hillside.
Here’s lunch.
Mark starts with a selection of antipasti:
Veal tartar with black truffles and parmigiano
Tart of porcini mushrooms with cheese fondue
And I order the foie gras
Terrine of duck foie gras with figs and muscato sauce
We both order risotto as a first course
Mark’s risotto with porcini mushrooms and cheese from the Conesi valley
My rissotto cooked in Barolo with sausage from Bra
Mark’s roast baby goat from Alta Lange with polenta and veg
My amazing dessert – warm savarin of hazelnuts on Moscato zabaglione with hazelnut ice cream
Mark’s selection of Piemonte cheeses from . . .
the amazing cheese cart
We are in real need of some activity after this feast and set out to explore Morra. The town was another of the Falleti family’s holdings. Their castle no longer stands, but several of their villas are still here. We’re drawn into one of the shops selling local products — a feast for the senses.
Grappas to taste, too
Sauces, honeys, compotes, etc., . . .
. . . .available for tasting
We have a look at the Church of St. Martin (1700s), baroque on baroque. . .
Tomorrow, we head to Cuneo and its weekly market.
Italy – Sunday at the Castle
If we hadn’t needed something to do until the shops opened in Alba (closed 1 to 3 for lunch), we might 
never have taken the winding road through vineyards and villages that led us eventually up to the 13th century Castello Grinzane Cavour. Around a sharp bend, and there it was on its emerald lawn, a total surprise in all its fairy tale splendor.
The entry led to the castle’s wine cellar, now a showcase for regional wines. Up a winding 
narrow stair was the door to the Ristorante Castello Grinzane (ring for admittance). All dinners were fully booked, but if we could come for lunch on Sunday . . . . . YES!
The heavy wooden door opens on bare castle walls and nine linen draped tables. Choosing from the menu’s temptations takes awhile. Mark decides to be surprised and goes with the Chef’s Menu (whatever he decided to cook that day). I can’t pass up some of the dishes listed a la carte. The host is happy to choose a different wine for each of our dishes.
Here, in pictures, is the fabulous meal we shared, minus the ‘pre-dessert’ berry mouse, my melon sorbet and Mark’s peach confection. My basic descriptions hardly due justice to our best meal so far. And the wines and service? Perfection.
Green apple sorbet, smoked duck and foie gras on polenta
Fava bean gnocchi with prosciutto
Ravioli stuffed with melted cheese, bacon and pear garnish
Grilled octopus and octopus sausage on fresh garbonzo beans
Roast lamb, wine sauce, mushrooms, pureed potatoes
Tenderest roast veal ever with wine sauce on pureed potatoes
Sweet bites – with coffee
Italy – Foreign Writes on the Move
Yes, we’re here again, after an absence of 20 years. Three weeks – Piemonte, Umbria and Venice. I could write about our initial bumps – the car we reserved ‘unavailable’, the agriturismo we reserved – not as advertised, but all that is history and we are having too good a time to give it another thought. We have moved to the stunning town/village of Barolo – yes, that Barolo. Our room at the Hotel Barolo looks out on the castle – beautiful as the light changes during the day and spectacular when lit at night. More on Barolo in another post.
The landscape in this part of Piemonte is beautiful beyond belief. Every inch of its rolling hills covered by vineyards, its lower slopes planted in hazelnut trees. It is nearly time for the harvest and the vines hang 
heavy with their loads of purple. On top of every hill is a castle surrounded by its attendant village. The whole thing looks like something out of a fairy tale.
Today’s adventure took us to the hill towns of Novello, Monforte, Roddino, Sineo and Serralunga. And an adventure it was, as Mark piloted our enormous Fiat Scudero (think large white ambulance size vehicle) on roads, some of which were barely wide enough for our monster. I am not joking. God was answering my fervant prayers that we not meet another car. With ditches or drop offs on either side of our narrow lane/road, I have no idea what we would have done. Mark is my hero and I’m sure his Italian grandfather is looking down and shouting “Bravo!” as he manhandles our behemoth, demonstrating true Italian driving genes.
The road from Barolo climbs the steep hill to Novello with a church erected in the 1700s, all pink and gold and baroque, and huge for a village of Novello’s size. And then there is the castello, a wedding cake of a building. It is supposed to be a hotel, but appeared deserted, though windows to rooms on its upper floors were open. Mysterious.
But Serralunga and its castle were the highlights of our day. A true medieval masterpiece, built by the 
Fallerti family in 1350 on one of their 50 properties. It’s defenses are amazing, but it was sacked by the Spanish in 1616. It was never ‘remodeled’ and thus 
remains a rare example of a true medieval fortress with living quarters. Our excellent tour was in Italian. I was so happy that I understood almost everything.
Much more to come – especially on the FOOD and WINE!!!!!!!
Buona sera for now.
