261758 Fri Aug 30 16:53:23 -0700 2002 3 26 International 0 1383268 Ciao, I'm going to Slow Food's Salone del Gusto and am hoping to get advice from people who've traveled or lived in the Piedmont region. 1. The best mid-priced hotels in Torino? (meaning $70-100 for 2) 2. The best meals you've had? I realize I can probably throw a stone and hit a good restaurant so that's not that big a worry :-) 3. The best nearby town to visit and stay in if I go to only one other? Molto grazie! Fri Aug 30 16:53:23 -0700 2002 0 Suzie 1 1383269 I think you will pleasantly surprised with Torino, given its reputation as the "industrial" city of northern Italy. I have only spent one day walking around there, but I found it rather charming. It reminded me as much of Paris as any other city in Italy. I do not have any restaurant suggestions for Turin, but would refer you to my regular stand-bys: F. Willinger's "Eating in Italy" and F. Plotkin's "Italy For The Gourmet Traveler". If you do make a day trip from Turin, I highly recommend the Langhe region southeast of Turin, which includes the city of Alba and the wine region south of there (villages such as Barolo, Barbaresco, Nieve, Grinzane Cavour, Monforte d'Alba, Cherasco, etc.). There are dozens of excellent and world-famous restaurants in this area. Many have been discussed on this site (Guido, Da Cesare, Trattoria delle Posta, etc.). Enjoy! Fri Aug 30 21:21:51 -0700 2002 1383268 0 DavidT 1 1383270 We loved Turin -- a small manageable city, lovely for walking, with some good museums, beautiful parks, wonderful food. Hotel Victoria is a smallish friendly hotel in a good location, walking distance to the river, university, everywhere. I think that it might be a little over your budget, we payed about $125 for 2 in April, incl a good breakfast in the sunny dining room. Do hit the Porta Palazzo food market, you'll wish you had a kitchen to take all the wonderful cheeses breads pastas produce etc. back to! Our best meals in Turin were at more casual places -- Spacca Napoli (always crowded) for real Naples-style pizza, farro and squash soup, salad, and a lovely cheese plate at a small enoteca about 2 blocks from the hotel towards the university. Our last night we ate at Gatto Nero and were sorry to have wasted the money -- while the food was very good the service was horrible. It was the only place in Italy where we really felt unwelcome -- like bothersome "awful tourists". The town we most liked in Piedmont was Cuneo -- beautiful setting, a little above surrounding plain, with snow-covered peaks visible. Lovely plaza, arched, covered walkways. We ate lunch and dinner at the enoteca-restaurant Osteria della Chiocciola, without a doubt the best meals we had in 2 wks. We also liked Saluzzo, but not as well as Cuneo. If you don't stay in Cuneo at least try to get to the Osteria for lunch, you won't regret it (and will probably walk away with a few bottles of wine, as we did!). Fri Aug 30 22:35:28 -0700 2002 1383268 0 foodfirst 1 1383271 I recieved my program guide a while ago and noted all the seminars and tastings I wanted to attend then I realized I would need a month to do it all. It sounds like an amazing experiance. Vertical tastings of Sassicia, who makes the best ham Spain or Italy, olive oil tastings. Have a great time. Sat Aug 31 00:56:32 -0700 2002 1383268 0 steve