655104 Sat Sep 26 10:31:49 -0700 2009 4 58 Italy 0 5060048 After 4 days in Bologna (see my report at this link: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/654750), my partner and I headed to Alba, where we stayed for the next 3 days. Wednesday's lunch was in Cherasco at La Lumaca, another excellent trattoria in a beautiful cellar with vaulted ceilings. For 35 euros, you get 4 courses or you can order a la carte. The specialty is snails, with one dish in each course featuring them. Other good dishes we had were ravioli with meat sauce, a cold sliced guinea fowl appetizer, and roasted rabbit. Desserts were good but not memorable. Wednesday night we dined at Piazza Duomo, which has a Michelin star and is known for innovative cooking. We ordered one of the tasting menus at 110 euros, and while not all of the approximately 12 dishes were a total success, with some flavor combinations that were a bit much, overall it was a very good meal that challenges the taste buds yet stops short of “molecular” cooking. We chose this restaurant based on a review I read some months back on Chowhound, and which gives a much more detailed report than I will here. See this link: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/615668. If you are planning to have a tasting menu, be sure to arrive very hungry as it is a tremendous amount of food. Thursday morning we drove to Asti and took a walk around this attractive city, then headed off to lunch in Rocchetta Tanaro, a short distance away, at I Bologna. This restaurant exceeded all expectations, and aside from dal Pescatore, it was the best meal of the trip so far, so good that I must list all the dishes we had. The price is 45 euros and this includes everything except wine. Choices are limited. Here is what we were served: Melon with lardo Crudo of veal with parmigiano cheese “Tuna” of rabbit with julienned vegetables and olive oil Pastas: tagliarani with mushrooms; veal agnolotti Main: Rabbit liver with balsamic vinegar sauce; roasted chicken leg Goat cheese with compote of fruits Dessert: Chestnut semifreddo with berry sorbet (in a beautiful cone-shaped construction) topped with a chocolate confection and served on a caramel sauce with chopped chestnuts. I have never seen a dessert presentation like this in Italy, even at the most high-end restaurants. In addition to being delicious it was a work of art, more like what you would expect at a top restaurant in France. Unbelievable! Sorbets of banana and blackberry(?) Glass of Moscato d’Asti Choice of 2 types of Grappa. Coffee The wine we chose was a 2004 Barbera d’Asti, Tenuta il Sogno (limited production) for 20 euros, and it was absolutely superb. I Bologna does not have a Michelin star, but it definitely should. The quality and value were at least comparable to any other one-star we have been to. Dinner in Alba was at La Libera. The food is updated Piemontese and everything we had was delicious. Not quite up to the standard of I Bologna but close. Dishes we had: Vitello Tonnato Veal Tongue with vegetables in sweet and sour sauce Tagliarini with veal ragu Rabbit ravioli Fish (sea bass?) with zucchini and olives Slow-roasted shoulder of lamb Pear in puff pastry with cardamom ice cream Coffee granite with chocolate fudge and whipped cream With a nice Barbera 2005 and water, the bill came to 110 euros. On Friday we drove to Turin, where we spent some time at Eataly before touring the old city. It is quite an experience. The variety of foods and wines is mind-boggling. One gets very hungry just looking at it all. We had a light lunch which was tasty but unspectacular, and very reasonable. Dinner was at Trattoria della Posta in Monforte d’Alba, about 20 km from Alba. The cooking here is traditional Piemontese and very good. As a sort of large amuse-bouche, we were given a soup of tomato and porcini mushroom puree with olive oil. Apps were capon salad and vitello tonnato. It was interesting to compare the vitello tonnato with the one at La Libera. This one was a perfect rendition of the traditional dish, with no fat, well done at the edges and pink inside, with a strong tuna sauce, while La Libera’s was very lightly cooked, sliced paper thin, with a ring of fat around the edge and served with a sauce that contained more mayonnaise than tuna. I loved both, though I give a slight edge to La Libera. Next we had gnocchi with tomato and basil, very simple, ethereal and delicious, and goat cheese ravioli with a rabbit ragu, also very light yet full of flavor. Mains were veal shank in Barolo sauce and goose leg stuffed with foie gras. We were quite full so skipped dessert (the dessert selection was limited and not so interesting anyway). If we had room I would have ordered cheese, as the cheese cart looked wonderful. We had a Barbaresco 2004 for 30 euros which was heavenly, far superior to the 48 euro Barolo we had at Piazza Duomo. With aperitifs, coffee, water, and petit fours, the total came to 128 euros. All in all, we found the Piemonte region to be a gastronomic paradise. Sat Sep 26 10:31:49 -0700 2009 126803 rrems 1 5060263 Thanks a lot for taking the time to post. I can't wait to go! Sat Sep 26 12:42:00 -0700 2009 5060048 240633 sderham 1 5060679 Thanks for the information, I will be in Alba Oct 27-29, hoping to indulge in the famous Tartufo d'Alba. Here is the list of restaurants that I have reservations at: Tratorria nelle Vigne La Libera Tratorria della Posta Il Cascinale Nuovo Oseteria delArco Any comments, suggestions? Should I swap out one of these for I Bologna in Rocchetta Tanaro? How far in advance do I need to reserve for lunch at I Bologna? thanks, mdietrich Sat Sep 26 16:33:59 -0700 2009 5060048 27499 mdietrich 2 5110336 Sorry, I didn't notice your question right away. I would reserve for lunch at I Bologna, but I don't think it has to be far in advance, as not all tables were taken when we were there. Sat Oct 17 10:23:26 -0700 2009 5060679 126803 rrems 1 5061260 Great review and happy to know that I Bologna is still as good as ever, its been a few years since I ate there last. And great that you took a break from the "usual" restaurants everyone goes to on this forum, honestly Piedmont has many more wonderful restaurants then La Libera, Trattorie della Posta, Boccondivino and Osterie del Arco and Vignaiolo. I strongly urge visitors to get out and around Piedmont, not just in Alba area. I Caffi in Acqui, Gener Neuv, Tacabanda, Angolo Beato, La Grotta and Pompa Magna in Asti, Al Enoteca in Canale, Crota in Calosso, Rosengana in Cocconato, Pergola in Vezza, Madama Vigna in Baldiechieri, Rabaja and Tre Stelle in Barbaresco are just a few that come to my fingers. For Mdietrich, at the end of October you won't need reservations in any of these places except on Sunday lunch and perhaps Saturday dinner. I would swap La Libera for I Bologna and for a real treat, swap nelle Vigne for Al Enoteca in Canale. Sun Sep 27 03:00:53 -0700 2009 5060048 1100065 Villasampaguita