Exploring Piedmont's Finest Eating & Drinking Destinations: 2019 Edition

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | SEPTEMBER 13, 2019

One of the biggest challenges readers visiting Piedmont face is deciding where to eat. It's a good problem to have. I can’t think of any wine region – or indeed anywhere in the world – that has such a concentration of phenomenal dining destinations all within a 30-40 minute drive from pretty much any point. As if that were not enough, Mother Nature has blessed Piedmont with extraordinary raw materials and spectacular wines that are absolutely breathtaking together.  

Readers visiting Piedmont will find a mind-boggling array of dining choices, ranging from simple wine bars to more elegant dining rooms, including many places that are bit farther afield. These are some of my personal favorites. This is not an exhaustive list, but rather a collection of restaurants I enjoy and have been to many times. One of the things I have learned over the years is that knowing what to order where is critical. With that in mind, I have pointed out signature dishes where applicable. Restaurants in this article have been chosen with the wine traveler in mind and are therefore mostly within a short distance from the major Barolo and Barbaresco-producing towns. 

A giant white truffle alongside Bruno Giacosa’s sublime 1967 Barbaresco Riserva Asili

Piedmont is strikingly beautiful pretty much all the time, but it is especially magical in the fall. The last days of summer melt into autumn, temperatures drop, leaves burst into glorious expressions of color and the buzz of harvest and young wines in the cellars is in the air. Mushrooms and white truffles add to the natural bounty of the Piedmontese table. Although Alba's famous truffle fair is held in October, the best truffles tend to start appearing in November. As the month progresses, crowds begin to thin out and while truffles are often at their best and most plentiful, which means they are also typically less expensive than they are earlier in the season. Of course, quality and pricing vary quite a bit from year to year. Don't be surprised if you see young children in any of these restaurants, even the most elegant. Of all the wine-producing regions I visit regularly, Italy is without question the most family oriented and kid friendly, which means parents don't have to sacrifice a great meal in order to be with their children, while the kids have an opportunity to be educated at the table.

Poached egg with white truffle, Guido Ristorante, Serralunga d'Alba

As I have written here many times before, wine storage continues to be an issue in Piedmont’s restaurants. This year I have added a list of restaurants where wine storage and/or service are poor. It is not an easy list to put together, because many, if not most, of these establishments offer very good food and/or ambience. But the simple reality can’t be ignored. In knowingly serving flawed wines, these restaurants are saying that they do not respect or care about their customers. Readers should feel no hesitation in sending back bottles that have been damaged by heat. That is the only way Piedmont’s restaurateurs will get the message. As much as it pains me to say this, taken as a whole, Piedmont lags the world’s other elite wine producing regions by a significant margin when it comes to wine service, and in particular storage of fine wines.

Let me be clear: Piedmont exists because of one thing and one thing only: Wine. Without the wine industry there would be fewer jobs, fewer restaurants, much less wealth and no tourism to speak of except for a few weeks during the fall truffle season. When will Piedmont’s restaurateurs learn to take care of their most valuable and most profitable asset? Not all restaurants can have a gorgeous, temperature-controlled cellar. That is understandable. But how much does it cost to a buy a few refrigeration units? Will the average patron notice an extra euro or two per bottle to pay back that investment? Of course not. But Piedmontese restaurateurs largely do not see it that way. Suffice it to say I have been served cooked and/or damaged wine in virtually every restaurant in Piedmont, so it is very much caveat emptor.

Still, I don't think there is anywhere better to be in the fall than Piedmont. Barolo, Barbaresco and white truffles in a good year are as good as it gets. Stunningly evocative landscapes enshrouded in the autumn fog and a good meal at one of Piedmont’s top spots will be more than enough to make visitors start planning a return trip. Things can get a bit hectic during the peak fall season, so reservations are essential.

Antica Corona Reale - Da Renzo

Via Fossano, 13, 12040 Cervere - Cuneo, Italy; Tel. +39 0172 474132

Da Renzo’s signature Uova in Cocotte

Antica Corona Reale, known simply as Da Renzo, is a must during truffle season. Da Renzo is located in Cervere, which is a bit of a drive from the Barolo zone, but closest to La Morra. The food is terrific year-round, but in the fall Renzo is the place to be. Proprietor Gian Piero Vivalda makes the single greatest truffle dish in Piedmont; the heart attack-inducing, poached egg in cocotte, essentially an egg poached in butter and cream, then topped with shaved truffles. If there is a dish visitors must experience at least once, this is it. Other great choices include the Tortelli al Seirass and the Châteaubriand for two. Wild leeks and snails, both local to Cervere, are not to be missed. I don’t go crazy for either frogs’ legs, tripe, or finanziera (a Piedmont staple), but those who do swear by Da Renzo’s versions. Service is very good. The wine list is well chosen, and I am glad to report that Vivalda and his team have finally improved wine storage and build a large temperature-controlled cellar on site. For the sake of prudence, I would stick with younger vintages. Readers who want to get a sense of old-school Piedmontese elegance will find that, and more, at Da Renzo. My last meal was spectacular. Most recent visit: November 2018.

Trattoria Antica Torre