Oh the food. . .

I saved one portion of my walking tour yesterday until I had more time to write about it. . . dinner! It's no secret - I love good food! Like all good Cajuns, memorable moments of my life are associated with great food, so I knew these Winter Olympic Games would be no different! Last night, we stumbled upon an amazing restaurant in the heart of Torino. Of course, I can't remember the name, but I do remember that it was on Via Po (Po Street), so I'm confident I will find it again! Dinner isn't served anywhere in the city before 7:00 p.m. It was around 5:30 p.m. and we were looking for some drinks and snacks to tide us over til an appropriate Italian dining hour. So, seeing the scene in this picture, we ducked in for hors d'oeuvres and some world famous Italian red wine. On this table are various olives, meat pastries, cheeses, salted breads, and the best sun-dried tomatoes I've ever had. Half of the married couple that runs the restaurant/bar was a woman originally from Sicilly who spoke very good English. She guided us through wines and foods specific to the region in which Torino is located- Piedmont.

Ever since living in Spain, I've been a huge fan of Spanish Rioja wines, but I think I've found a new favorite red. The Barolo Prunotto we tried first was excellent, but was quickly overshadowed by the Barbaresco Poro Musso that came next. Now, I can't profess to be a wine connoisseur by any stretch of the imagination, but I do love to sample wines specific to whatever region I happen to find myself. In this case, I find myself in one of the most prolific red wine producing regions of Italy. So, if you'd like to seduce your taste buds, I highly recommend trying the Barbaresco.

The rest of the meal consisted of foods specific to the Piedmont region. The menu was labeled as Menu del Giorno, or 3-course menu, and consisted of an antipasto (appetizers), a first or second dish, and dessert. The antipasto was antipasto misto, which was a platter of assorted Italian meats and cheeses. I loved everything I sampled, even one item which appeared to be raw sausage!

The first dish of an Italian meal is usually a pasta and the second dish is usually a meat dish. I had a combination of both with my first dish of agnolotti al sugo d'arrosto (a meat stuffed pasta with a thin but strong, silky meat sauce) - think ravioli without a red sauce. One of the other first dishes ordered at the table was tajarin al castelmagno, which is made with pasta and cheese that are both specific to the Piedmont region. Castelmagno is a blue mold cheese with just enough bite to make this dish unique, but not overpowering. I can't remember what I had for dessert, but it was a tasty cream stuffed pastry. One of the things I love most about dining in European countries is that meals are events. It can be annoying if you are in a hurry, but without time constraints, there's something to be said for lingering over good food and lively company for 3-4 hours!

I hope that with this post, I've gotten your taste buds watering and craving some Italian food! In order to be with me in spirit on Feb 10 for the Olympic opening ceremonies, plan an authentic Italian meal accompanied by a nice vino rosso and know that I'm thinking about all of you! As much as I love to travel, I love the company of my friends and family even more! Ciao!!