Ristorante Cuneo, Ventimiglia

On June 16, 2008, I went to Ventimiglia to pick up Sue, arriving on the train from Milan. I had finished my extensive shopping in the market and shops by the time she arrived, so we went directly to Cuneo for lunch. This has been a solid, but somewhat ordinary, restaurant near the market in Ventimiglia for a long time, but I had not been for several years.

Relais San Maurizio

The best restaurant in the Piemonte used to be Da Guido in Costigliole d’Asti. We went several times and were always delighted with the food and the interior ambiance. But after Guido Alciati died, his wife, Lidia, and their three sons who had all worked in the restaurant, decided to close it. The two eldest sons went on to other projects and their influence can be found in several places in the region. Lidia and the youngest son, Andrea, joined with a new project on a hilltop south of Costigliole, the Relais San Maurizio, which is now a Relais et Châteaux hotel, spa and restaurant. Linda and I stayed and dined there the evening of June 5, 2008.

La Fermata, Marengo

The French victory over the Austrians in the battle of Marengo in 1800 was a key turning point both in the French dominance of Europe for the next thirteen years and for Napoleon’s consolidation of power in Paris. But for us its main importance may be the origin of Chicken Marengo. No, that wasn’t General Chambarlhac, who fled from the battlefield when it went badly for the French at first, but the recipe described below. Anyway, like Napoleon, we were looking for a good stopping place as we went south from Milan on June 5, 2008.

il Ristorante Cracco, Milan

Carlo Cracco is said to be one of the world’s most imaginative and innovative chefs, although he does not yet have the fame of Ferran Adrià, Heston Blumenthal et al. He is aware of what they are doing, but he makes his own discoveries and puts them into the idiom of Italian cuisine. Linda and I dined at his restaurant on June 4, 2008. 

Ristorante Teatro alla Scala, Il Marchesino

In the last few years, opera has been one of our great interests, so naturally we had been wanting to go to the most renowned opera house in the world, the Teatro alla Scala in Milan. On the internet I was able to find two good tickets for La Traviata on June 3, 2008. The production was traditional, lavish and excellent.

Biffi, Milan

On June 3, 2008, we had just arrived in Milan in time for a late lunch, so naturally we headed to the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. We knew that its elegance had been invaded by tourist schlock, but the structure has been renovated and there are still some elegant shops.

La Cicala

Via Lunga, 16
Bordighera Alta
0184 261815

(May 10, 2008 ) Now there’s a new reason to go back to Bordighera Alta.

Hotel Splendido

Viale Barata, 16; Portofino
39 0185 267 806; www.hotelsplendido.com

( May 5-7, 2008 ). Some of our friends have so raved about the Hotel Splendido, that we decided to celebrate the tenth anniversary of TMP’s purchase of JSK with a few days at this Orient-Express hotel.

La Vecchia Ostaia

Flipot, Torre Pellice

I always consult the Michelin Red Guide for Italy while planning a trip there, although I know that their preference for Frenchified cuisine makes the restaurant ratings very unreliable. When planning this trip to the Piemonte, I noticed again that there was a two-star restaurant a bit southwest of Turin, while the other two-star and the three-star restaurant in the region are in the far northeast, almost in Lombardy. Our itinerary ran nearby, so it seemed like a good stop.

Eataly, Turin

On October 24, 2007, The New York Times reported that Eataly will soon be opening at 18 West 48^th Street in New York. So on October 31, Linda and I went to check out the original, which claims to be the “world’s biggest food and wine market.”

Ristorante Belvedere, La Morra

Mae West said: “Too much of a good thing can be wonderful.”  The Menù del tartufo bianco di Alba at the Ristorante Belvedere in La Morra, at the heart of the Piedmont’s wine and truffle country, is truly wonderful and unforgettable.

Ristorante Enoclub, Alba

Our favorite shopping street anywhere is the via Vittorio Emanuele II which cuts through the center of old Alba. Its history and charming relaxed ambience combined with outstanding merchandise, particularly in food and wine, are unique. Linda and I went back to it again on Tuesday, October 30, 2007.

La Coccinella, Serravalle Langhe

Our friends Nick and Stephanie love to drive their beautiful old cars through the hills of The Langhe, either in a rally or just on the way somewhere. They know many of the little inns and restaurants, so when they heard we would be there, they said that we must not miss La Coccinella, a restaurant they know well and love.

Florence, Italy

(October 13-20) Our destination club, Quintess, had recently added some “villas” in Florence and in Tuscany to our choices so we decided to try one of their Florentine places and invited Gary’s sister’s two children to join us.

Verona, Mantua, Padua

(October 1-4)  Leaving Ferrara, we had decided that we wanted to spend one night on the Po Delta and therefore booked a nice B&B called

Villa Il Poggiale near Florence

(October 12, 2007) For our second night en route to Florence, we chose to stay in Tuscany and enjoy our time there before picking up our niece at the airport in the early afternoon.

La Saletta in Certaldo

Via Roma, 3 ; 0571 668188; www.lamiatoscana.it

(October 12, 200) Hats off to Pat and Bill who told us about this restaurant, saying it was the best meal they had had in their recent three weeks in Italy. Not only would we never had made our way to Certaldo, but we would never have found this place.

Zoagli

(October 11, 2007) We decided to take a leisurely two-overnights’ drive to Florence. Our first stop was Zoagli, just east of the spit of land that includes Portofino. It is also a fishing village but one without the tourists and associated trappings.No cars are allowed in the town square so all must park outside and walk in. The boats leave right from the main square, which is ringed with a few cafes and stores but mainly with apartments.

Ristorante Arquade, outside Verona

37020 Pedemonte, Via Quar 12 ;
39  04 56 80 06 81;
www.hotelvilladelquar.it

(October 2, 2007) This is a two star restaurant in the traditional Michelin mode. There are two small dining rooms, elaborately decorated, massive floral arrangements, and elegant linens and place settings.