Milan & Piedmont Restaurant

Need some recs for:
2 Dinners in Milan
2 lunch in Piedmont area (La Morra, Castiglione, Serralunga, (sp?))
1 dinner in piedmont area.

Looking for:

  • good authentic local cuisine
  • Not overly expensive (lets’ say under 75 euro per person NOT including wine)
  • Prefer a place we can walk in (party of 3). Or reso on line. I don’t want to call to reserve. Walk in especially for Piedmont as we have no idea of timing…

Thanks!

Hi Mark
Do you know where you’ll be staying (probably more relevant for the dinner I guess as it’s a chance for designated driver to kick back and drink some wine).

In Serralunga (your spelling is correct - the full name is Serralunga d’Alba, but Serralunga is fine) I’d recommend Schiavenza, which is proper traditional food done well, very fairly priced, plus with the option of their own wines by the glass as well as others by the bottle. I like by the glass at lunch, but for dinner it’s nice to dive into a bottle. La Rosa dei Vini was ok, but didn’t wow us. Felt a little dated but would definitely fit the brief.

La Morra will have plenty of suggestions here, so it depends to a degree whether you’ll be in La Morra itself or nearer Annunziata. If the latter, then we had a good lunch at Osteria Veglio a couple of years ago, but I wouldn’t make a specific hop out of the village to get there. Nice views and the food was good. There again we’ve had two good meals at Belvedere, seemingly avoiding the dramatic fall from grace that had them mostly empty on our second trip (but the food had clearly recovered but the custom hadn’t).

All of the above will come in comfortably under budget, potentially even under budget when wine added. Walking up should be fine at each of these, though if it’s possible to detour via there to book earlier in the day it might give peace of mind.

We didn’t eat in Castiglione Falletto, so no suggestions from me, but I’m sure others will chime in.

Likewise I can’t help with Milano, except I recall the advice a few years ago was to reserve a table as there was often quite high demand in the better places.

regards
Ian

Hey Ian,

Staying at Aborina Relais… address:
Frazione Annunziata, 27 La Morra CN

I’m guessing the La Morra suggestions would apply here for dinner?

Thanks!
If anyone have Milan suggestions, please fire away!

In La Morra, Osteria Veglio mentioned above is still good. Was just there a couple of months ago. I will go back through our notes to see where else we really enjoyed. I would say that Bovio in La Morra is overhyped. Would not go.

Ooops. got the wrong hotel
An Pais
Via XXV Aprile, 3, Castiglione Falletto 12060

seems not far from La Morra tho?

It would be a proper walk (over an hour) or maybe a 15 minute drive.

So, i’d definitely recommend seeking dinner options for Castiglione Falletto (a blind spot for me, but others will have suggestions). Assuming you’re heading around in the car during the day, the driver will be able to have a few sips, but an evening meal in easy walking distance allows them to have a few glasses with the meal.

p.s. the Cantina Communale in Castiglione Falletto is worth popping into, quite relaxed.

Had a really nice dinner at Osteria Veglio during the truffle festival last fall. Eating in the cellar at Enoclub in Alba was a memorable experience as well.

I’d also make sure to stop by the town cantina in La Morra. So many great small producers stock their wines there and the prices are excellent.

The other commune we enjoyed was Monforte. Beautiful views from the church and a few good restaurants/wine stores.

I’d rent a car so you can quickly hop from town to town.

Agree Monforte is a very enjoyable village, with a remarkably interesting weekly farmers market considering it only had about 3 stalls! Le Case della Saracca was brilliant for aperitivi - lovely setting, big spread of food, plus a fine range of wines on the enomatic machines. Also very much enjoyed Osteria La Salita.

I haven’t eaten there in a dozen years, but Ristorante Le Torri in Castiglione was quite good. Perhaps not worth a detour, but good, traditional fare in a cozy space. It’s in the Hotel Le Torri, right next to Vietti and a few short steps to the village tasting room.

The best meal by far of a 10-day visit in September was at the Osteria del Vignaiolo in Santa Maria, a little hamlet near the base of La Morra, very near the Oddero winery. Simple place with excellent, slightly imaginative renditions of traditional dishes. (Fabri Alessandria, winemaker at Burlotto, recommended it.) No pretensions whatsoever – just fabulous food. It’s a 10 minute drive from the heart of Castiglione.

Torri is 3 min walk from my hotel. Perfect. Requested a reso.

Will try some of the other spots for lunch.
Thanks everyone!

diner in Milan
Cecco: Google Maps
El Barpendana: Google Maps
Retana: Google Maps
Pizza: Google Maps

lunch in Milan
Street Food: Google Maps

p.s. In Milano, do have a browse round Peck.

The range of food is certainly wide and of good quality. You’ll pay for it, but sometimes that’s no hardship.

The wine shop I generally deride, for being a collection of the very best of the best, a who’s who of wine. Why the derision? It’s because that’s dull. Pretty much any of us could ‘curate’ a similar collection of the most prestigious wines of the leading appellations. If you want such a wine, they’ll have it. It lacks any imagination, any passion, and any little seen gems. It lacks the owner saying “I love Oltrepo Pavese wine and I’ve got a load of different wines from producers I’ve discovered”. We may not share that taste, but can respect the passion.

Milan
Sorbillo for Neopolitan pizza. http://www.sorbillo.it/en/

Dinner
Trattoria Trippa. http://www.trippamilano.it/
Osteria del Binari. http://osteriadelbinari.com/

No mention of Vinoteca Centro Storico in Serralunga? This is the place I would recommend most strongly if you are looking for informal. Great food, great wines, great people. Right behind the castle.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Vinoteca-Centro-Storico/256830721100474

I’ve had some excellent meals at Osteria Veglio but haven’t eaten there since it changed hands. I love Bovio. A proper and truly great restaurant. Centro Storico in Serralunga is really good.

Any casual places in Milan where you can drink great wines? Aged Barolo, Rinaldi etc.

Can’t comment any any other restaurants in La Morra as we always go to Bovio and love it. Just take a clothes brush to brush of the truffle flakes that fly when you order the truffle degustation.

Great food, great host and some fantastic wines buried on the ground floor of the restaurant in boxes all over.

Our favorite lunch on the trip was Locanda in Cannubi.

Had lunch there last week…it was fantastic!!