Monforte d'Alba

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NiceGinna
NiceGinna
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5 out of 5
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A Meal to Linger Over

  • October 28, 2009
  • Rated 5 of 5 by NiceGinna from Evanston, Illinois
A Meal to Linger Over

We found this restaurant after being turned away by several others (by phone) which were fully booked. We booked with Nino who told us we would be welcome at 12:30. We kept our fingers crossed that it would be a good restaurant - why were they not fully booked too?

Well, no worry. The dinner was exceptional. We arrived on time but were told that they didn't really serve until 1:00 PM so we went to the piazza to have an aperitif of aperol (a nice Italian aperitif, an orange liqueur served this time with prosecco and a slice of orange, a beautiful drink). We knew right away that this timing would not work out with our truffle hunting 'date' but we felt the meal was equally important.

We returned to the restaurant at 1 PM and were shown to our table by Nino, the owner. The table was decorated with Concord grapes and red chilies in a vase; the linens, silver, and glasses gleamed; and we were near a window with a view of the countryside.

Nino sugggested an aperitif of white wine; with that we were served cured meat on toast while we perused the menu. Each menu starts off with three (!) appetizers, so we went ahead and ordered the appetizers while we continued to decide what we would have for our main course and whether we needed both a first course (pasta or risotto) and a second course (the meats).

With the appetizers we had another glass of the white wine. The first appetizer arrived: lovely marinated hake (white fish) on a ceci (garbanzo bean) pancake and topped with a tomato relish. This was followed by a slice of chicken on a bed of pureed fagioli (beans), topped with onion compote and surrounded by greens. The third was vegetables - Brussel sprouts, radicchio, broccoli, and more - laced with a heavenly zabaglione and topped with crisply fried 'potato chips'. It would be impossible to decide which was the most wonderful. Each so different, each delicious.

Finally we had decided what we would order for the main course. We certainly didn't need a first and second! Two of us had the "Stinko di Vitello" (veal shanks) cooked in Barolo wine and served on pureed potatoes. David had the wild boar and Anne had a vegetarian plate with cheese. All were exceptional. With them we had an excellent Barbera d'Alba by the Giuseppe Mascarello e Figlio Winery. We immediately knew that we would have to search out this winery!

For dessert we ordered only two for the four of us. We had the Dolci Misti (mixed desserts) which included panna cotta, a chocolate cake, ice cream on another cake with chocolate sauce, and a hazelnut ice cream that was out-of-this-world! With the dessert we, of course, had to have a glass of Moscato d'Asti. With the coffees came even more sweets - amaretti, chocolates with hazelnuts, white chocolates with orange peel.

We tore ourselves away after 4 PM, very happy with life. Does it get better than this? Is Very Highly Recommended your very highest rating?

From journal Weekend in the Piemonte

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