Updated 2018.
I mentioned our fantastico culinary tour of Piedmont and have been meaning to return to write further installments of all that we saw and ATE. I was so impressed with the new restaurant the Ceretto wine family has opened in Alba that I rushed it into the February issue of Dream of Italy. Here’s an excerpt:
Owned by the Ceretto wine family, Piazza Duomo, which opened last May, is led by Milanese chef Enrico Crippa. Crippa has worked with Gualtiero Marchesi in Milan and at La Palme d’Or in Cannes and Ledoyen in Paris. He also trained in Japan, which explains the abundance of seafood andAsian influences in his cooking. Critics havecompared Crippa with the famed Ferran Adria of Spain’s El Bulli. Adria may be best knownfor the use of foam in his creations.
On a recent visit, we didn’t experience outrageous dishes in the tradition of Adria, but better yet, a wonderful mix of traditional Piedmontese fare with modern and international twists. The appetizers included: steamed focaccia with lard and rabbit; rice macaroni seasoned with sesame and salt; wontons filled with ricotta and lime; rabbit liver mousse.
The courses following included: artichoke puree with thinly sliced potato; fresh cod salad with a green sauce; egg pasta pockets filled with potato and leeks in broth; veal shoulder cooked in Barolo with polenta.The meal ended with a chestnut cream creation as well as a refreshing gelatin of Moscato wine with oranges.
PIAZZA DUOMO
Piazza Risorgimento, 4
Alba
(39) 0173 366167
www.piazzaduomoalba.it
Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Sunday.
Reservations recommended.