la Valle | Turin

When in Turin, eating like a local is a must. Luckily we had a local with us, my friend Paola (who I told you about here) who took us to one of her favorite spots: La Valle. Of course it never hurts to know the chef, and of course if you know the chef he's got to prepare a 10 course tasting menu paired with some Piedmontese wines.Here are just a few dishes we tasted, they were all divine. Keep in mind that the region of Piedmont is known for 2 very important things: local suppliers being number 1 and number 2 they use very little onion and no garlic in this region. My American friends are always a bit taken back by the subtle flavors on northern Italy.Each dish had the freshest ingredients and even the menu had a list of all the local suppliers. Here are a few highlights from the tasting menu...La Valle was a lovely long and lingering dining experience.

Bacala, with pea jelly and fresh spinach pasta frondVeal with anchovy sauceChicken with fresh eggTomato vegetable bread saladAgnolotti with ricotta and mint cream sauceGelato with fresh fruit and vegetables, "minestrone dessert"Cream Anglais with chocolate crispChocolate souffle with chocolate chip cracker Note* The first dish picture was a riff on a poor man's meal: handmade angoletti with meat, served in a simple napkin. In Italy the poor were given this pasta in a handkerchief, it was a charming presentation and deliciously simple and satisfying.