Locanda nel Borgo Antico

A precious, fashionable restaurant located in the middle of a vineyard with a charming, rural landscape. In front of the rings we find Massimo Camia, an intelligent chef who measures his proposals and executions to the millimeter, a pragmatic man who knows what he must do and how to do it. As a consequence, he offers a fundamentally Piemontese cuisine, rejuvenated by his own approach. It is infused with refinement, technique, modernity and a certain complexity, all while preserving the essence of the traditional cuisine. Distinguished, modernized traditional flavors. The dishes are well staged, with beautiful constructions created within a sober, effective style. Many words could be used to describe and define his work, but it suffices to say that he has a privileged palate which transmits pure flavors combined in astounding balance with all the elements remarkably weighed out.

Five dishes can be considered truly stellar. First, an anthological mountain potato cream (so delicate and so light!) with calamari, briefly and precisely cooked, spicy pepper oil and specks of basil. We repeat: sublime. The large onion with its skin is daring and beautiful, cut one centimeter in from the end as if it were a natural soup bowl, containing an exquisite soup of the same onion, truffled, with morsels of quail served over a bed of salt with rustic herbs and crispy pulverized poppy seeds… an ode to floral delicacy. The jewel of the crown: buttery plin filled with fresh goat cheese, seasoned with subtle chopped olives and served over a base of tomato water – the fresh pasta bursting with creaminess and substance. Another vibrant moment came with the impeccable carnaroli risotto infused with a ragu sauce of beef with marrow and red peppers: marvelously flavorful with a moving textural contrast of the al dente rice and the gelatinous marrow. The morsels of suckling pig wrapped in pancetta with a lightly fried accompaniment of semolina and sesame seeds, apple puree with curry and shallots caramelized with red wine is another more than praiseworthy creation.

Not quite so spectacular but on the right track and clearly more gourmand, the cod mantecato with Pigna white bean puree, the tajarin egg pasta with Bra sausage and fresh peas and the beef fassone in herb and bread crust with semolino dolce fritto (a variant of fried milk).

The assortment of cheese is also rather tempting and the wine cellar responds to the quality of the landscape: an endless world of vines.