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quiet street in the residential neighborhood between the station and Parco del
Valentino, and you'll find a sun-filled corridor brimming with houseplants and
opening onto a wide terrace. The 18 rooms are airy and comfortable but unin-
spired, with functional modern furnishings. Most, though, afford pleasant views
over the surrounding rooftops—the best stretching across the river toward the
hills. What most rooms don't have is a private bathroom, though the several com-
munal facilities are well placed, only steps away from most rooms. The seven dou-
bles with bathroom go for 65 to 70; those without go for 55 to 60. Breakfast
is not included, but rolls and coffee at the bar area go for a reasonable
3 to
5.
€€€ Costing a bit more than its neighbors ( 120 for a double)—but with
oodles more class—is the fading glory of the Conte Biancamano (Corso Vittorio
Emanuele II, 73, at Corso Umberto 5 blocks west of the station; % 011-5623281;
www.hotelcontebiancamano.it). Admittedly, most of that class is limited to the
grand public rooms—all frescoed ceilings and fancy stuccowork. The guest rooms
are rather plain, suffering from a kind of mod furniture that must have looked oh-
so-stylish in 1984. Rooms on the back courtyard are considerably quieter than
those on the front, which overlook one of the busiest roads in Turin.
DINING FOR ALL TASTES
The Piemonte region stretches from the Po plains through the Langhe and Roero
wine hills, to the mountain villages of the Alps. This vast geographic diversity—
not to mention a heavy influence from neighboring France—informs the local
cuisines you'll find in city restaurants. Piemontese cooking is big on meats stewed
in red wine, the most favored being brasato al barolo (beef or veal braised in
Barolo). The best dish with which to kick off a meal is usually only available in
winter: bagna cauda, literally translated as “hot bath,” a plate of raw vegetables
that are dipped into a steaming sauce of olive oil, garlic, and anchovies.
Two local pastas dishes you will encounter are agnolotti (a thick pasta tube often
stuffed with an infusion of cheese and meat) and tajarin (a flat egg noodle that may
be topped with porcini mushrooms, sauce made with walnuts, or the local delicacy
that is perhaps the region's greatest contribution to Italian cuisine: the white truf-
fles of Alba). Italian Alpine cuisine leans toward polenta (a cornmeal mush varying
from soupy and sticky to almost cakelike), and stews thick with beef and red wine
(the best of which is a typical dish from neighboring Valle d'Aosta: carbonada ).
For picnic pickings—or merely a look at the bounty of the surrounding
farmlands—wander through the extensive outdoor food market at Porta Palazzo,
Monday through Saturday from 6:30am to 1:30pm (also Sat 3:30-7:30pm). If all
you want is a quick sandwich, head to Gradisca Piadine e Cassoni (Via Principe
Amadeo, 41A; % 011-8159331; Mon-Fri, Sat until 3pm), where Carmela or
Alessandro will knead and cook a flatbread while you wait, and then stuff it with
your choice of fillings for
2.50 to
5.
€€ One of the few kitchens in Turin that remains open until 10pm, Dai
Saletta
(Via Belfiore, 37, just south of Via Oddino Morgari; % 011-6687867;
Mon-Sat) turns out a nice selection of homey trattoria fare in a cramped dining room
several long blocks south of the train station. Homemade pasta dishes are delicious
5
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