Posted by Gina DePalma, May 6, 2008 at 10:45 AM
"Come hungry, and bring money. Lots and lots of money."
My visit to Torino last month would not have been complete without a stop at Eataly, the grand and glorious emporium dedicated to the finest foods and gastronomic traditions of Italy. A short taxi ride from the center of the city brought me to the more working-class area of town where Eataly sits, framed by views of the Alps and across the street from the original Fiat factory complex.
Let me start by saying that I am not crazy about the name. When I first read the news of Eataly Torino’s grand opening in 2006, my first reaction was that it sounded like a cool place with a lame name. I still can’t say I’m entirely comfy with it, but once I got inside, they could have called it Foodaly and I wouldn’t have cared.
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Posted by Gina DePalma, April 29, 2008 at 8:30 AM
It is nearly impossible to visit Torino without having a deep, personal encounter with chocolate in some way, shape, or form. Solid chocolate was born in the city toward the end of the 18th century, and today its aroma wafts through the air inside pastry shops and beckons from elaborately decorated window displays. There are oodles of places to worship chocolate in Torino, but during a recent whirlwind trip I was most excited about visiting the bottega of Guido Gobino. The elegant, wood-paneled shop on Via Lagrange presents a traditional setting for handmade chocolates with a decidedly modern edge.
Enter the shop and your eyes are immediately drawn to the display of tiny, molded chocolates filled with different flavors of ganache and decorated with touches of color; a dusting of spice or a sprinkling of pulverized nuts give clues to the flavors enclosed. Peperoncino, mint, hazelnut, and orange were each delectable, and my friend Jay and I nearly swooned when we tasted the ganache flavored with Barolo Chinato.
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