Renovating a villa, hunting for white truffles, eating and wine tasting in Piedmont, Italy

Clay McLachlan 11/5/15 Clay McLachlan 11/5/15

Restaurant Review - Ristorante Bovio

Restaurant Review - Ristorante Bovio, La Morra, Piedmont, Italy. I review this restaurant run by the historic Bovio family and remember my first white truffle meal a decade ago served by Mr. Bovio himself at their former location, Ristorante Belvedere, also in La Morra.

Memories come streaming back to me as I sit down for dinner with Franco Frutta at R istorante Bovio located just outside the village of La Morra, one of the five primary Barolo wine producing villages. I remember my first experience with white truffles while visiting and photographing the famed Ristoranta Belvedere, then owned by the Bovio family, in the center of La Morra. It was a crisp autumn day in 2005 with crystal clear views of the Italian Alps on one side and the mesmerizing undulating landscape stretched out below me covered in nebbiolo vineyards whose grapes transform into the ethereal and age worthy Barolo wines. This has become my home. I have claimed this land as my own. Mr. Bovio, way back in 2005 while speaking to me, was filled with such extreme pride and passion for his region it was as intoxicating as the aroma of the giant white truffle he proudly displayed for my photographs that cold day.

Fast forward to this evening. His daughter Alessandra is now running Ristorante Bovio while her father Mr. Bovio lives above, wheelchair bound, but still greets customers with enthusiasm in the restaurant when he can. Franco Frutta and I are led to our table. The restaurant is divided into smaller dining rooms and the maximum capacity is approximately 70 seats in total. There are ten services per week which include lunch and dinner Friday - Tuesday. This is a hard reservation to get without making a reservation weeks, or even months, in advance depending on the season. The chairs are comfortable, the staff extremely efficient and polite, and the ambiance hushed with anticipation but pleasantly relaxed and convivial. There are six people working in the kitchen and four people working not the floor. Service is impeccable.

There are bread rolls and grissini on the table with a bowl of butter, the bread is somewhat dry but the grissini purchased from a pannetteria in Alba are delicious. Menus are presented along with the monstrous wine list which I study for a good ten minutes searching for potentially overlooked bottles. Wine prices are fair but by no means a bargain. We decide on our antipasti and primi and agree on a bottle of wine to begin our meal.

The wine, 2005 Valferana from the Azienda Vitivinicola Nervi located in the village of Gattinara, Piedmont, is presented table side and is simply outstanding. The wine is made with 100% Nebbiolo and aged for a minimum of five years in large oak casks. Franco Frutta smiles with enthusiasm, he is absolutely delighted to discover this wine. With the wine we are presented with a breaded and fried zucchini flour stuffed with salsiccia (fresh sausage) which my older daughter Isabelle adores. This version is very good except for the fact that they leave the stem attached which, Franco Frutta, confirms, is almost never eaten.

Our antipasti arrive and they present two stark contrasts in style. First the 'Trance di baccala su crema di topinambour e salsa di acciughe' (Slice of salted cod with cream of Jerusalem artichokes and anchovy sauce) is absolutely beautiful to look at, sits on a hot plate, and the fish is cooked to absolute perfection. The only drawback, for me, on this plate is the sprig of fresh thyme. Truth be told, I am not a fan of food served on a plate that, while edible, is merely placed for decoration. A small sprinkling of fresh thyme leaves would have been perfect. The second antipasti is the 'Millefoglie di peperoni di Cuneo con tonne e capperi di Pantelleria' (Roasted peppers with tuna, capers, anchovy, and green salad) also comes on a hot plate, has many diverse colors, but the salad leaves that surround the roasted peppers quickly wilt. The dish, although not as beautiful, is equally delicious with peppers from carmagnola that add a really enjoyable hit of heat while the salad leaves are an unnecessary extra. I savor the wine between courses.

For our primi piatti we order, without hesitation because I've never seen this on a menu although I've photographed a book on the subject (link at the bottom of this blog), 'fettuccine di farro monococco con calamaretti, gamberi rossi e triglie' (Fettuccine made with einkorn flour and served with squid, red shrimp, and red mullet). Our second primi is 'Lasagnetta di verdure autumnal gratinata su fonduta di parmigiano e basilico' (A single portion of lasagna gratin made with seasonal vegetables, parmesan fondue, and basil). All plates are steaming hot as is the food. The Einkorn Fettucine looks dry but is in fact is toothsome and bursts with brilliant seafood flavors and is served in a generous, but not overly abundant portion. The single portion lasagna also is a good size and the pasta is very thin and not dry which for me is a success. The drawback on this dish is the bay leaf on top for decoration that simply gets discarded.

Our secondi piatti arrive, almost too quickly, but expertly prepared. I have the 'Capretto di Alta Langa arrostito al forno con verdure' (Roast baby goat from the Alta Langa with vegetables) and Franco Frutta has the 'Trancio di peseta, verdure croccanti e mayonnaise di olive taggiasche e capperi' (Slice of fish, crisp vegetables and mayonnaise with taggiasche olives and cappers). The baby goat is glistening and the meat is delicate, savory, and sticky with goodness. The slice of fish is less interesting as is the sprig of rosemary topping the dish. How can we pass up dessert? I ask the waiter for ten minutes to savor the wine before we delve into the sweet course.

I can't leave without trying 'La Panna cotta con fruity di bosco' (Panna cotta with berries) and Franco Frutta orders the 'Sformato al cioccolato Gobino blend 75% con gelato al pistacchio' (Warm chocolate cake with a Gobino blend of %70 percent chocolate and served with pistachio ice cream). For the most part, until dessert, the plates have straddled between simple modern and slightly old school. The desserts are both topped with a generous sprinkling of powdered sugar which, unfortunately takes away from the very well prepared panna cotta and warm chocolate cake. Additionally, there are unripe strawberries served along side for decoration. The desserts are so delicious that they would happily stand on their own.

It was a delight to eat at Ristorante Bovio. Although there were some extras that could be considered missteps on the plates, the food is served warm, very well executed, and reasonably priced, the service seamless and outstanding, and the wine list has great selections from smaller budgets to top dollar wines covering numerous vintages. I look forward to returning.