CioccolaTÒ - Turin's annual chocolate festival
by BlueLlama
Turin is famous for and proud of its chocolate, particularly the various sweets made with gianduja, or hazelnut paste. And there is no better time to sample it than at CioccolaTÒ, the yearly showcase of chocolate producers. CioccolaTÒ takes place in the last weekend or two of February to the first weekend of March in the city itself, with events happening in towns in the province in the weeks after.
Most of the exhibitors are from the city or province of Turin and many more are from neighbouring provinces in Piemonte like Cuneo, making this a great opportunity to compare and contrast different chocolates from the region. Even though I've been to Turin many times and lived in Piemonte, it was a surprise to see how many artisinal chocolate makers the area has. A smaller number of chocolatiers come from elsewhere in Italy and abroad.
The show is based around stalls selling anything and everything you could imagine related to Chocolate and its relationship to Turin: bars of all flavours and cocoa percentages (including lemon and cannabis, though not together), liqueur, chocolate salami, chocolate beer, hot chocolate and more. There are products and displays aimed at children, but actually this is just as much for adults as kids with an Italian approach to quality and tasting and lots of sophisticated grown-up treats. Including tasting sessions with spirits and wine.
2008's exhibition tied in with Turin's status as Design Capital and featured a stand with chocolate designs inspired by the city. There are also talks and 'laboratories', though unfortunately these all seemed to be on in the evening or early morning so we missed them as we were there only for the day.
Gee...that is hard to answer....
by damnu
Gee...that is hard to answer. My mom came to visit me in Turin several years ago and I massacred her with a grand tour. There is too much to see. I would say to go to the Egyptian museum of Turin which I believe is the second most important one after Cairo. I think my biggest dissappointment regarding Turin is that outside of Europe people just do not know about it. It really is a shame because there is endless sightseeing to do. It is known as the Detroit of Europe but it is much more than an industrial city. There is more to Turin than the FIAT car factory. Remember that FIAT stands for Fix It Again Tony : )This is not to criticize the quality of the car but rather to make you laugh. We Americans are no better. We have FORD which stands for Fix Or Repair Daily. Please read on...I have plenty to tell you. Needless to say my fondest memory is the birth of my beautiful boy Alessandro who was born in Turin. When I am away from Turin I miss my good friends that I made while living there. I lived there 9 long years. Although in Turin they say the people are cold, once they warm up to you they are great fun friends. I also miss the general culture of Turin. There is always so much to see and do although the people from there like to go away for the weekend. The mountains which surround Turin make for great skiing and hiking and the seaside is only an hour or so away. I actually enjoyed the weekends in Turin when there is less traffic and the city is more peaceful. I also miss the rich cuisine of Turin and of Italy in general. It has taught me to appreciate cooking and eating. I really miss being able to eat insalata di polipo (octopus salad). It sounds worse than it is. I think if it is well made it is one of the most exquisite dishes you can eat. Unfortunately, I have never seen octopus in Minnesota so I'll have to wait until my next trip to Italy. Italian gelato is the best. You have got to try it.
Galleria Subalpina
by draguza
One thing of Torino that I really like are the old and pitoresque "Royal Cafeterias "which are built in the Paris style. Those Cafès are usually inside beautiful Gallerias.
This one is called Galleria Subalpina, It's anelegant arcade with iron and glass roof (1873), with decorations typical in Art Nouveau style from the beginning of the last century.
Here there is Baratti e Milano, a confectioner's shop founded in 1875 and now an historic cafè and restaurant.
Wine and Dine
by Jetgirly about Chocowine
I have to make a tip about Chocowine, the only bar or restaurant in the world that has ever let me into the kitchen to prepare food that is actually served to the customers! One of the greatest moments in my life was preparing a pizza that was then served to real, live (paying) Italians!
Chocowine is a small winebar located at Via Botero, 8 (just off Via Garibaldi). The action picks up nightly around 10.30 pm, when young hipsters from Torino and the posh La Collina area descend upon Chocowine for the great selection of wines at fantastic prices. Dinner service is also available, but you should phone a few days in advance so they can prepare a menu suited to the size of your group and your taste preferences. Recently we had a dinner with two types of risotto (Milanese and with Barolo wine), followed by wild boar stew, and then a hazlenut cake. Fantastic! As the night goes on, the crowd spills onto the narrow street outside and the volume inside increases. Visit three or four times and they'll start to treat you like family!
To keep prices low, Chocowine requires that customers join the "Social Circle" for three euros (membership is valid forever). You will earn back your EUR 3 in one night- the prices are that good. The restaurant is owned by two Italians, one of whom is dating an English girl, so there will definitely be someone available to take your order in English!
Parigi with Lucy Ball
by Renescheffer about Parigi
Restaurante Parigi
From the Station go to the piazza Carlo Felice. Take the right side.
On the Piazza go to the right. Within a distance of 100 meter you will see Parigi.
I was there 3 or 4 times. Because the good food ? No. Just for curiosity. They had a lunch menu for only 12.000 itl. or now 6 euro; 3 courses and a glass of wine. Elderly people who are not in a good mood have the lead. One of them is a Lucy Ball type of about 65 yrs. There are not many customers. The food is not bad. The last time there where more people having a lunch. The thrill is sitting there and watching people on the street...they have a look on the menu, will they go in ? But still ist a strange experience. Its a restaurant that must have the top years in the late seventies, but it still exists....for how long ?
Update october 2004: It still excists !
But i could see that someting has changed. New owners ? New menu on the wall. Not as cheap anymore...... 3 coursemenu/very cheap only at lunchtime
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the ticketing machine
Piazza San Carlo
the brilliant ceiling
