Italian food reflects Italian culture. Cuisine in Italy, in all of its complexity, creativity, and diversity, is the macrocosm of the stereotypical Italian individual—a character filled with creativity, a person with a passion for beauty and showmanship, someone with great pride, someone who enjoys and knows how to live simply yet beautifully. The Italians take great pride in their locale cuisine. Indeed, each town, and certainly each region, parades even a particular kind of bread, made in a particular kind of way. In Sardinia, for example (and in other coastal regions), bottarga—fish eggs, essentially—is used with pasta dishes and appetizers. Carta da musica is a thin, flat type of bread made in Sardinia and is served before meals.
And the restaurant is a beautiful thing. Sure, you’ve heard so much about Italian food, and I’ve talked with several of the other USAC students who said they have been disappointed with the food here, so you can’t have unrealistic expectations. Some places are good, and some places aren’t.
(Side note: a lot of the USAC students say that because they make their own food 90% of the time and then eat out whenever they travel; financially, it makes sense, but it can make a bad impression on you; don’t worry—Italian food is all it’s cracked up to be when you understand the insane intricacies of food here.)
The things you here most about are wine, coffee, and pizza and pasta. Like I said, the truth is that food is incredibly regional. Fifty years ago you would have hardly seen any pizzerias in Turin or anywhere in the north. Pizza is from Naples. Now that we understand Italian food a little better, let’s get some suggestions.
A restaurant that I’m pretty partial to is La Capricciosa at Via Genova 13. It’s not terribly expensive but it has a high-class environment. The waiters dress in starched clothes, use little hand-sized machines to write down your order, and the décor is very nice. The food, too, is very good. I’ve had pizza, pasta, and gnocchi and have not had a bad experience.
Another good option that is close is Cacio e Pepe at Via Genova 34. It’s cheaper than La Capricciosa, but probably not as good. What I liked about Cacio e Pepe is the staff—young, college-aged, and if you go there often you’ll be able to get to know them and, maybe, you’ll become friends with them.
There are other good options obviously. The internet and travel websites are great to find good restaurants on, and especially restaurants in Turin, because there aren’t many places that have been watered down due to excessive tourism.
Eataly is another good place to go. More expensive. But I worship the place. It’s incredibly fresh, always.
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