Day trip!  Ken and I had never been to Bra before.  It is notable for being the headquarters for Slow Food, but it’s just an office.  I actually saw their sign down a side street.  Market day in Bra was pretty typical–I had expected more and special food, but it was the same old same old. Here’s what’s looking good.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parking was a challenge and our walk into the market area was not through a nice part of town.  L&A hung around the market area while K and I walked to the Vodafone store to add money to our phones–again.  And we were in a really pretty, pedestrian street.  Passed by this little church.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We all got some coffee in a cool bar and walked back to the car.  Next stop, Alba.

We were hungry as soon as we got there, so we stopped for same fast food Italian style at Gina la Piadina.

I got the day’s special–ham, lettuce and truffle spread for €4.90.  Piadina is like a thin tortilla and it is heated and folded with the ingredients an then wrapped in paper.  We all enjoyed ours.

We strolled around Alba, which was all dressed up for the truffle Faire.

 

 

 We decided not to come to it because of all the reports we’ve heard of it being wall to wall people and not really much to see.  There were plenty of white truffles on the streets for us to see on Friday.

Lyn and I got some gelato–I got ginger and it was so good!

Somehow we got a bit lost and had to use the phone to get back to where we had left Anthony.  It was only a 10 minute walk but Lyn called it the “forced march of Alba”  and we were laughing about it.

Back to La Morra–the views, oh the wonderful views!

Nap and boom it was time to go to dinner.

These reservations were made in August.  I had read a review of the Michelin starred,  Il Centro in Priocca and sent it to Lyn, who said “Let’s do it”.  This is elevated Piemontese cuisine in a homey atmosphere with absolutely perfect service.  We loved our meal.  The amuse was served on a rectangle of slate.  It was a shot glass with a bit of octopus and warm squid ink with pureed potatoes–along side 2 slices of house salami.  Our appetizer was thin sliced pork with a honey glaze and some sweet and sour vegetables.  Amazing flavors!  My pasta was the agnolotti al plin, just plain with butter.  Every bite was so full of flavor and the pasta was absolute perfection.  Ken had a ravioli with a Madera sauce that was also incredible.  I ordered roasted rabbit with peppers and it did not thrill me, but A&L’s veal cheek was top notch.  We got 2 desserts one perfect panna cotta with beautiful fruit and the house special hazelnut trio.  I will never forget Anthony’s face when he put it into his mouth.  That piece was like a solid foam.  It just disappears in your mouth leaving just a slightly sweet hazelnut flavor.  They also served a full array of complimentary little cookies.  Had to taste them all.  We drank–first a local dry Spumante followed by a soft and lush 2012 Nebbiolo of Matteo Correggia from the Roero. It really worked with the food  And I had a chinato at the end.  We didn’t leave there until about 11:00.

Ken did am amazing day of driving us around!  Bravo, Ken and thanks from the rest of us.