Once upon a time in Turin, there were these little family-run trattorias and tavernas known locally as piolas, places renowned for their rustic charm and relaxed service. They were two a penny. Places you’d go for typical Piedmontese fayre where you’d drink wine by the quart. But then they began to fall out of fashion and eventually disappeared from the city’s restaurant scene altogether. That was until the idea was revived back in October 1998. Curious neighbours who’d spent years reminiscing about their return witnessed a miracle happening before their very eyes – and it wasn’t the Shroud of Turin. Step forward Trattoria l’Oca Fòla, a place that would revive those bygone traditions where diners could once again savour the flavours of the Langhe or Monferrato without having to navigate hills to do so.
Cit Turin, the only district in the noble capital which still bears a Piedmontese name – meaning “Little Turin” – is where you’ll find Trattoria l’Oca Fòla – an intimate and welcoming eatery named after the squawking geese found in the outer-lying hillside barnyards of the region (fòle means “crazy” in Piedmontese dialect, a sort of a mix between French, Italian and Provencal), which is personified in the restaurant’s cheery chef’s-hat-wearing caricatured goose logo that hangs above the door. Passionate and committed owners Paola Barberis (who heads up the kitchen) and Massimo Miglietta (who doubles as front of house and sommelier) work tirelessly to ensure that every visit is as pleasant and unforgettable as the last. And what’s more, there are no tourists in sight, only a loyal following of hungry Torinese locals. What joy.
The restaurant, with its exposed brick ceilings, folk art-bedecked walls and shelves positively heaving under the weight of the region’s finest bottled offerings, keeps Piedmontese country cooking alive just as its predecessors once had, with pristine egg yolk-yellow and white cloth-covered tables fringed by dark wooden furnishings. While goose and duck dishes loom large on the menu, including stewed goose cooked in white Cortese di Gavi wine, they do a mighty fine Agnolotti del plin, which a tailor friend of mine urged me to try: a type of ravioli-resembling stuffed pasta typical of the region made with small pieces of flattened dough folded over a filling of roasted lamb or vegetables. This is washed down with a carafe of the house wine, an ever so slightly sptritzig Barbera d’Alba – the exact same tone of burgundy as the triangular Torino FC pennant hanging on the wall (which was a welcome change from the ubiquitous Juventus ones seen elsewhere). If I was bedding in for the night, of course I would have selected a bottle of not only the region’s finest, but one of the world’s best reds: Barolo. It’s made from the nebbiolo grape, revered as the “King of Wines”, a full-bodied red, bearing strong tannins, with hints of cherry, leather and spice that lingers long in the mouth and even longer in the memory. But this was lunchtime and I had work to do, which necessitated something lighter, and Barbera fitted the bill.
But it doesn’t end there. Pork belly rice, or paniscia novarese, a local take on risotto, are equally worthy alternatives. And you’d be a fool not to leave room for tiramisù topped with crunchy hazelnuts, or bonet, a soft, rich dessert traditionally served during the colder months – or even a panna cotta. Equally, if you’re of the tasting menu persuasion, they offer that too: consisting of two first courses, a main and a dessert for €33 or €40 including wine.
Via Bernardino Drovetti, 6, 10138 Torino, Italy. +39 011 433 7422; ocafola.it
Lee Osborne is a frequent traveller to Italy and is creative director of Secret Trips
