Il Verso del Ghiottone
(The Wolverine’s Howl)
The culinary heart of Dogliani
Words and Photos by Jürgen Schmücking*
What a lovely osteria! We discovered as we walked down a small side-alley of Dogliani’s old town, not far from the castle. A dark alley with an inconspicuous entrance and soft lighting on the sign. Once inside, the contrast was apparent; the interior is bright and modern and from the walls, Jimi Hendrix and Iggy Pop smile at us. The list of wines is short, but well selected and once past the great Piedmontese classics, we found exceptional wines by Pojer & Sander, Wachau, and – yay! – Silvio Jermann (just in case you needed a break from the white Roero Arneis).
The tasting menu comprises 4 courses – actually 5 or, well, 6 – which ultimately amounts to 7 counting the kitchen’s greeting, and every new dish seems to surpass the previous one. The dinner begins with a fresh cream of peas and diced, fried cheese; a good start. But then comes the meat: Carne cruda di Fassona. The gold standard of raw meat from one of Piedmont’s beef varieties. Olive oil and grated porcini mushrooms (or parmigiano cheese). That’s it. That’s how beef tartare is really done, nothing fancy-schmancy going on here with paprika, capers, cognac or egg-yolk.
Up next are “Tajarín tagliati a mano al ragú di carne e funghi porcini.” You don’t even really need to learn Italian, you just need to learn this sentence then sit back and wait while your mouth waters. Basically, they’re just some simple noodles with mushroom sauce but they taste so unbelievably good that the meal will cling to your limbic system like a voracious kraken and leave behind a mark as an unforgettable memory of this culinary experience. Just unbelievable.
Next up, the menu offers “rabbit”. At this point, to be frank, I am so overwhelmed and full that I’m about to give up. But the sense of duty is too strong – luckily, because what arrives next on the table is simply astounding. Shoulders and flanks, stuffed with olives and marvelously buttered purée.
The dessert? I don’t even remember anymore, honestly. Probably quite spectacular. The thing was, as you might have guessed, the bottle of Jermann’s was almost empty at this point.
Alright, we got this. Get up. Get the check. Get a table for next time. Tomorrow. The day after tomorrow, tops.
*Jürgen Schmücking is a photographer and reporter who travels the world in search of fine cuisine and good taste. Always with a notepad in hand and a camera ready to shoot, he collects pictures and stories of extraordinary places and tastes, of winemakers and brandy burners from Dogliani to Ybbs, Arusha to Traverse City.
