THE OSTERIA.
Texts and Photos Emma Varila*
Tucked away in the quaint and tranquil village of Roddino is a wildly popular restaurant: Osteria da Gemma. Securing a reservation can be a challenge, as this simple, yet charming osteria is always buzzing with guests, whether for lunch or dinner.
So, what makes Gemma so beloved?
“I want to offer Piedmontese home cooking – simple and good, made with local ingredients,” explains founder Gemma Boeri, who has been running the kitchen for nearly 40 years. “I think of my guests as friends.”
The menu is fixed, with a sign on the door reading Menù fisso a 34 vino escluso – ten courses for E34, excluding wine. The offerings include Piedmontese classics, such as ravioli, vitello tonnato and rabbit. A bottle of the house red, Dolcetto, is a steal at just E6.
“I keep a close eye on costs, down to every detail,” Gemma says. For example the tablecloths are short, there’s only one type of drinking glass and all the plates are similar – these small choices help me keep high-quality food accessible to everyone. The menu stays the same, except for the secondi (main courses), which change with the seasons.”
Three times a week the osteria prepares one of its most popular dishes: tajarin pasta that is served every day. Lucky diners might even catch a glimpse of the pasta being made behind the glass partition in the dining room. Slow food at its finest.
* Emma Varila
A marketeer by day, a co-author for “Somewhere in Italy” book by night.
IG: @somewhereitalia
Osteria da Gemma Via Guglielmo Marconi 6, Roddino
0039 0173 794252
Closed Monday, Tuesday Wednesday, Thursday open only for lunch
