«Never before have we dreamed of travelling as much as in this period. And yet, before this long pause, moving non-stop led us to forget what we had within reach».
MenuIf Enrico Crippa's cuisine is a sensory journey, through time and space, the new menus interpret a double wish of the chef: on the one hand, to exalt the bond with the land and its history; on the other hand, to explore new frontiers of taste, in an ever-evolving creative synthesis that, while it always starts with seasonality and caring for the vegetable garden, is full of international influences.
With its eighteenth birthday, a reflection was born spontaneously and it leads back to the vegetable garden and the change that this brought to Piazza Duomo and to Enrico Crippa's kitchen in a simple, natural but, certainly, very courageous way. “Seasonal things” proposes an offer that is more than ever aimed to the use of seasonal products from our greenhouses and our organic and biodynamic gardens.
With its 11 courses, this menu wants to tell, without rhetoric, the work of our growers, our breeders and our kitchen, a commitment expressed in an happy combination of creativity, continuous research, excellent ingredients and, above all, territory.
Is an ode to Piedmont and its great Savoyard, but also peasant, traditions. The menu is not just a tribute to one of the most celebrated wines of the area but the wine itself becomes an ingredient that enhances the various dishes created by the cuisine of Piazza Duomo. Fun fact: the very idea of a menu, a list that anticipates the dishes for the diners, took shape in the nineteenth century in the House of Savoy, from an idea of the chef Giovanni Vialardi, to whom we also owe the wine list. At the time, Barolo was already the star, as were risotto and venison dishes, royal dishes that Crippa now reinterprets alongside monastic or folk recipes, such as Benedictine-tradition snails or tartrà, a savoury pudding. In addition to the famous truffles, there is no shortage of surprises such as the sandwich, invented by the Earl of Sandwich as a quick meal to be consumed at the card table and launched in Turin in 1925 at Caffè Mulassano.
Creativity, continuous research, and excellent raw materials are the essential ingredients, at the base of the eight multicoloured courses of the “Il Viaggio” (journey) menu. This menu is a profound expression of Crippa's culinary philosophy a summary of his personal and professional journey from 2005 till our days, and the multifaceted wealth of experience that combines the mastery and finishes of French cuisine with the Italian spirit of his origins, as well as Japan's passion for choreography.
There could be many points of contact between the art and cuisine of chef Enrico Crippa who, for almost 20 years, has been making ingredients from his rich vegetable garden and selected raw materials into small masterpieces for the palate and the eye. Each dish is the result of careful research and inspired by the works of the artists the chef met during his years in Alba or the masterpieces that moved him. It will be a journey through the bright colours of Vincent Van Gogh, the earthy tones of Anselm Kiefer, the pastel shades of Francesco Clemente, and the geometries of Piet Mondrian. The aesthetics of the dish will always go according to the availability of the ingredient and the seasonality of the products it is composed of, a true fixed point in Chef Crippa's creative choice. The Art Bites menu consists of 4 courses and will be available only for lunch on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from the end of January to September.
The autumn of Alba smells of white truffles. Chef Crippa has studied his personal proposal for the most famous ingredient of the Langhe. 8 courses designed to accompany the truffle and enhance its exuberant flavour. Customers will be invited to choose the dishes where they can combine this special ingredient or add it as a common thread from the appetizer to the dessert.
