Angolo del Buongustaio di Messaglia & C.

Opened by Maria Margherita Messaglia and her husband Paolo Garigliet in 1976, the Angolo del Buongustaio is a local institution. On its spacious premises not far from the town centre, it specialises in Piedmontese gastronomy. The quality of its dishes is ensured by its use of the finest ingredients, many of which Slow Food Presidia. They include insalata russa (Russian salad), calf’s tongue in green sauce, anchovies with garlic and parsley, baked gnocchi alla parigina with nettles, tufeja (bean soup with pork rind), and finanziera (sautéed sweetbreads, cock’s crests and hearts, meatballs and more besides). The fresh pasta is all homemade: hence agnolotti made according to the old Piedmontese recipe, hand-pinched ravioli dal plin, crêpes filled with wild spinach, lasagne with radicchio and speck, and salmon moulds. There is also an impressive variety of homemade confectionery, from cornmeal biscuits to mostaccioli (pastries made with wine and spices), from bonet (chocolate and amaretti set custard) to hazelnut tart. The shop stocks a fine selection of wines and sells artisan charcuterie and cheese (such as mountain pasture Castelmagno and game salami), extra virgin olive oil and artisan pasta.

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