Il Trifulau - Sinio

We had dinner at this wonderful restaurant with a couple from England. I had to call 3 days in advance in order to have the carpione made but that's fine because they only cook with their own produce so everything is really fresh. The lady, who's also the cook, asks you what you would like to have for dinner and lists you the different courses. So, we had their homemade cold cuts (the salame was lavish! , the tajarin and ravioli with sauce made of tomatoes and other vegetables from their own field, carpione, egg with truffle and their biological wine. The owner, who's also a truffle searcher, takes pride in explaining what they do with truffles, with the wines, he likes to keep people company. Also visited the cellars and it seems to go back in time as they still have the cistern for gathering water which they use to water the fields. I totally advise a visit also because the place is a bit shabby but that's part of the whole experience. Loved it and will go back for sure!

Once again we relied on our wonderful hosts at Cascina sant'Eufemia to make reservations at a local restaurant in the Piemonte region where we could eat some white truffles. They did not steer us wrong when they made reservations at Il Trifulau in Sinio. This restaurant/agriturismo can be a little difficult to find but they do have signs pointing the way. Just know that when you turn onto the gravel road and pull up to house with few lights on and few cars that you have arrived and are in good hands. You will also be greeted by truffle dogs in the driveway. The restaurant is small and cozy with a fireplace in the corner of the room and beautiful antique furniture and checkered tablecloths on the tables. The walls are covered with memorabilia and old photos of truffle hunters and the area from the 30's and 40's. Also know that very little to no English is spoken here so make sure that you take your phrase book or dictionary with you. The agriturismo is run by Benvenuto, his wife and daughter. His wife and daughter do the cooking and Benvenuto serves the food, will regale you with stories about truffles and wine (in Italian) and help you pick your truffle. For a real treat plan your visit to the Piemonte in October or November when the white truffle is in season. Upon arriving we were shown to our table and Benvenuto brought out a basket of white truffles and a scale so that we could choose our truffle. The truffle that we chose for our dinner weighed 30g and cost around 90eu. Dinner is a set menu of seven courses. The first course of raw beef (tartare style) with an obscene amount of our big white truffle shaved over it. Second course was a fritata with black truffles. Third course was wild mushrooms collected on their property with some herbs and olive oil and vinegar. Fourth course was a risotto with white truffle shaved on it. Fifth course was ravioli with the last of the white truffle shaved over it. Sixth course was veal with black truffle. Seventh course was dolce. We also had two bottles of the wine that he makes Dolcetto and Nebbiolo and bought a bottle to take home with us. Benvenuto and his family grow the grapes for the wine, the vegetables for the restaurant, the eggs come from their chickens. I don't think that the food could get any fresher. We also got a tour of his Cantina (cellar) after dinner and got to taste the 2006 and 2007 Dolcettos out of the tanks. This really made the evening more special for us. The hospitality and friendliness that our hosts showed us was above and beyond our expectations. The cantina dates back to the roman time and is all old rock walls. It even has a concreted over cistern. There is a lot of old wine memorabilia in the cantina including a wooden bottle corker from the 1700's. This was the best meal that we had on our entire 16 day trip in Italy. The meal with wine for two was around 200eu and more than worth it and would have cost triple in the US. You can go with a less expensive truffle to bring the cost down more. A truly Italian experience to eat food collected and grown on the land where we ate.

We visited for dark truffle hunting and lunch. I will not repeat everything that other reviewers wrote very properly. However we want to emphasize that the visit for and truffle lecture, truffle hunting, appetizers and lunch was one of the most genuine experiences we’ve ever had in so many years traveling worldwide. Signore Benvenuto and wife are simple, genuine, smart, humble and attached to the land where they were brought up. Imagine a place where you and everything you hear, see and taste is not made to impress you. It’s done to share with you respectfully. Unbeatable!!!

Bring on the truffles! If you're looking for an authentic truffle experience, this is it. The owners were warm, funny and obviously love their food and their guests. The meal kicked off with veal tartare smothered in truffles that melts in your mouth, followed by countless courses of wonderful, home-cooked food (smothered in truffles). You can pick your own truffles and pay by the gram, and have the owner fill your plate until you say stop. Truffles are expensive, but if you want a lot for a good price, this is the way to go (in comparison, you'll pay a fortune at the restaurants in Alba, for only a few shavings of truffle). They don't speak much English (Google translate and mime were useful tools), but they clearly love to chat and the language challenge is part of the fun.

This was a truly memorable dinner with the hosts of Il Trifulau in their welcoming, unpretentious farm restaurant. If you want to have a real taste of local cuisine with the best of white truffles, this is the place. The meal melt in your mouth veal tartare, local fonduta (small cups of melted cheese) and tajarin pasta was all lovingly home made, and served with as many shavings of fresh white truffle as you cared to buy. The price per gram was much less than at the Alba market, and the flexibility of buying as much or as little truffle as you want was part of the fun. Contrary to some reviews, the place is not difficult to find if you have good directions, and it's worth it.