I have been fortunate to dine at many of the world’s greatest restaurants, but this past Tuesday was the quintessential culinary experience of my life. My expectations were sky-high, and yet Chef Enrico Crippa and his team somehow exceeded them. Oh, what a night.

The Setting

I booked a limo to transport us to and from our castle on a hill to the restaurant in Centro Storico, the medieval historic centre of Alba, so I could enjoy the wines with no driving responsibility. Gemini AI found this gem for me when I was planning our 15th anniversary trip to Alba. I had no previous knowledge of it. The Michelin designation does not usually sway my decisions, but after perusing the Piazza Duomo website, I felt it calling to me. To my utter shock, there was one opening for two people on the exact night of our fifteenth anniversary. I immediately booked it. And then, to add to the magic, a few days later I received a call telling me that if I agreed, they would like to upgrade us with their compliments to “The Kitchen Table,” their version of the chef’s table, located in a luxurious, temperature-controlled glass room with seating for two in the kitchen. I was agreeable.

Rosario, our driver, picked us up exactly on time at the castle in a beautiful, spotless Mercedes, and he was the consummate Italian gentleman, regaling us with stories of the sights and towns we passed through. As we approached the historic centre, we marveled at how spotlessly clean it was. We thought we would have to walk a bit to reach the restaurant in the pedestrian-only area, but Rosario proudly informed us that he possessed a rare permit that allowed him to drive anywhere. He dropped us off at the door. And what an entrance: pink and gold, and access is only granted when you press a call button and tell them your name. We climbed two flights of stairs and the magic began.

Impeccably tailored staff welcomed us by name and escorted us to the restrooms, gently suggesting that we should make adequate preparations for the evening in the kitchen. Then we were guided by more smiling, beautiful people to the locked kitchen door, accessible only by code, and escorted through a shining, immaculate world of stainless steel and every culinary tool imaginable. It was brightly lit like an operating room and felt equally sterile in the perfect way. The cooks all lined up (including Mr. Crippa, who is unmistakable), and they formed a greeting line as we were led to our room of honor. We felt like royalty in his gastronomic kingdom. I had no idea what to expect in a glass room, but it was cozy, private, soundproofed, and artistically appointed. It was perfect. We sat down and looked out the front window at row upon row of cooking stations; behind us was the pastry chef’s kitchen. Oh my. Can you say FOMO? (Click to enlarge photos)

The Chef

I cannot improve on the description provided by Piazza Duomo, except to say we found Enrico Crippa to be a warm and consummate host. After the meal, he came to our room, immediately offering to sign our menus and happily agreed to a photo with us. We chatted for a bit, and he made us feel so at home and special. It was a once-in-a-lifetime treat, watching him direct the 22 cooks throughout the evening like a symphony conductor, while also being very hands-on with portions of the dishes. We marveled at the intricate teamwork required to create these one-of-a-kind dishes.

“Crippa is an icon of Italian haute cuisine, crafting a unique culinary experience where visual artistry and taste blend in perfect harmony. His unwavering commitment to enhancing ingredients and embracing sustainability, which has made him a leading figure in contemporary cuisine. He is one of the greatest innovators of plant-based cuisine in the world, with three Michelin stars since 2012, and a Michelin green star for sustainability. His vegetable garden is located at the foot of the Ceretto family’s Tenuta Monsordo Bernardina estate. Over 400 varieties, which characterize his dishes, are grown in 500 square meters of greenhouses and 3 hectares of land.
His philosophy is rooted in research, technique, and a deep respect for ingredients, transforming each dish into a work of art. His innovative vision combines tradition and creativity, enhancing the authentic flavors of the Piemonte region. His cuisine celebrates rare, top-quality ingredients, carefully selected to align with the natural rhythms of production and harvest, while embracing the subtle variations of each day. This is why Piazza Duomo’s menus can be said to evolve in real time, capturing the essence of the moment.”

–Piazza Duomo Website

The Food

I will use the photos to describe the courses. The highlights of the four-hour-plus meal for Gina were the parmesan pastry bites, the 21…31…41…51 salad, the green beans, and the Farmhouse pork. For me, the highlights were the salad, the East to West cod, the beetroot, and the cuttlefish, which were exquisite in both artistry and flavor.

The Wines

The sommelier was amazing. He also had excellent Spanish and English. I told him, as we talked over additional wines, that I was not a super taster, but I had visited most of the world’s wine regions and knew what I liked. I had previously enjoyed a 1975 Château d’Yquem and a 1997 Massetto, so the wine that intrigued me was the Gaja Langhe Bianco Gaia Rey 2023, so we added a glass for each of us. And I am so glad we did! All in all, the wines were the greatest I have ever had in a single evening. The Coravin system is a miraculous invention that allows them to offer extremely rare wines by the glass.

Final Thoughts

Everyone in Piemonte gave us gifts. Teresa from our cooking class gave us a jar of her tomato sauce made from her grandmother’s recipe. The Castello di Sinio gave us recipes, a porcini herb mixture for tomato sauce, and their magic salt, and Piazza Duomo gave us flower seeds, a dessert takeaway box, and a bottle of Enrico Crippa hazelnut oil.

And yes, it was one of the most expensive meals of my life, but the experience will be with me for a lifetime. I will never forget it. For almost five hours, Gina and I felt like royalty. As we reminisced about fifteen years, remembering the years of manual labor on the farm in Tennessee made us realize how fortunate we are now. A life in Europe, in Spain, and this past magical week in Piemonte, Italy. I read her a tribute I had written as the meal progressed, and we both ended up with tears of joy. The last line of that tribute is particularly poignant:  “I got fucking lucky. I caught you, eighteen years too late and exactly on time.”

Be sure to read my post about all four days in Piemonte. It has lots of photos with fun captions. Read it HERE.