Georges Rouzeau - 2012-03-13
Since opening in 1757, the Restaurant Del Cambio has seen a good many eras and events. Today, chef Riccardo Ferrero presides over the kitchens of this historic gilt and stucco-adorned ristorante with an eye to preserving tradition. The Count of Cavour and the other ‘fathers of modern Italy’ who were once regular patrons would surely have approved.
Del Cambio, the Risorgimento movement’s gathering place
Many tomes speak of the long-standing ties which link food and power; the relationship dates from ancient Greece and Rome, at the very least. Whether used to honour or exclude, as a weapon or a diplomatic lure, fine cuisine has been an essential component of world history from ancient feasts to presidential palaces and from the royal meals of Louis XIV to the republican banquets of the 19th century.
Open since 1757, Del Cambio was already mentioned in Casanova’sMemoirs. The restaurant’s gilded and stuccoed decor appealed to the nobility and aristocrats of the time. In the mid-19th century, it became part of the history of Italy, and more specifically the country’s Unification Movement, or Risorgimento. Indeed, Del Cambio is situated just opposite the Palazzo Carignano, where Italy’s parliament assembled for the very first time. All of the young members of parliament who had participated in the Risorgimento patronised the establishment; among them were the famed ‘fathers of the nation’: Cavour, Mazzini and Garibaldi.
From Cavour to Carla Bruni
Cavour’s favourite wall seat is still there, in the back and to the right – at a table that you may reserve, if you so desire. From his vantage point, he could keep an eye on a small window where a collaborator would appear and indicate that the debates had gone sour. Since that time, many politicians and actors from the four corners of the world have sat at that same table, from Gorbachev to Jean Reno to Carla Bruni, whose family is from Turin.
Today, the kitchens are overseen by the young chef Riccardo Ferrero, who learnt the tricks of the trade in several Michelin-starred establishments on the French Riviera. His menu has wisely retained the vitello tonnato, agnolotti,fritto misto (chilled veal in tuna sauce, Piedmontese-style stuffed pasta, an assortment of batter-fried delicacies...) and other traditional Piedmontese dishes that the Ristorante Del Cambio has long been famous for.
Del Cambio,
Piazza Carignano, 2,
10123 Torino
Italy
+39(0) 011 54 66 90
http://www.thi-hotels.com/hotels/ristorante-del-cambio/restaurant.html
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