Roby & Roby

The two “Robertos,” Balbi and Vai, are the heart and soul of this popular gastronomia, or delicatessen, in the heart of Turin’s hillside Borgo Po neighborhood near the Church of the Gran Madre. They offer their faithful customers a vast array of recipes, mainly Piedmontese classics but also a few international specialties. First courses feature agnolotti – in various versions with various fillings – while a stand-out main is snails à la Parisienne, based on a recipe discovered in the castle of Versailles. Another dish from afar is baked wild Canadian salmon, while carpaccio of cod aromatized with dried mallow flowers makes use of a fish that is common in Piedmontese cuisine. The gelatin for the ham and chicken roulades is made with the stock from the meat. The delicious salad of shaved octopus is dressed with the juice of organic lemons from the Amalfi Coast. Desserts include lemon cake with soft meringue all’italiana, caramelized oranges and classic apple fritters, as well as the evergreen bonet (chocolate, amaretti and rum set custard), and crème caramel.