Ape Vino E Cucina, Alba, Italy

This restaurant, a couple of blocks from our apartment and in full view of the Duomo, was a wonderful second day meal. We foolowed our usual habit of having one meal a day, a late lunch, and then having fruit and cheese if more is needed to finish the day--but the longer the meal, the less likely to need something more. The downside is that it is what the day is planned around, but the upside is that we eat less and are able to sleep better at the end of the day.

We indulged in a couple of black truffle dishes and had the local Piedmont pasta called tajarin--an egg yolk heavy pasta that I really loved, and another round of agnolotti, but the sommelier was the best part of the meal. They have a lot of wines by the glass, and we tried a few that were quite good rather than having a bottle. He also talked a lot about the region, and when asked about a winery he would recommend near our meal the following day, he recommended Vajra, which was a highlight of the trip when we got there. I would definitely recommend this if you are looking for a good meal at a good value. It is located near a 3-Michelin star restaurant, so you might choose that, but we chose this and were happy with that decision.