The song of young Gallo

There’s a perhaps a way to sum up the soul of Locanda del Pilone. It’s a word: sobriety. Of great elegance, of course: but sobriety. This belongs to the Borolis, to begin with, that is to say to the reserved family of great and historic entrepreneurs (since 1831. First in textile industry, then in the book industry and now in wine making too) who had the idea of this place. The site, an old farm preserving its historic characteristics, charms with its old noble Piedmontese attractiveness; the ancient furniture, a rustic-chic elegance without ostentation, with details that reveal the careful attention of a noble, never grotesque luxury in the bedrooms: Artemide lamps, Acqua di Parma toiletries… This is surrounded by the view, overlooking vineyards of Barbera and Dolcetto and the glorious Alps. Nature is allowed to be over-the-top beautiful, if it wishes.

The dining rooms on the ground floor have ancient bricked and vaulted ceilings. Here young Federico Gallo works silently. His careful career for now has been crowned in 2005 when he was promoted to guide the Locanda. He arrived here as Masayuki Kondo’s sous chef. The latter now serves Italian food back in Japan. Born in Torino in 1987, Gallo is perfectly at ease with the spirit of the Locanda: he’s reserved, calm, in other words he’s the opposite of many of his colleagues who are more or less his age, and cook and brag all the time, even when the guest has had enough of it. So his style is gentle, linear, balanced. It is sober – indeed, and perfectly presents the territory; and not Langhe in the way they appear in postcards, a little crumpled, always identical,  bent under the weight of tradition. In other words fake and/or grotesque.

It rather depicts them in their contemporaneity, in the complex work of making roots and sky meet, with culinary history on one side, and creative impulse on the other. Gallo leads the game with skill, thanks to a curriculum that had him approach weighty culinary traditions many times: often in Tuscany, especially at first, since the family is originally from Chiusi and in the same Etruscan town his grandfather used to have a tavern in the historic centre; then Piedmontese and Mediterranean at Villa Crespi, with Antonino Cannavacciuolo, and then the tradition of Rome and Lazio with Iside De Cesare at La Parolina in Acquapendente.

Being a poised and duteous young man – he’s the kind of student who takes lots of notes and is well prepared for the exam – he treasured these experiences. But do not think he lacks in inventive, or that his table is grey and finicky. In fact, it is even thrilling at times, and it warms your heart: except it places frills on a sound bases, in a disciplined way. Hence there’s no space for mistakes. He uses all the colours available, without overdoing it. He knows cooking is about creativity: but also – and mostly – neatness, harmony.

His dishes are abundant, at least judging based on our dinner: ten courses, more or less, with no bad comments to be made. There was plenty of praise, instead, to note down in the notebook. As in the case of La nostra finanziera with red prawns from Mazara: I love the Piedmontese dish and found Gallo’s version very appealing. He’s not afraid of presenting even the most difficult parts – brain, rooster crest, sweetbreads. All cooked separately – so the result is very balanced, with dried powdered lemon, plus the delicious Sicilian crustacean, perfectly used together with its bisque. Impeccable.

There’s lots of elegance, which he spreads in abundance. In Ramen Piemdontese style (egg white tagliolini with lemon, shallot, chards, dehydrated pioppini mushrooms and tinca gobba dorata filets) he cooks with the utmost respect for the ingredient, «neither hot nor cold, at 60°C» - plus its broth. This recalls what Gallo used to do with similar fish in Sorano, near Lake Bolsena, when he was working in a tavern specialised in freshwater fish.

The meat is also excellent: the two servings of  Partridge and whisky, black truffle and chanterelle mushrooms, or Duck leg confit, cherries, hazelnuts and stewed lettuce. It ends with a delicious Lemon pie: Gallo has no flights of fancy, but a real talent.
Translated into English by Slawka G. Scarso