We eat lunch at the same three places. This is not a limitation. It is a privilege we have earned through years of trial, disappointment, and the occasional transcendent plate of agnolotti.

Trattoria Valenza

On Via Borgo Dora, tucked behind the Balon market. The tablecloths are paper. The wine comes in carafes without labels. The vitello tonnato is the best in the city and we will not argue about this.

We go on Tuesdays. The owner, Signora Valenza, knows our order. She brings bread that she baked that morning and a carafe of Barbera before we sit down.

The best restaurants in Turin are the ones that don't need you to come back. You come back anyway.

Osteria Antiche Sere

Further out, in Borgo Vittoria. Worth the walk. The menu changes with what arrived at Porta Palazzo that morning. The tajarin with butter and sage is a study in restraint — four ingredients, forty years of practice.

There is a garden in the back that fills up in spring. We sit there in April when the wisteria blooms and the light turns golden at seven.

Da Cianci

Piazza Vittorio Veneto. Tourist territory, yes. But Cianci has been here since 1972 and the bagna cauda hasn't changed. Sometimes the best thing is the thing that stays the same.

We bring visiting clients here. They expect something flashy. We give them anchovies and garlic and warm olive oil. They understand.