Gobino a Torino

While visiting Turin last month, Carla and I made a pilgrimage of sorts to the Guido Gobino storefront on Via Lagrange. Would I have expected anything less than the simple elegance we encountered?

The Italians are brilliant at bringing modernity to traditional spaces, but few are as adept as Gobino at creating a space that invites visitors to experience sensory pleasures beyond the visual. As we entered the store, I apologized that my visit was one of curiosity only, as I had already bought plenty of GG products at Eataly the week before.

The woman working there welcomed us anyway, and invited us to try a few chocolates we didn’t see at Eataly: little cubes of chocolate filled with ganache (chocolate-cream-optional flavor of choice) flavored with orange, ginger, mint. Too bad we couldn’t try the saffron! She also suggested we try the cremini al sale, made with hazelnut paste, chocolate, olive oil and sea salt.

OF COURSE I fell for the oldest marketing trick in the book. My rational mind completely overpowered by my drive for sensual experience, I bought a few 80 gr. boxes of the ganache cubes and called it a day. Several weeks later, here I nibble in Philadelphia, wondering why on earth I didn’t get any of the cremini al sale. Funny how the mind works. What’s the point in wanting what’s now unavailable? Perhaps it’s time to send Guido an email offering to help him find a vendor here in Philadelphia.