Seven courses. Seven names. Three bottles of Krug opened in a single evening.
For the tenth anniversary, Chef Federico Gallo built a menu that celebrates the people who made Locanda del Pilone possible.
Each dish carries the name of a member of the Boroli family, of a figure from the Locanda’s history or of Maison Krug itself. Every pairing has a verifiable technical rationale.
This article walks through the evening course by course, explaining the cooking techniques, the logic behind the wine pairings and the practical questions about what to expect from an experience of this level in the Langhe.
Book your Michelin-starred dinner in the Langhe →
The tenth-anniversary menu
Seven courses, seven dedications: the dishes of the evening
Chef Federico Gallo conceived the anniversary menu as a collective act of gratitude. Every course carries the name of someone who matters to the history of the Locanda and of the Boroli family. A way of remembering that behind every achievement there is always someone.
L’inizio – dedicated to the Boroli family
The opening sequence brings five tastes of Piedmontese cuisine in the form of a welcome. Craquelin choux puffs — the crisp, caramelized pastry that wraps the choux — with tomato and Cuneo prosciutto crudo, pears with Blu del Moncenisio cheese and red wine, vitello tonnato, insalata russa and smoked tench in carpione marinade. These are dishes anyone in Piedmont recognizes at first bite, brought back to the technical precision of a starred kitchen.
The Krug Édition 173 served with this opening is a Champagne blended from more than a hundred wines drawn from thirteen different years. The number (173) identifies the specific composition of that release. Every Édition has a different signature. Opening the evening with this glass already sets the expectation.
Homage to Vialardi – dedicated to Gianna
Giovanni Vialardi was chef to the House of Savoy in Turin. In 1854 he published Trattato di cucina, pasticceria moderna, the text that codified high-end Piedmontese cooking. Naming a course after Vialardi is a statement of position. Gallo places himself in that lineage, as the custodian of a technique rather than the inventor of trends.
The mi-cuit Alpine char with beurre blanc and wood sorrel translates that position into a dish. Char is an Alpine freshwater fish with a more delicate flavor than trout; mi-cuit refers to a low-temperature cooking method that halts protein coagulation before the flesh turns firm.
The beurre blanc — a French classic of butter emulsified with white wine and shallot — completes the plate with acidity and richness. Boroli Bianco in the glass.
Tonno di coniglio – dedicated to Margherita and Gino
The rabbit terrine with lemon, Taggiasca olives and sweet garlic sauce is a format that turns up often on Piedmontese tasting menus. Gallo’s version works on the garlic: cooked slowly until it loses its pungency, it becomes a sauce that balances the acidity of the lemon and the saltiness of the olives without overpowering the meat.
The double pairing, Boroli Bianco and Boroli Rosso, follows the progression of the dish itself. The white on the first bite, the red once the palate has registered the acidic components and starts looking for structure.
Hare risotto – dedicated to Sofia and Marco
Parmigiano risotto scented with orange and bay leaf, with blueberries and hare ragù. The structure is that of the Piedmontese hunter’s risotto, with two additions that shift the register: the orange works as a citrus counterpoint, the blueberries bring a tannic, fresh note that lightens the game. Boroli Rosso, with its structure, holds its own without covering the dish.
Spit-roasted squab – dedicated to Romano
Rare squab demands a precise internal temperature. The center has to stay pink, which means the margin for error in cooking is a matter of minutes. With wild plums, star anise and juniper, Gallo builds a base that leans dark and spiced.
The Boroli Barolo Castiglione Falletto 2022 is the most demanding wine of the evening. Castiglione Falletto is one of the historic Barolo communes, with soils that produce tannic wines built for long aging. Pairing it with squab is a choice about aromatic persistence, not about roundness.
A.C.E. – dedicated to Maison Krug
A, C and E are the initials of the vitamins found in the main ingredients. Vitamin A in the carrots, vitamin C in the citrus, vitamin E in the germ oil used in the base recipe. The name is also a manifesto for the dish: a single ingredient (the carrot) transformed into three forms — Torta Camilla, the classic Italian carrot cake, orange sorbet, and a liquid extraction with bergamot.
This is the kind of construction Krug asks of its Ambassade restaurants: finding complexity within simplicity, without adding ingredients, working on technique instead. The Krug Édition 173 returns to the glass after the main course, and the symmetry with the opening is deliberate.
Alba 2.0 – dedicated to Francesca
White chocolate and porcini mushrooms both carry a pronounced umami component: the first through cocoa butter, the second through naturally occurring glutamates. That is why the combination works where it looks like it shouldn’t.
The fiordilatte brings a fresh dairy note, and the mixed berries close with acidity. Krug Édition 173 accompanies the dish for the third and final time, as a closing signature.
Explore the restaurant menu and book your experience →
The wine pairings: two estates, one deliberate choice
| Wine | Type | Courses paired | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Krug Édition 173 | Multi-vintage Champagne | L’inizio, A.C.E., Alba 2.0 | Blend of 150 wines from 13 years |
| Boroli Bianco | Piedmontese white | Vialardi, Tonno di coniglio | Boroli vineyard, Alba |
| Boroli Rosso | Piedmontese red | Tonno di coniglio, Hare risotto | Boroli vineyard, Alba |
| Boroli Barolo Castiglione Falletto 2022 | Barolo DOCG | Spit-roasted squab | Commune of Castiglione Falletto |
Locanda del Pilone is the only Krug Ambassade in the Langhe. In practice that means it keeps the complete Krug range on its list, stores the bottles under the conditions the Maison requires, and its staff receives training directly from Krug. The Champagne is also served throughout the meal, not only as an aperitif.
The Boroli wines come from the vineyards of Società Agricola Boroli, the same family that runs the Locanda. The Barolo Castiglione Falletto 2022 is produced less than twenty minutes from the hotel. Guests with specific wine preferences can note them when booking: the bottle is prepared and brought to the correct temperature before they arrive.
Over the years, Locanda del Pilone has drawn attention from national and international press, industry guides and specialist publications.
The confirmed, verifiable recognitions: a Michelin star (Michelin Guide Italy 2025), Krug Ambassade status, the only one in the Langhe and a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence, listed on the magazine’s website.
What the Locanda offers today
The Il Giardino bistro is open during the summer season with an outdoor menu that is more accessible than the starred restaurant. The resort has rooms overlooking the Castiglione Falletto vineyards and a panoramic pool above the hills. Activities in the Langhe include truffle hunting with trained dogs, cooking classes with Gallo and visits to the Boroli winery, a few kilometers from the property.
For guests traveling from outside the region, two nights makes sense: the first day for the starred restaurant, the second to explore the Langhe villages, wineries, truffle markets.
Conclusions
The tenth-anniversary dinner documented a decade in seven dishes. Each one had a name, an explainable technique and a reasoned pairing. The Boroli family runs the property, the vineyards and the winery within the same territory. Federico Gallo cooks with local ingredients and an international background. Michelin, Krug and Wine Spectator have each assessed the result independently. For anyone who wants to verify it in person, the table can be booked online.
Discover our Michelin-starred restaurant in the Langhe →
FAQ about the tenth-anniversary dinner
Every dish on the menu really is dedicated to a specific person: how should that be read?
Gallo built the menu by attributing each course to a person or entity connected to the history of the Locanda, members of the Boroli family, figures who have worked with the property over time, Maison Krug. Every pairing reflects something about the relationship between that dedicatee and the Locanda’s journey.
Krug Édition 173: why a number and not a vintage year?
Krug does not produce conventional vintage Champagne. The Édition is a blend of 150 wines from thirteen different years, and each release carries a sequential number that identifies it. Édition 173 is the one served that evening, with a composition unique to it and different from the 172 and the 174. The philosophy is the opposite of a vintage wine: instead of showcasing a single season, the aim is a Champagne that is consistent with the Maison’s signature every year.
Is the Barolo Castiglione Falletto 2022 really produced near the Locanda?
Yes. Società Agricola Boroli, the same family that runs Locanda del Pilone, has vineyards in Castiglione Falletto, a commune roughly twenty minutes from the hotel. The Barolo served with the spit-roasted squab comes from those vineyards. It is not a wine bought in from a third party.
How does the sommelier service work on a tasting menu of this length?
The sommelier follows every pairing from the moment the menu is composed. Guests with specific preferences — a producer, a vintage, a particular label, can flag them when booking. The bottle is prepared and brought to the correct temperature before arrival. For a seven-course menu with full pairings, the Locanda’s cellar offers more than 1,400 labels to choose from.
Can the dinner be combined with a visit to the Boroli winery or other activities?
Yes. Tastings at the Boroli winery are among the activities available to resort guests, along with hot-air balloon flights over the Langhe and cooking classes with Chef Gallo. Several experiences can be combined within the same stay.