You've been seeing pictures of them all over, right? These earthy, sandy-gray-colored bulbous things displayed on a bed of rice, often inside a glass jar or a glass case? We're talking about his majesty, the king of all truffles, the white truffle from Alba, Italy. The most expensive of all fresh truffles on the market, white truffles immediately elevate a dish with their incredibly heady, earthy aromas.
This season has been especially abundant, but they'll be running out very soon. In fact, we're at the tail end of the season, so we encourage you to get them while you still can. Here are three good bets for where you can still find truffles:
Tony's Even during the bad seasons, Tony Vallone has such strong ties to Italy that his flagship Tony's restaurant almost always carries truffles. We have confirmed that you can currently get them shaved atop risotto or a bed of the lightest, handmade tagliatelle. And if you want to try one of the best things you'll ever put in your mouth? Try the white Alba truffle soufflé. Whisper-light and creamy, the single-portioned soufflé gets topped with shaved white truffles at the table -- decadent, rich, aromatic and unforgettable. "I love that soufflé," says chef de cuisine Kate McLean. Rest assured, if you love white truffles, you will fall in love with it, too.
Da Marco The last time we were lunching at Da Marco, which features an excellent three-course business lunch prix fixe, we couldn't help noticing the table-side pasta cart service taking place at several nearby tables. Despite the fact that it was lunchtime, many of the patrons seemed to be indulging in the $40 freshly shaved black truffle tagliarini. During white truffle season, you can get that tagliarini, or a risotto, topped with white truffles for $85. Decadent? Yes. Worth It? Yes! At the time of this writing, we confirmed that Da Marco still has white truffles for you, but when they're gone, they're gone, so we strongly suggest you get there soon (like, this week!).
The Restaurant at Inn at Dos Brisas If you have time for a road trip, it'll be worth your while to stop by the Inn at Dos Brisas in Washington, Texas (about 1.5 hours outside of Houston on the way to Austin) for some white-truffle action. Chef Cory Untch just got a shipment in early this week, which means there'll be plenty this weekend. Get them shaved on your eggs for breakfast, or over a house-made pasta in the afternoon or evening. As an added bonus, Sommelier Thomas Perez can even make you a white Alba truffle martini to go with it.
