Genova and Alba
 

I will be in Genova and Alba (Guarene) soon. While some restaurants are fixed (Piazza Duomo, La Madernassa, The Cook) I´m looking for some casual options near by. Special interest is Pizza:D. Any suggestions?

No suggestions on the pizza front but, when you are in Genova, you might want to try farinata. It's not pizza but it is a chick pea flat bread (with spices - often rosemary) that is classically Ligurian. With a little cheese & wine it makes a nice course or snack.

Skip the vine and I´m in! Thanks for the advice, will definitively try.

Well, farinata you definitely need to check out Franz and Ko in Molassana, the best farinata in the city.
For pizza and pinsa (even better) go for 23 Febbraio in via della Libertà. Patanegra in Molassana has a great pizza as well (avoid the same in Boccadasse).
Pizza Sugo is a sort of gourmet, but perhaps a bit expensive for what it is.
Do not miss gelato at Profumo in vico superiore del Ferro. Their panera is the best in the city.

The Cook in Genoa, even if it has Michelin star, does not absoltely worth it. San Giorgio in piazza della Vittoria is much better.

Thanks

I wrote about this topic a couple of times in the past, I would recommend La Piola in Alba for a casual option (it's the "bistro" of Piazza Duomo), and Osteria dell'Arco. Hidden gem in the area: Trattoria Bric in Castagnito.

Also check out Bra with its famous sausage.

What a refreshing thread! After several months, finally, people talking about "tastes" and similar things, and not about disease, travel restrictions, and other scary notions... :)

What about focaccia? Any "panetteria" will serve great ones. Maybe not the one at Eataly, which I found to be a bit on the rock-hard side, but most would be of good quality.

Nothing wrong with focaccia, it too has Ligurian roots, but the reason I raised farinata it is a local (Ligurian) specialty that isn't generally available throughout Italy while focaccia is (albeit with many variations in texture and flavor).

Personally, the best focaccia I ever had was at a very casual trattoria in Le Marche. It was cracker thin with rosemarino e sale and perfect. Very different from the very bready focaccia one often encounters.

See your point on farinata, and on focaccia. I personally like the Ligurian one because, as you rightly said, it's thin and oily although not as cracker-thin as yours in the Marche. But you can cross the border, go to Novi Ligure (funnily enough in Piedmont) and get the mattress one.

I'm also very fond of farinata, it's amazingly delicious. It needs to be eaten piping hot!

On the topic of focaccia, in Liguria one has to try focaccia di Recco, a thin focaccia covered in cheese.

During the lock down, my wife made a LOT of farinata. It's something she cooked occasionally in the past (we like it a lot) but it was a good way to have something that was bread-like and fresh. AMZN was an easy way to buy chickpea flour and have it delivered to the house as well.

Plain focaccia places in Genoa: da Mario in via San Vincenzo, Foccacino in via Trebisonda, Panificio di Vico Casana in vico Casana. If you go to Nervi, the best one is da Paulin or Elettrico (their onion one is the best). Not all focaccia places are good, some of it is chewing gum. At least for us who live in Genoa.
Focaccia di Recco style to go is in Tossini stores around Liguria.

Is it necessary to reserve a table? Can not find any online booking on the site.

It's better to reserve, I normally call them. Both places are very frequented by locals. 23 Febbraio is closed on Tuesdays (was supposed to be there tomorrow, but booked for Patanegra instead).
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