Have an extra $1,000 burning a hole in your pocket? I have just the answer for you.
I received an email from the New York restaurant Babbo that they had white truffle dinners on offer, at $1,000 a pop. Or if you prefer DIY, you can pick up an eight-ounce truffle at Eataly for $2,528.49, and make your own.
We happened to be in Italy during prime truffle season in the fall, and Torino is in the middle of one of the regions most renowned for them. Part of why truffles are such a luxury item is that the fungi are difficult to cultivate agriculturally, white ones particularly so, but develop naturally on the roots of oak trees. Therefore, they need to be found and dug out one-by-one by specially trained dogs. Pigs are also natural truffle-hunters, with the problem being that they tend to eat them when they find them, sending thousands of dollars down the drain, so to speak.
As we were there at the peak of the season, we decided to splurge and have a white truffle meal. (Just to be clear, a splurge for us is a $40 plate, not $1000.)
The only table available at Solferino, the restaurant recommended by our food-tour guide, was outside on a very chilly night, but it was well worth bundling up. Unforgettable.
Gigi's Italia 