Turin may offer more after the Olympics

SPORTS: If it's still sports you're after, Turin is home to Italy's most successful soccer club _ Juventus.

The team has won a record 28 Italian league titles and is marching toward its 29th.

The team plays September to May at Stadio Delle Alpi on Turin's northern outskirts. Tickets are not hard to get; most team fans reside in southern Italy.

Juventus will likely play in the Olympic stadium next season while Stadio Delle Alpi is remodeled. The city's other team, Torino, will move permanently from Delle Alpi to the Olympic stadium.

Turin hosts the Winter Paralympics from March 10-19.

The chess Olympics are May 20-June 4 and the fencing world championships, Sept. 29-Oct. 7. Both events are tentatively slated for the Olympic speedskating oval, which will become a multipurpose site after the games.

The ultramodern speedskating oval was designed by the same firm that worked on the Millennium Dome in London. Other modern architecture within walking distance include major works by Arata Isozaki, Gae Aulenti and Renzo Piano.

FOOD: It's the surrounding region of Piedmont rather than Turin itself that has a reputation for great food. So for a fine meal, ask where you can eat "Piemontese."

Start your Piemontese feast with bagna cauda, a heated sauce for dipping raw vegetables. Agnolotti, a form of ravioli, is the region's best-known pasta and is a great primo or "first" dish, often served with creamy gorgonzola-based or truffle ("tartufo") sauce.

Most restaurants offer a variety of meat and fish for main courses. Tagliata - sliced steak - is a favorite. "Bollito misto," mixed boiled meats, is a regional specialty.

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For dessert, "torta nocciola," hazelnut cake, is another local treat. Try a cheese platter, too. Piedmont is home to several high-rated cheeses such as toma, bra, robiola and castelmagno.

The Baita del Formaggio shop on via Lagrange offers a variety of cheeses. Around the corner, on via Andrea Doria, the Casa del Barolo enoteca has an array of wines. Good chocolate shops are also nearby.

Barolo, Barbaresco, Barbera and Asti wines all come from Piedmont and are world-class. Piedmont is also home to Menabrea, one of the few high-quality Italian beers.

After dinner, sample the local "amaro" (bitter), San Simone. It tastes like cough medicine but is said to help digestion. Up in the mountains, try "Genepy" (Juniper), an Alpine after-dinner drink - just beware of its 35 percent alcohol content.

Since Turin is full of southern Italians, many restaurants and pizzerias feature southern delicacies such as Burrata, fresh buffalo mozzarella.

Turin is also famous for chocolate, namely gianduiotto, a hazelnut variety; and bicerin coffee.

For lunch, drop in any bar for panini sandwiches or small hot dishes, or go to a focaccia shop. Focaccia originated in the nearby Liguria region.

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