Osteria Francescana
Via Stella 22
41121 Modena, Italy
+39 059 223912
Official Site
The nation of Italy is one of the greatest places on earth to eat. People come from all over the globe for a gastronomic pilgrimage. From Piedmont to Sicily each region has its own distinct types of cuisine. One can eat very well up and down the Italian peninsula. But one region outshines them all, Emillia-Romagna in the north central of Italy. Believed to be the gastronomic capital of the country, it is blessed with fertile agricultural lands that produce some of the best ingredients.
There are many well know small cities in Emillia-Romagna like Parma, Bologna and Reggio Emilia but my main focus in coming to the region is the wealthy city of Modena, where Italy’s most famous chef and global icon, Massimo Bottura can be found at his restaurant the critically acclaimed Osteria Francescana. Considered to be one of the top dining venues in the world, both Chef Bottura and the restaurant are mentioned in the same sentence as Luciano Pavarotti, balsamic vinegar and Ferrari.
Situated in the center of the oldest part of Modena on an unassuming street it is easy to bypass the restaurant. There are no signs, the façade is simple with just a grey door and metallic plate and the name of the restaurant engraved on it. Osteria Francescana only have twelve tables separated in three different rooms, one serves only for private functions. I was seated in one of the two main rooms where both locals and tourists occupy. The tables are evenly spaced and were immaculately draped in white table cloth with arco lamps hovering above. Large windows with thin curtains allowed the natural light into the room. Thick carpets cover the floor and light turquoise blue walls had contemporary paintings throughout showing the chef’s love for the arts.
In addition to a la carte, Osteria Francescana offers two types of tasting menus for both lunch and dinner, the EUR 195 “Sensations” and the “Tradition In Evolution” for EUR 170. The latter of the two was the choice on my visit. Having the restriction for pork, I was informed that it would diminish the dining experience so I made a slight exception here.
Tradition In Evolution:
To start, freshly baked bread with local virgin olive oil was served. Then came the snacks of macaroon with rabbit stuffing and crisp with shaved parmesan and black truffles that were both very appetizing. The first course was “Memory of a mortadella sandwich” where the mortadella was turned into foam but still retained the actual taste. Served with crushed pistachio and garlic puree (ingredients that were used to create the sausage) alongside an evenly cut bread. This dish was a wonderful combination of familiar flavors and appealing textures. I was then served a basket of fresh bread that included a warm croissant and some of the best Grissini or bread stick that I’ve ever had. Next was “An eel swimming up the River Po”, a beautiful piece of eel coated in a sweet sauce served on a large white plate. The graininess and the sweetness of the eel was balanced out by the accompaniment of apple extract and cream of polenta.
The third course followed, called “From Modena to Mirandola” a tribute to Modena’s famous balsamic vinegar and cotechino, as well as the version from Marindola. Served on top of a pastry made with almonds and butter with a biscuit like texture and covered in thick zabaglione. A combination of sweet and savory with a level of creaminess and fattiness in this dish that was explosive to the taste buds. Then the “Caesar Salad in Emilia” arrived after. A homage to a classic Italian dish, Chef Bottura’s version contains twenty plus ingredients coming from the bounty of the land hidden inside a fresh baby romaine lettuce. Difficult to name them all, but the essence of a Caesar salad that we are familiar with is there and the quality ingredients that were used can be profoundly tasted.
Next was the “Five ages of Parmiggiano Reggiano in different temperature and texture”. A dish made with one ingredient, the cheese texture was manipulated into different temperature and forms. Various aging processes provided multiple layers of intense flavors that wasn’t perplexing to the palate. Chef Bottura’s creation of only using Parmiggiano Reggiano (one of the region’s most popular food) and its flexibility was a stroke of genius. Afterwards, the pasta course of “Tagliatelli a Ragu” was served. A mountain of freshly made tagliatelli showered in veal ragu sauce with evenly chopped veal meat. This was a straight forward approach, a step away from all the previous thought provoking courses. Although seemingly deceiving, by the way that it looks, this dish had an tremendous rich meaty flavor.
For the main course, Chef Bottura was inspired by the artist Damien Hirst called “Beautiful, psychedelic, spin-painted veal, not flame grilled”. A culinary work of art where the plate is splattered with colorful sauces made with mashed potato with extra virgin olive oil, red meat extract, balsamic vinegar and chlorophyll then garnished with horse radish. Even though it’s called veal it was actually beef that was replicated to have both the texture and taste of veal. From all the sauces on this plate, where each was a calculated amount as to not overpower one another as they mixed, but compliment the perfectly cooked flavorful beef.
Prior to dessert I was served a buttery “Foie Gras lollipop” coated in almonds and hazelnut with balsamic vinegar filling. Though small, it comes with a beautiful combination of sweet yet savory richness.
The dessert course was one of the most famous creations in Osteria Francescana, created by accident “Oops I dropped the Lemon tart” was dropped by one of the chef’s in the kitchen and when they put it back on the plate Chef Bottura liked how it looked and decided to keep it. Made with lemon juice and limocello zabaione then covered in broken crust with star anise and plated with cinnamon, juniper, black pepper and cardamom, this was an enjoyable dessert. It had the right amount of sweetness that accompanied the creamy citrus flavoring.
To finish was the “Vignola” named after a town next to Modena and where some of the finest cherries in the country grows. This was a chilled chocolate formed like a cherry with a liquid filling of cherry liqueur and coffee flavors. Then the petit-four of more chocolate and other sweet stuff topped off the “Tradition In Evolution”.
The “Tradition In Evolution” was a culinary journey of Italy and the Emillia-Romagna region through the minds of Chef Bottura. His radical, innovative and playful reinventions of classic Italian fare while still maintaining the flavor profile was a display of brilliance. His food was a work of art plated gorgeously. Being born and raised in Modena, Chef Bottura is familiar with the region and is able to utilize what it offers. To add to this excellent meal was the EUR 110 wine pairing that I opted for. It was a terrific pairing that consisted of Italian wines, a French wine, and a locally brewed beer. Each glass was in tune with each course adding an additional layer after every bite.
Wine Pairing:
In a great restaurant like Osteria Francescana the staff are often over looked as most of the guests are focused on the chef and the food. They were phenomenal and echoed the same passion as Chef Bottura with their service. Each dish was explained clearly and was genuinely engaging but never went away from the professionalism. Their warm Italian hospitality starting from the time that I walked in the restaurant provided the relaxed atmosphere throughout the meal.
Food plays a big role in Italian culture as it has been part of their way of life for hundreds of years. Recipes are passed down from generation to generation. So when Massimo Bottura opened Osteria Francescana back in 1995 he received backlash with his way of cooking. In one of his interviews he said” changing grandma’s recipes to the slightest is considered sacrilegious”. His reinvention of classic Italian cuisine was slowly being recognized in the gastronomic world that locals began to accept him. In 2002 the first Michelin star came, four years later in 2006, it received the second star. Then, in 2012 it was awarded a prestigious third star. The awards did not stop there, San Pelligrino “The World’s 50 Best Restaurants” listed Osteria Francescana as the highest new entry at 13 back in 2009 and from 2010 to present it’s been on the top 10 list. There are many more accolades to mention, but in the end Osteria Francescana is an exceptional restaurant led by a great chef. This gastronomic temple in the heart of Modena is definitely worth the special journey.
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