Osteria Francescana (*) – Modena, Italy

We just got back from a 2-week trip eating our way through Italy. I have to admit the whole trip was planned around our meal at Osteria Francescana. Like many others, this was a bucket list restaurant after watching the Massimo Bottura's Chef's Table episode. I booked the meal around 3 months in advance and was only able to secure a lunch reservation.

We arrived in Modena after a short train journey with plenty of time to explore the city. We spent most of our time walking around the Mercato Storico Albinelli, Modena's central food market. While it was tempting to try the food at the market, we knew we had to save ourselves for the main meal. At 12.30 pm, we arrived at the restaurant for our lunch reservation. The host welcomed us, took our coats, and brought us to our table in the smaller room. The initial atmosphere of the restaurant was a bit tense, which was a contrast to my experience at Enrico Bartolini al mudec a few days prior. Our waiter came by to offer the options between a tasting menu and a la carte as well as walking us through the philosophy of the restaurant. It was never a question that we would be going for the full tasting menu experience. I also asked to add the famous Five ages of Parmigiano Reggiano. We were told that the tasting menu was quite substantial, and they would check back in with us later in the meal whether we would still want to add the dish.

For the meal, we opted to order the wine as we went instead of doing the pairing. After discussing our plan with the sommelier, we were ready with the meal.

Zucca – warm pumpkin soup. This was presented with the other 2 bites as a part of the first course. Nice and light.
Onions Dreaming of Caviar – we were told the pearls were actually made out of onions. This was the highlight of the first course.
Pizza Fritta – Fried pizza like a hot pocket. This was decent but nothing to write home about.
Piemonte – somehow I didn't write down what this was.
La Contadina – this version was made with beets and onion. This was a fine dish.
Terra Marre – a fish course, which was sea bass and sauce of local herbs. Another fine dish.
Pane e Acqua – a dish made of breadcrumbs served with seaweed. This was our least favorite by far. I did not enjoy the slimy texture nor the taste.
Where is this pasta e fagioli going? – a reinterpretation of a pasta and bean dish. This was spectacular and easily our favorite savory course of the day.
Passatello – a play on a traditional pasta dish from Emilia Romagna served in beef broth. A great dish.
Jazz Duck Improvisation – The main course was duck served 3 ways – the breast served traditionally with sauce made from stone fruit, duck skins served like katsuobushi, and the rest of the duck was stuffed in a panettone served with duck jus. An excellent dish.
“La Genovese” – modern take on the traditional Neapolitan slow-cooked stew of onions and meat, using fusilli pasta and crispy parmesan.
Five Ages of Parmigiano Reggiano – as promised, our waiter came by to inquire whether we would still like to add the dish. We didn't care that we were getting full. This dish needs no introduction. One of the most famous dishes from Massimo Bottura contains five components made from Parmigiano. Cheesy goodness.
Fast Bees, Slow Honey – I've found michelin restaurants in Europe to really excel in making desserts. This was no difference. An excellent dish.
La Bonissima – A dessert of pomegranate and chocolate crumble. Another fantastic dish.
Gelati – chocolate cone, yuzu and orange ice-cream sandwich, foie gras and chocolate ice-cream, and "potato pretending to be a truffle." A good end to the meal.
Surprise Surprise! – We were sent home with a box of maritozzo, soaked in some sort of liquor. This was fine. We weren't told what it was since we were supposed to figure it out as a surprise. The one miss here was that one of our dining companions did not drink alcohol. Taking a bite of the booze-soaked maritozzo was certainly a surprise.

The service was precise, as expected from a three-star place. However, I found the service to be more robotic and not as warm as other places of the same level. The somm who was working our table was a bit strange in the beginning. For example, when we asked him to recommend a nice bottle of red wine for the meal based on what we discussed, he pointed to the cheapest bottle on the list of a different style to what we were looking for. When we asked for a nicer bottle since it was a special occasion and spoke to him more about how we were interested in learning more about Italian wines, he seemed to open up a lot more and warmed up. Just felt a bit of judgment in the beginning. The best part of the service, however, was Massimo himself. He came by to say hi at the end and was so warm and welcoming, a true showman. We spoke about everything, from our meals we had in Bologna to his love of Ferrari.

Overall, the meal had a few hits and certainly a number of misses. I appreciated the history and story behind each dish. The first half of the meal was rather unimpressive. We found the pastas, mains, and desserts to be the strongest. The ultimate question is whether Osteria Francesca is worth going still? Considering the impacts the restaurant has had in the fine dining world, I certainly think so. Just know that you may not enjoy everything.

Next up is our meal at Al Gatto Verde and our stay at Casa Maria Luigia.