Recently, I had the pleasure of traveling to Italy and France to enjoy the local cuisine. Al Gatto Verde was a delightful surprise during our stay in Modena.
While Casa Maria Luigia and Francescana are the primary dining attractions (and Francescana at Casa Maria was truly excellent), I thoroughly enjoyed the dinner at Al Gatto Verde with its unique Italian fusion. The tasting menu was exceptional, and I would highly recommend it to anyone with an extra night in Modena.
The restaurant is situated next to their acetaia and connected to an area called the “playground,” which features some of Massimo’s cars and art installations. The dining space is intimate, with around 12 tables, creating a cozy atmosphere. Service was impeccable, with plenty of staff ensuring assistance was always at hand. The team was polite, attentive, and efficient, quickly fulfilling any requests. We also had the opportunity to meet Chef Jessica Rosval earlier in the day—she was incredibly friendly and passionate, not only about her work as a chef but also as the founder of the Association for the Integration of Women.
Overall, Al Gatto Verde delivered some phenomenal highs that I’ll be dreaming about for weeks. My favorites were the cotechino, bouillabaisse, and pork dishes. While some of the latter courses didn’t land as firmly for me as the savory ones, the creativity and passion behind each dish were undeniable. If you find yourself in Modena, this spot is absolutely worth a visit.
CANAPÉS (from lowest platform to highest)
Grissino Pecorino di Fossa and Chervil Braided pecorino and chervil breadsticks, garnished with herbs from the garden lining the inside.
Durone Cotechino One of my favorite bites of the night. Cotechino, an Italian sausage, was shaped into a ball, lightly fried, and made to look like a cherry with an edible stem. Packed with flavor and beautifully balanced.
Charred Cauliflower and Caviar Another standout bite. A cauliflower purée wrapped and shaped like a cannoli, with caviar on either end. Creamy, with a perfect balance of bitterness and salty notes, this bite brilliantly mimicked the cannoli experience. BREAD SERVICE Special mention to the focaccia—easily the best bread I had during the trip. Served with green butter infused with herbs from the garden, the high-hydration focaccia was impressively soft inside and perfectly paired with the herb butter.
TASTING MENU MARE E MELONE Seaweed smoked melon, sea water, and marine herbs A refreshing and intriguing opener, reimagining the classic melon-and-prosciutto combination. The subtly smoky melon replaced prosciutto, offering an inventive twist.
ADRIATIC BOUILLABAISSE Seafood, saffron, orange One of the most visually stunning dishes of the evening, with no sacrifice in flavor. The plate was beautifully arranged with seafood (crab, scallop, shrimp, mussel, lobster), and the creamy, bright broth was theatrically poured from a crab head. Each piece of seafood was perfectly cooked and complemented the broth wonderfully.
BORLENGO DALL’APPENNINO Black Pregiato Truffle, mountain mushrooms A truffle lover’s dream. Earthy, aromatic, and indulgent. The borlengo was made paper-thin to highlight the generous stuffing of truffles and mushrooms.
PORC AUX POMMES Mora Romagnola, jujube, tourtière My favorite dish of the evening! This was the best barbecue pork I’ve ever tasted. Glazed with a house-made barbecue sauce featuring jujube for sweet notes, the smoky, impossibly tender pork was perfectly balanced and absolutely unforgettable.
PINEAPPLE PASTA Spaghettini from Gragnano, Sicilian pineapples, peperoni cruschi, flames A playful nod to the controversial Hawaiian pizza. Visually stunning, though the combination of pineapple and spaghettini edged closer to sweet than savory. This served well as a transition to dessert.
AMARO IN BIANCO Rue, pith, salt A palate cleanser featuring house-made amaro served over frozen citrus peel and pith. While intriguing, the bitterness was an acquired taste that didn’t fully resonate with me.
APPENNINO Milk and whey of Bianca Modenese, carbon caramel, Porcini mushroom, cedar The final dish—a beautiful balance of earthy and sweet flavors, which happen to be my favorite type of dessert. Shaped like a sand dollar, the exterior was made from soft cream from local cows, filled with a caramel and mushroom reduction.
2 Comments
Recently, I had the pleasure of traveling to Italy and France to enjoy the local cuisine. Al Gatto Verde was a delightful surprise during our stay in Modena.
While Casa Maria Luigia and Francescana are the primary dining attractions (and Francescana at Casa Maria was truly excellent), I thoroughly enjoyed the dinner at Al Gatto Verde with its unique Italian fusion. The tasting menu was exceptional, and I would highly recommend it to anyone with an extra night in Modena.
The restaurant is situated next to their acetaia and connected to an area called the “playground,” which features some of Massimo’s cars and art installations. The dining space is intimate, with around 12 tables, creating a cozy atmosphere. Service was impeccable, with plenty of staff ensuring assistance was always at hand. The team was polite, attentive, and efficient, quickly fulfilling any requests. We also had the opportunity to meet Chef Jessica Rosval earlier in the day—she was incredibly friendly and passionate, not only about her work as a chef but also as the founder of the Association for the Integration of Women.
Overall, Al Gatto Verde delivered some phenomenal highs that I’ll be dreaming about for weeks. My favorites were the cotechino, bouillabaisse, and pork dishes. While some of the latter courses didn’t land as firmly for me as the savory ones, the creativity and passion behind each dish were undeniable. If you find yourself in Modena, this spot is absolutely worth a visit.
CANAPÉS (from lowest platform to highest)
Grissino Pecorino di Fossa and Chervil
Braided pecorino and chervil breadsticks, garnished with herbs from the garden lining the inside.
Durone Cotechino
One of my favorite bites of the night. Cotechino, an Italian sausage, was shaped into a ball, lightly fried, and made to look like a cherry with an edible stem. Packed with flavor and beautifully balanced.
Charred Cauliflower and Caviar
Another standout bite. A cauliflower purée wrapped and shaped like a cannoli, with caviar on either end. Creamy, with a perfect balance of bitterness and salty notes, this bite brilliantly mimicked the cannoli experience.
BREAD SERVICE
Special mention to the focaccia—easily the best bread I had during the trip. Served with green butter infused with herbs from the garden, the high-hydration focaccia was impressively soft inside and perfectly paired with the herb butter.
TASTING MENU
MARE E MELONE
Seaweed smoked melon, sea water, and marine herbs
A refreshing and intriguing opener, reimagining the classic melon-and-prosciutto combination. The subtly smoky melon replaced prosciutto, offering an inventive twist.
ADRIATIC BOUILLABAISSE
Seafood, saffron, orange
One of the most visually stunning dishes of the evening, with no sacrifice in flavor. The plate was beautifully arranged with seafood (crab, scallop, shrimp, mussel, lobster), and the creamy, bright broth was theatrically poured from a crab head. Each piece of seafood was perfectly cooked and complemented the broth wonderfully.
BORLENGO DALL’APPENNINO
Black Pregiato Truffle, mountain mushrooms
A truffle lover’s dream. Earthy, aromatic, and indulgent. The borlengo was made paper-thin to highlight the generous stuffing of truffles and mushrooms.
PORC AUX POMMES
Mora Romagnola, jujube, tourtière
My favorite dish of the evening! This was the best barbecue pork I’ve ever tasted. Glazed with a house-made barbecue sauce featuring jujube for sweet notes, the smoky, impossibly tender pork was perfectly balanced and absolutely unforgettable.
PINEAPPLE PASTA
Spaghettini from Gragnano, Sicilian pineapples, peperoni cruschi, flames
A playful nod to the controversial Hawaiian pizza. Visually stunning, though the combination of pineapple and spaghettini edged closer to sweet than savory. This served well as a transition to dessert.
AMARO IN BIANCO
Rue, pith, salt
A palate cleanser featuring house-made amaro served over frozen citrus peel and pith. While intriguing, the bitterness was an acquired taste that didn’t fully resonate with me.
APPENNINO
Milk and whey of Bianca Modenese, carbon caramel, Porcini mushroom, cedar
The final dish—a beautiful balance of earthy and sweet flavors, which happen to be my favorite type of dessert. Shaped like a sand dollar, the exterior was made from soft cream from local cows, filled with a caramel and mushroom reduction.
Thanks for the review, looks like a great meal!