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Following our adventure in Bologna (which you can read about here) we were driven to Modena, the epicenter of gourmet dining in Emilia Romagna. Many people are familiar with Modena thanks to Chef Massimo Bottura who put it on the map with his 3 star Michelin restaurant Osteria Francescana and has since become legendary in the food world.

What you may not know is that aside from Osteria Francescana, Bottura and his wife also own a small hotel called Casa Maria Luigia located 15 minutes outside of Modena where you can enjoy a luxurious stay in the countryside and indulge in the Chef’s greatest hits while dining on property at Francescana at Casa Maria Luigia (CML). We decided to book for two nights in order to get the full experience.

A word of warning, this post is going to be heavy on the photos since every detail at CML is picture perfect and worth capturing.

The best way to describe CML is a country house hotel with a little bit of Disney World thrown in. An important thing to note is that each and every staff member on property is living in Massimo World, the veneration and adulation paid to Chef Massimo during each conversation is slightly disconcerting, but hey, maybe we would be drinking the Kool-Aid too by the time we left.

CML opened its doors in 2019 with twelve rooms and several small cabins with the idea that it was to feel like your home away from home complete with 24 hour access to a kitchen stocked with choice beverages and snacks as well as pools, a garden, a gym and much more. There is also an Acetia (balsamic vinegar cellar) on property as well as two restaurants (one in addition to Francescana). If you are contemplating a visit you would be wise to plan on at least two nights, one is not enough time to experience this fantasy world.

Upon arrival you can’t help but notice the playful, whimsical, happy art which is everywhere you turn, just the kind I love most. We had not rented a car during our trip so relied on drivers, but if you are spending time exploring the area you may want to consider renting. Once we checked in and were given the lay of the land we were shown to our cottage (#10) located steps away from the main house.

Our cottage was adorable, sort of like a single wide trailer that Gucci got their hands on. Speaking of Gucci, Massimo Bottura has a close relationship with the fashion brand so many of the fabrics and wallpapers are designed by the House of Gucci, totally vibing with my aesthetic. After settling in and enjoying our snacks (needless to say every morsel at CML was both beautiful and delicious) we decided to head back over to the main part of the hotel for further exploration and to capture some photos.

The main “Farm” House was filled with a million fabulous details ranging from hip to classic to a bit avant-garde. I particularly loved all the needlepoint Gucci cushions as well as the Peter Blake I Love You rug which I immediately started searching for an auction sites hoping to get one for myself. Since the hotel is so small you do cross paths with other guests (for the most part exceedingly chatty and friendly) but it sort of feels as though you are part of a super chic house party. We ended our tour in the kitchen where we grabbed some snacks (delectable- both sweet and savoury) as well as mini bottles of Lambrusco!

If you venture away from the farmhouse and follow a path through the Chef’s garden you will ultimately find your way to Massimo’s Playground where you will find numerous works of art, one of Bottura’s prized Lamborghinis and several of his motorbikes in addition to a pool table and some gym equipment. The Playground serves as a reminder that you truly are in Massimo World.

Breakfast at CML (which is included in the room rate) is another opportunity to enter Massimo’s world, we were able to sample some of his favorite foods from his childhood, as well as what his mom prepared for him on Christmas morning. Not surprisingly everything was picture perfect and incredibly tasty, though the coffee was (shockingly) disappointing.

If you desire to dine at Francescana at Maria Luigia you have to be sure to reserve when you make your booking, as the experience is open to non-hotel guests as well. We reserved night two of our stay for this special meal, avidly anticipating the communal dining experience which highlights some of Massimo’s most iconic dishes over the years, many of which were featured on the 2015 Chef’s Table episode that profiled him.

The large dining room features several long tables (perhaps service for 24 in total?) and there is a set menu along with an option for wine pairings. With advance notice they will accommodate any dietary restrictions, and I was not at all disappointed with my vegetarian/gluten free offerings. There is assigned seating (we were lucky to be seated with some very friendly fellow Americans) and an open kitchen which enabled many photo ops. To be honest I was quite restrained with my picture taking, there were some guests who photographed the preparation and plating of each and every course. Each dish was introduced and explained by the very amenable staff, and Massimo was given endless accolades regarding his prowess as well as genius. It was easy to imagine we were diners in Ralph Fiennes’ film The Menu, as the restaurant staff are truly under his spell. If you haven’t seen it, give it a watch, it is very dark.

Long story short, the food was extraordinary and the service incredibly professional. Each and every dish was remarkable and the experience was a lot of fun. This is absolutely something I would book if you are visiting Emilia Romagna. In truth my only hesitation is the excessive idolatry paid to Massimo. Yes, he is incredibly talented and accomplished, but I don’t need to keep hearing about it course after course. Perhaps I am a bit of a killjoy, but it bordered on too much.

The food kept coming, with each dish more impressive than the last, and while there were many courses none of us felt over-stuffed. We decided not to go with the wine pairing, but rather ordered a bottle we felt would work with most of the dishes.

The desserts in particular were a quite clever and cheeky. Usually if it doesn’t have chocolate I am not that interested but I ended up enjoying the two iconic fruit themed offerings. I did receive a special gf dessert consisting of sorbet and different chocolate crumbs which may actually have been the winner.

Our meal lasted about three hours, though it really flew by. While I am not quite ready to be a member of the cult of Massimo Bottura I truly enjoyed the experience.

I am sure some people come to Modena with the intention of dining at more than one Massimo Bottura restaurant, but if you are able to plan ahead I would absolutely recommend booking one of the five tables for lunch at Hosteria Giusti (which in my humble opinion was even better than the meal at Francescana at CML). Located on a side street in Modena, Salumeria Hosteria Giusti appears to be an Italian deli from a Wes Anderson movie, it is utterly picturesque and perfect. If you happen to be a true foodie though, you know that at the very rear of the shop, and down a short passageway you can enjoy an utterly sublime dining experience. As mentioned, there are just five tables and you need to book way in advance; once you have that “golden ticket” you just need to show up and be ready to indulge. There is a small staff, including some of the Morandi family members who own Giusti (we had the honor of being served by Cecelia Morandi) and have run the restaurant since 1989. My husband and I actually had the pleasure of dining at Giusti about 20 years ago, and have literally dreamed about returning since then. Needless to say we were thrilled to be able to score a reservation when we were planning our trip to the region.

After perusing the concise yet appealing menu over a glass of crisp and dry Lambrusco we placed our order. There was no problem accommodating my gluten free/vegetarian diet; I feasted on fried polenta with creamy bacalà, eggplant parmigiana with no breading and insanely rich and dense flourless chocolate cake (torta al ciccolato tipo “Barozzi”) floating in crema a marscapone. My husband had a selection of gnocco fritto with salumi, tortellini in brodo and tagliatelle al sugo di guanciale all washed down with a delicious bottle of red. It was absolutely PERFECT in every way, the service, the food, the setting all was 100%. After the meal we enjoyed a tour of the wine cellar and chatted with Cecilia. The amount of family pride and humility was refreshing, especially when compared with the cult of Massimo Bottura.

While both meals were incredibly memorable and delicious, if I had only one to enjoy in Modena, I would pick Giusti.

A nice stroll following lunch is always a good idea, and there is lots to admire in Modena, it doesn’t hurt that we had a spectacular day.

Staying at CML had the added benefit of a concierge to help plan activities in the region which made our exploration a breeze. We were able to book two special experiences as well as a driver to get a (literal) taste of the highly sought-after Parmigiana made by the rare white cows of Modena at the Caseificio Rosola. Once we suited up we were able to tour the small cooperative that churns out truly ethereal aged Parmigiana cheese (and some unbelievable fresh ricotta as well). The multi- step process is quite fascinating and the facility itself was spotless.

In truth, if I had to be stuck somewhere during the apocalypse, this may be where I would like to spend my last days. The cheese is rotated, cared for and stacked according to its age; a place of zen for cheese lovers. Once the tour was complete we had the opportunity to sample the cheese from this special cheesemaker alongside other cheeses from the region, and perhaps I was biased due to the newly formed bond I have with Rosola, but their cheese was clearly better. And as I said, the warm fresh ricotta with local jam was beyond. It wouldn’t be a successful activity in Italy unless it was accompanied by local wine, so that is what we washed it down with.

Speaking of wine, our next stop was at TerraQuilia Vineyard where Lambrusco (and other wines) are made in the Ancestral Method. We toured the property and bottling operation with one of the proprietors Francesco who entertained us with the history of the Vineyard and provided us with many tastes of their different varieties and vintages. He made it easy for us to ship some home (of course) and we look forward to enjoying some of the light bubbly Lambrusco over the summer.

Our last activity before we left CML was a tour of the Acetia on property. The process of aging the Balsamic Vinegar is quite precise and takes many years to evaporate the vinegar to the syrupy consistency everyone expects. There is also a “chef’s blend” that is produced which is delicately flavored and sold as a condiment, all under the Villa Manodori label. The tour is complimentary to guests of CML and there is an opportunity to purchase some to bring home as souvenirs. I would recommend shopping at Giusti for similar items.

We were fortunate to experience such a range of unforgettable tastes during our stay in Modena, and I would heartily recommend if you call yourself a “foodie” that you add it to your bucket list as well. CML is a perfect place to stay when exploring the area, just up your resolve not to be indoctrinated into the cult of Massimo. As you can tell I was slightly turned off by the constant adoration but can accept the fact that he is an extremely talented chef as well as an expert self-promotor. My advice, just set it all aside and enjoy it, thats what we did.

Our final stop on this trip was a return to another family owned establishment, Da Vittorio for a meal that just may have been the best we have ever had in Italy. Stay tuned!