Ask any gourmand where they would dine if they only had one night in the town of Modena, and nearly all would say Osteria Francescana. Securing a table at Massimo Bottura’s restaurant – awarded three Michelin stars and twice voted number one on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list – is like winning the lottery.
So when I cancelled a booking there in order to eat elsewhere, friends thought I’d gone mad. But I had an ace up my sleeve: a reservation instead at Casa Maria Luigia, the new country estate opened by Bottura and his wife, Lara Gilmore, located 15 minutes from central Modena, with its own special “Francescana” dining experience. The dinner itself is €450 (US$497), but requires a non-refundable booking at the hotel, so you’re looking at a minimum of €1,350 (US$1,492) for room, breakfast and dinner for two.
The best way to reach the estate (and discover the region of Emilia-Romagna, Italy’s food capital), is by car. After passing miles of industrial buildings and flat farmland, I reach the poplar-lined driveway that leads to what Bottura and Gilmore refer to as their country house.
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It’s more charming than grand, an 18th-century mansion with a cream facade, sage shutters and a balcony with oversized gelato sculptures at either end. Jazz music emanates from within, and I find Gilmore clipping bunches of lavender at the gate (I recognise her from her star appearance in the Netflix show Chef’s Table).
Staff lead me into the mansion, done up in a gorgeous mix of period, vintage and contemporary. The ornate vaulted ceiling in the main living room contrasts with a large Ai Weiwei triptych, and an adjacent parlour is filled with iconic Wassily and Barcelona chairs.
A music room holds a state-of-the-art sound system and thousands of vinyl records, and a cocktail lounge is set up for DIY drinks. Food, art and design books and magazines are strewn everywhere, confirming that this is a getaway for the aesthete, too.
Each of the 12 guestrooms is uniquely styled, and features contemporary art, vintage furniture and colourful design flourishes. Mine overlooks the former carriage house (now restaurant), and some of the car park, though the best views are of the garden.
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There is time to explore before dinner, so I cool off in the white-tiled swimming pool, then tour the extensive grounds, which are beautifully landscaped, but not so much as to lose their bucolic appeal. Past the grotto pond, tennis court and cedar trees, I find a mini agricultural Garden of Eden, sprouting giant zucchinis, voluptuous aubergines, and tomatoes blushing with ripeness. Unable to resist temptation, I pluck one to eat; it’s like experiencing a dozen Italian summers in a single bite.
Dinner begins at 7.30pm, and everyone dines at the same time, seated communally at one of three tables of eight surrounded by Damien Hirst artworks. Over an aperitif, Gilmore introduces us to the concept behind Francescana at Maria Luigia, as the estate’s restaurant is known. Bottura usually makes an appearance, but unfortunately, is in Istanbul during my stay.
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The tasting menu overlaps with Osteria Francescana’s, and several of its best-known dishes are served here. The main difference is the upending of fine dining convention, the informality, and interaction with fellow diners and the chefs working in the open kitchen. Before each of the nine courses is served, we are encouraged to get up, watch, take photos or chat with the chefs.
The first two, newly-created courses, oyster and eel, lean towards French and international. My favourites, however, are the classics. Five ages of Parmigiano-Reggiano, aged from 24 to 50 months, honour the king of cheeses in the form of mousse, cream and wafer. The crunchy part of the lasagne is an irreverent tricolour salute to Italy and nonna’s home cooking, a charred red, white and green cracker sitting on a sublime ragu. A new dish, Caesar salad in bloom, sprinkled with rose, nasturtium and violet petals, is ridiculously pretty and utterly delicious.
As a slow eater, I find it challenging to eat at the same pace as everyone else while conversing, and don’t savour the food as I normally would. That may seem wasteful after dropping €450 (US$497) per head for dinner alone, but this is the most fun meal I’ve had in a while. After an awkward start as my partner and I establish common ground with the French couple next to us, conversation flows freely, fuelled by generous pours of wine. I detect Italian, Spanish, Scandinavian and American accents in the room, and the mood shifts from reverential to celebratory. I retire to bed stuffed and a little tipsy, but revel in the joy of the occasion.
Eating is a constant at Casa Maria Luigia, and the next morning’s breakfast is outstanding, a delectable spread that showcases the food of Emilia-Romagna. Highlights include Mortadella on gnocco fritto, a fried dough, topped with fresh ricotta and a drizzle of syrupy aged balsamic vinegar from Bottura’s private collection, and a superb, unorthodox combination of roasted cotechino, a type of sausage, on an almond biscuit, served with zabaglione and aged balsamic.
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Chatting to Gilmore after breakfast, she tells me about the property’s history as farm-turned-bacchanal palace. Of playboy sons who squandered family fortunes, of feuding brothers, and a bitter ex-wife who turned the entire ground floor into a bedroom. She tells of how Casa Maria Luigia accidentally came about when, looking for a humble family weekender, they stumbled on the dilapidated estate in 2016. And of how, with passion, hard work and serendipity, this glorious estate has been brought back to life.
Casa Maria Luigia is open from 3pm Tuesday until noon Sunday. It is closed Sunday through Monday. Rooms start at €450 (US$497), including breakfast. Dinner is €450 (US$497) per person, including wine pairing.
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