The Belly of Italy
Bologna is referred to as the belly of Italy, sometimes the Fat Belly, the Full Belly or simply 'the fat'. It is universally regarded as the foodie capital of Italy because so many iconic dishes and culinary treasures originate in and around there. The truth is Bologna is really a large college town with close to 100,000 students when school is in session and home to the oldest university in Europe. With an alumni list with folks like Coperinicus and Dante you know it's old.
It's become clear to me that to truly explore the food of Bologna it's best to head a little or even a lot outside the city. As is typical in Italy, people in Modena might claim the lead in some culinary circles over Bologna and then the folks a little further in Parma might do the same over the other two. The name Parma alone is part of not one, but two of italy's iconic foods - prosciutto di Parma and of course Parmesan cheese.
It's become clear to me that to truly explore the food of Bologna it's best to head a little or even a lot outside the city. As is typical in Italy, people in Modena might claim the lead in some culinary circles over Bologna and then the folks a little further in Parma might do the same over the other two. The name Parma alone is part of not one, but two of italy's iconic foods - prosciutto di Parma and of course Parmesan cheese.
Luckily all three of these towns are a short train or car ride apart, with even smaller towns possessing their own gems between them. We only had a couple of days between Sardinia and Tuscany to explore some of Emilia-Romagna's icons. Luckily, this is easy because great food is everywhere and ordering two pasta dishes for lunch isn't frowned upon; instead, servers in these parts recommend it. We visited some friends who make vermouth and other spirits and they took us to the closest restaurant to their distillery for convenience. I asked if it was one of the better restaurants around and they assured me it was good but typical—implying that most restaurants in the Emilia-Romagna countryside operate at this level.
Our countryside lunch began with a salumi cart and maybe the finest examples of sliced meat I've ever encountered. The prosciutto, sliced by hand and thicker than any I've been served, literally melted in the mouth. The mortadella was actually cut into larger chunks, which was spectacular. The two pasta dishes we had (pictured above) were both amazing. The gramigna pasta pictured on the right was, I hate to say it, a longer version of boxed mac and cheese noodles with a decadent cheesy sauce topped with sausage. It was the ultimate comfort food and lucky for me Stephy started calling uncle so I had a little extra.
When they wheeled over the next cart with a selection of boilito misto (boiled meat) and veggies we just laughed. They didn't push us, but next brought the dessert cart over and we had to try their famous zuppa Inglese. It was a little boozy and very rich, but also insanely good. This typical restaurant and typical meal would easily qualify as the best Italian food and service in most U.S. cities, and I'm not exaggerating.
After lunch we spent the afternoon visiting Zanasi, a Lambrusco producer whose wines we feature at Etto, located on the outskirts of Modena. Dry and high quality Lambrusco is not very popular in the states, but it should be. Fizzy red or pink wines are perfect with pizza, pasta and a large variety of appetizers. Most people who order prosecco would probably be just as happy if not happier if they had ordered lambrusco. Maybe give one a try next time you visit the Etto Pasta Bar.
The family, typical of this food rich region isn't content to just make wine, they also produce high-quality balsamic vinegar, while a another relative raises pigs for prosciutto and another makes top quality Parmesan cheese. Since a few hours had passed since lunch, we dove back in and sampled all of these delights, which were paired with another regional delicacy: gnocco frito, a delicious puffy bread that's fried in Olive oil or sometimes pork fat.I think we had the latter - they weren't sure since their father made it, but it tasted like lard to me.
When they wheeled over the next cart with a selection of boilito misto (boiled meat) and veggies we just laughed. They didn't push us, but next brought the dessert cart over and we had to try their famous zuppa Inglese. It was a little boozy and very rich, but also insanely good. This typical restaurant and typical meal would easily qualify as the best Italian food and service in most U.S. cities, and I'm not exaggerating.
After lunch we spent the afternoon visiting Zanasi, a Lambrusco producer whose wines we feature at Etto, located on the outskirts of Modena. Dry and high quality Lambrusco is not very popular in the states, but it should be. Fizzy red or pink wines are perfect with pizza, pasta and a large variety of appetizers. Most people who order prosecco would probably be just as happy if not happier if they had ordered lambrusco. Maybe give one a try next time you visit the Etto Pasta Bar.
The family, typical of this food rich region isn't content to just make wine, they also produce high-quality balsamic vinegar, while a another relative raises pigs for prosciutto and another makes top quality Parmesan cheese. Since a few hours had passed since lunch, we dove back in and sampled all of these delights, which were paired with another regional delicacy: gnocco frito, a delicious puffy bread that's fried in Olive oil or sometimes pork fat.I think we had the latter - they weren't sure since their father made it, but it tasted like lard to me.
The next day we went to the town of Modena proper and visited the Ferrari museum and one of Massimo Bottura's restaurants (the most affordable and casual one). The Ferarri museum had an exhibit of the cars driven by celebrity musicians over the years. It was worth the price of admission to see the rides driven by Miles Davis (pictured), John Lennon and Mick Jagger alone. The spot is right by the train station and easy to pop in and out of. The real reason we were in Modena of course was for the food.
We don't usually visit many fancy Michelin-star-type places ever as we generally favor the simple and authentic local spots. We made an exception to visit one of Massimo Bottura's restaurants since he is maybe the most famous of all Italian chefs and we've seen so many shows featuring him over the years. His most casual and affordable place called Franchescetta 58 has a weekend tasting menu that costs about 1/4 the price of his flagship restaurant. We decided to visit because tables were actually available. The 3 hour lunch was worth the price and a creative spin on many of the region's classic dishes. To help make pasta for this restaurant he employs young adults with autism and also sources vegetables from the Modena prison garden which is a reintegration program that gives inmates job skills upon their release. We support the notion that local businesses can contribute positively to the community and are interested in learning more about these programs.
Below are a couple photos from lunch. I highly recommend a visit to Modena - it's like the grown up version of Bologna. If you make it out to the countryside I think the advice would be to eat anywhere and prepare to be dazzled.
