Day Four: Modena – Balsamic vinegar, parmesan cheese, & the best sandwich of your life
Caio Venezia!!! On our way to Modena…
Let me start off by saying this: We LOVED Modena. We did NOT LOVE the buses. It was really easy to get turned around. We took a train in from Venice and knew we needed to quickly get from the train station to our balsamic vinegar acetaia tour (yeah dat’s right, more on that). We started by trying to buy a 24 hour bus pass, but it was confusing as hell. The automated machine’s English translation wasn’t working, the city’s bus website was virtually NO help and of course no one was manning the kiosk. They had just left for a lunch break! Long story short, we ended up getting on the wrong bus like…twice and had to ditch the bus and walk 1.2 miles (with all our luggage) to the Acetaia on the edge of town where we had an 11am appointment for a Balsamic tour & tasting. Naturally we were 15 minutes late, but still graciously welcomed. We dropped our bags and headed up stairs just in time for the good part…tasting vinegar.
It was here, however, that all the morning frustrations melted away. I cannot say enough good things about our experience at Acetaia di Giorgio. A family owned/operated business for years, they have been making Balsamic vinegar the same way for decades, using only one ingredient….grapes. We learned a lot about the aging process, what types are made, and what it takes to receive the DOP certification to be considered “traditional” balsamico di Modena.
It was highly educational. We tasted several (if not all) of their products. There are two types of certified balsamico, aged 12 years or 25 years. But the varieties they make depend on what type of wood they are aged IN. They only use juniper, cherry, or a mix of the two.
They sell their product directly from their location, or online. I can promise you that if you’ve never tasted REAL balsamic vinegar, then ordering a bottle of this would be life-changing.
Not having a deadline to meet, we hopped back on the bus (with CLEAR direction this time) and into the town center to our B & B. We still hopped off at the wrong stop and had to walk an extra ¼ mile. But hey…it’s all good.
This quaint Bed & Breakfast was just downright charming and run by the friendliest fellows located in the historic city center. Below is our adorable room:
The bathroom was built right into our room. Kind of a neat, if odd feature. This is one of only two rooms. The view from our window was rather nice though.
Antonio (one of the owners) was incredibly friendly, patient, and seemed thrilled to have us as guests. We felt very welcome. He met us there, showed us around the B&B and our room, and left us a key (and map) to come and go. He even recommended a sandwich joint (that we had already earmarked b/c…hello, it’s US) saying “best sandwich in all of Modena”.
There is a super tiny, winding staircase that leads up to the top floor where you’ll find a quaint little kitchen with a view of the city rooftops.
And outside, the owner’s private residence is joined by a private terrace where guests can hang out.
We were starving, and of course headed straight over to Mercato Albinelli (where this famed sandwich shop is located), and if this spot looks familiar, it’s because a couple of episodes of Aziz Ansari’s ‘Master of None’ were filmed here. Yes, this is the town where Dev lived and learned to make pasta. And it IS as picturesque and quaint as depicted in his series.
This is also where we picked up a LARGE hunk of parmesan cheese because after all, THIS is the Parma region, the very home of Parmesan cheese. Consider that we picked up a 2lb hunk of 24 month aged cheese for….$20 when the real stuff in the states will cost you $8-10 for a scant 1/4lb wedge.
Bar Schiavano is where Dev & Arnold chowed down, and where Antonio told us we’d find the best sandwich in all of Modena. Well….he wasn’t entirely accurate with his recommendation. It’s not just the best sandwich in all of Modena….it’s the best sandwich we’ve ever had in our entire lives. It’s hard to describe WHY perse…..
I could wax nostalgic about it for a while; how the ciabatta was freshly baked, the homemade pork sausage, the pesto, the perfect execution of all the ingredients in terms of temperature, texture, order of assembly, etc. It…it just tasted SO good. Like, the ‘take a bite and let your eyes roll back in your head while muttering “oh my God”’ kind of good.
Look at me, not even knowing what’s about to happen to my taste buds
We also ordered another sandwich. It had pears, radicchio, and gorgonzola. Also extremely tasty, but the real crown jewel was the pork sausage. Just trust us on this. They change their menu seasonally, but this one seems to stick around on the menu. And for good reason.
After lunch, we explored the sights of Modena, stopping for Gelato of course.
This place had some very unique options, the service was friendly, and they made the gelato into a lil’ flower blossom! Definitely recommend a stop here for the high quality of Italian ingredients they use and for the special flavors like zabayon or vanilla with cinnamon and orange jam or cocoa sorbet or even a gin sorbet.
After we refueled with gelato, we set out to see the town. We did a thorough walk-around of the city center. We hit up the square….
The church…..
The tower….
The park…
The square in front of the Military building….
Mostly just enjoying the quiet pace of this sleepy little town.
Exhausted from carrying my parmesan around…
We headed over to Mon Cafe for an aperitif to bridge the gap since our dinner reservation wasn’t until 8pm.
We each ordered up a cocktail and let me tell you…they packed a serious punch.
Mine was an anise-flavored liqueur drink and they served it with a mini-pitcher of ice cold water to thin it out to my taste. Well…I had to use a lot. The anise flavor was over-powering.
After heading back to the B&B for a brief rest & to get ready, we took a leisurely stroll (again with those darn things) outside the city center to our dinner spot. Since there was NO WAY we could snag a reservation at Massimo Bottura’s famed Osteria Francescana (nor could we afford it), we settled for his little sister restaurant, Francescetta 58. Tidbit: If you want to know more about Bottura, check out the very first episode of Netflix’s docu-series “Chef’s Table”. It’s a phenomenal must-watch for any foodie. But like any good disciple going to mecca, we at least had to walk by Bottura’s holy grounds to snap a picture. It appears so simple and nondescript on the exterior, one might walk past without even knowing what magic is happening inside.
An extremely modern joint, Bottura’s other restaurant aims to share his culinary love at a much lower price point and proudly proclaims “I <3 Modena” on the window. After some serious deliberation and discussion with our server, we decided to build our own tasting menu and share every dish. Price came out to be about the same as the set tasting menu.
Do we look tired? Because we FELT tired.
To start the chef de cuisine sent out an amuse bouche of Pumpkin with parmesan foam & bacon. A decadent parmesan explosion basically.
We shared two different fish dishes from the starters section. Above is Creamed Cod atop chickpea puree with “crusco” peppers, mushroom broth. A remarkable marriage of flavors. That creamed cod was brilliant.
Also tried the slightly rare amberjack with dried tomato, olive and almond pesto, spring onion broth. Tender & delicate amber jack. Found the broth a touch too salty actually. But that pesto was incredible (it’s hidden under the daikon radish slices).
The Emilia Burger. Massimo’s slider size ode to the Emilia region made originally for Shake Shack. Ground beef laced with parmigiano reggiano, salsa verde made of herbs, capers, & anchovies, & topped with a balsamic vinegar mayo. This thing is an Umami BOMB, and the presentation was fantastic.
Tortellini with Parmigiano Reggiano sauce.I joked this was Massimo’s love letter to parmesan cheese because that’s the heaviest element of the dish. The light, eggy tortellini go so well with the rich nuttiness of the parmesan. But make no mistake, it was HEAVY. And a tiny bit salty from all the parmesan cheese.
Pork belly with morello cherry sauce, spinach and marinated shallot. By this point I was nearing a stomach explosion, but man… I still dream of this cherry sauce.
Steamed dark chocolate pudding with passion fruit and iced cocoa cookie. We were very curious to try ‘steamed’ pudding. Verdict? Delicious. And the passion fruit paired beautifully with the bitterness of the dark chocolate. Oh and if you thought that meant a chocolate cookie with icing? Nope, those are frozen wafers of cocoa that just dissolve on your tongue.
I nearly had to be wheeled out of here. I was forcing dessert in my face. Thankfully, we had a mile-long walk back to our B&B so I’d walk off some of it. And rest assured Modena is a sleepy little town. Lights were out, and there was very little night life going on.
We unfortunately did NOT get to participate in the 2nd “B” of B&B because we had such an early train to catch. Antonio was disappointed he wouldn’t have the chance to make us breakfast. However, he made sure to tell us about the Nespresso machine in the tiny top floor kitchen. We at least took part in that, and chowed down on some protein bars for our 15 minute pre-dawn walk to the train station as we head to Cinque Terre next.
A dopo Modena, you charmed the pants off of us!
Getting Around
Modena is served by an extensive bus system that is pretty affordable. Tickets are inexpensive and you can take as many rides as you’d like in the time the ticket is valid, BUT it is very confusing and information is not readily available, at least not in English.
This city is very walkable (or bikeable), so once in the city center, you can just walk everywhere. In lieu of the bus, you can opt for a taxi back to the train station or bus station or however you plan to travel to your next destination. Our morning train was so early that we actually just walked back to the train station because it was only about 1 mile.
Accommodations (Where We Stayed)
Quartopiano B&B – We can HIGHLY recommend this little gem in Modena’s city center. Antonio was exceptionally friendly, informative, and seems to love what he does. You can’t beat that sort of hospitality.
Food (Where We Ate)
Bar Schiavano – Where we had the best sandwich ever. It’s located IN Mercato Albinelli, but also has an exterior entrance with outside seating.
Gelateria Bloom – very unique flavors that they scoop and shape into a flower cone. Some of the best gelato in the Parma region.
Mon Café – For an aperitivo, or pre-dinner ritual in Italy of drinks and light snacks. Same owner(s) as our B&B offers a hip, modern atmosphere and some strong cocktails. We did not eat here other than the snacks offered with our alcohol, but they were tasty and the menu looked appealing.
Franceschetta 58 – Famed chef Massimo Bottura’s sister restaurant to his original award-winning Osteria Francesca. Offers pre-set tasting menus, or a la carte, build your own style. Hip, trendy, and above-all….delicious. Just outside the city center (about a mile). Reservations required.
Honestly, you will find some of the best food in all of Italy in the Parma region. The people of Modena take the culinary arts seriously and take pride in the food they serve to you. Everything is carefully crafted. Ingredients are incredible. This is afterall where you get some of the best things to come out of Italy – parmigiano reggiano, balsamico, tortellini…it’s no wonder the world’s best restaurant takes up residence in quiet little Modena.
Attractions (What We Saw)
Piazza Grande Modena – The town’s main square and hub-bub. Home to the cathedral (and it’s own leaning tower).
Duomo di Modena – Gothic style Roman-Catholic cathedral dedicated to the Virgin Mary. Located on the square.
Ducal Palace of Modena – Palace built in 1634, now home to a military museum and academy.
Mercato Albinelli – Central market where you can get your Dev & Arnold walk on, eat the best sandwich of your life, shop for goodies this region is famous for like parmesan cheese, balsamic vinegar, & cured meats. This is one place we suggest purchasing parmigiano reggiano if you want to take some home – it could get more expensive outside of the Parma region. Cheese that is sealed and unopened is on the admissible list of items you can bring into the US from abroad. Cured meats, however, are general not admissible.
Torre Civica Ghirlandina – Historic bell tower. Costs 3€ per person and you have to climb all 200 steps. There is NO elevator. It offers panoramic views of the city.
Acetaia di Giorgio – Cannot say enough good things about this family run Acetaia. It was informative, delicious, and you’ll feel really good about giving them your business since it has been kept in the family for generations.
Park – We visited Parco Giardino Ducale Estense. Not much there, but made for a pretty & quiet walk. Clearly a local hangout.
Other things to do if you have more time than we did:
Ferrari Museum – Car buff? I’d wager you’d have a hard time finding a better way to spend a couple of hours.
Parmesan tours – Take advantage of being in the homeland of parmesan cheese! Here’s a helpful website for guided tours of dairies.
Take a food tour! – Seriously, this region is renowned for its cuisine. Take it all in. Vinegar, cheese, pasta, meats!
Up next: Cinque Terre!
Pin for later
Leave a Reply