Modena- a city in the Emilia Romagna region of Italy, is known for its slow food and fast cars. Throughout its history, Modena has been influenced by both its historical charm and modern innovation. The city’s architecture is a captivating blend of medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque styles, showcasing the evolution of architectural trends over the centuries. With its rich orange porticoes and iconic palazzo’s– it is one of my favourite towns in Italy for street photography.
Why Emilia Romagna Region is Worth Visiting
Emilia Romagna region is generally skipped over on most people’s visits to Italy. In fact- you may never have even heard of it. Yet, the Emilia Romagna region has has a huge influence on the world we know today in terms of food, innovation and architecture. I am sure you’ve all eaten Parmigiano Reggiano (parmesan cheese), balsamic vinegar, tortellini and prosciutto di parma (or just prosciutto as we call it). These products all originated from this region of Italy. Even the world’s most famous Italian pasta dish- spaghetti bolognese- comes from a town called Bologna. Italians have cultivated the best farming practises over the past centuries and generally keep the best produce to themselves, which is why it will be almost impossible to find a better traditional dish outside of its region.
Emilia Romagna is also important for its impact on science and engineering. The most iconic car in history, an engineering wonder- the Ferrari- comes from the humble town of Modena. They even have a Ferrari museum for the car enthusiasts to visit.
In a region that boasts the oldest university in the world, founded in 1088, one can only expect to hear about revolutionary inventions.Nobel Prize winner, Guglielmo Marconi changed the global understanding of electromagnetic waves. Marconi was born in 1874 in Bologna and grew up in Pontecchio, where he developed his first scientific curiosity and created the basis of his greatest invention, the radio. In fact, the scientist launches the first wireless telegraph signal in 1895 from Villa Griffone, his residence at the time.


Day 1- A Mistake!
Our first dinner in Modena wasn’t the best. I had a list of recommended restaurants from the Untold Italy podcast. As I’ve mentioned before, we tend not to rely much on Google and Trip Advisor reviews when in Italy and instead, try to get tips from trusted locals such as those interviewed on the podcast. The reason for this is the best Italian restaurants are the ones that don’t necessarily have the best online presence, because if the restaurant is that good- they simply don’t need it.
On the first night, we went to get some cash from the ATM (we were down to just 25 euro) and after both mine and Kit’s card being rejected, realised Commbank was down for maintenance and our cards probably wouldn’t work. All I had was my American Express and since many places don’t accept this credit card, we had to resort to a ‘tourist trap’ with a big ‘We Accept AMEX’ sign out the front. What is a a tourist trap?
A tourist trap restaurant is basically where a restaurant’s business model is aimed at getting people in the door, but not necessarily coming back. Because of this, their food generally isn’t great. They usually have flashy exteriors with a display of fruit and pasta and someone at the door acting like a used car salesman. Some red flags are that the menu is displayed in multiple languages (French and German) and include dishes that aren’t mostly typical of the region (ie a seafood marinara or amatriciana in Modena). Since we couldn’t be too picky with our card situation, we decided to take a risk. Bad move. The food wasn’t great and it certainly wasn’t representative of Modena’s standards. The broth of my Tortellini in Brodo (signature Modena dish) tasted like those Continental instant powder soups. The grilled vegetables were very sad and limp. Kits ‘Gramillia alla Salsiccia’ was bland and our balsamic steak was far too sweet. We decided to skip dessert and instead, opted for a gelato a few doors down which was certainly worth it.
Food: 5/10 – Service: 7/10 – Ambience: 6/10


Day 2- A Hidden Trattoria
The next day, we were determined not to make the same mistake as the previous night. We stuck to our recommendation list and decided to try a place called Trattoria Aldina. Some of the best restaurants in Italy are hidden away, which adds to the allure of the experience. Trattoria Aldina was certainly that. Google Maps directed us to what looked like just an old apartment building. There was no sign or restaurant front, but when we arrived at around 11:45 there was already crowd of locals milling around a brown door, awaiting its open at 12pm. It was only then that we realised we had made it to the right location.
As we were seated, the ambience of the restaurant was exactly what we expected from a good Italian trattoria. It was warm and cosy, with vintage photographs of the restaurant plastered over the walls from the past few decades. It really made you feel like you had been invited into someone’s home. We started with a glass of Lambrusco- a sparkling local red wine that is served chilled. In the past, Lambrusco had a pretty notorious reputation of being a ‘cheap, bad wine’, but the current generation have worked hard to innovate it into something more desirable. A good lambrusco is light and refreshing- like a red version of a prosecco or champagne. It actually works well with regional dishes like tortellini in brodo, rather than a bolder red which may be more overpowering.
We ordered the tortellini in brodo again, just for a comparison to last nights edition. The broth was much nicer- certainly not made with powder stock like last night. The tortellini themselves were also much better- but I will admit that overall not as good as the tortellini in brodo we have had in Bologna during a previous trip. I ordered the tagliatelle al ragu and it was absolutely delicious, but again, not as good as the ones I had in Bologna. We finished the meal with an Amarena (local) cherry panna cotta. This was easily the highlight of the meal. I generally love cherries and cherry flavoured things- so this dessert hit the spot. Overall, this restaurant certainly hit the mark for an authentic Modena experience.
Food: 8/10 – Service: 8/10 – Ambience: 9/10


Day 3- One of The Best meals in italy!
For our last meal in Modena, we had a difficult choice between a three Michelin starred restaurant called Osteria Francescana and an unassuming trattoria called Mi Piace. The trattoria we had stumbled across the previous night and had a really cosy ambience to it, but due to our credit card situation, we didn’t get to try it (they also looked very booked out!). From my experience in Italy, I tend to find the best dining experiences are always the trattoria’s that have been there forever, using local produce and regional recipes that have been passed down through generations. High end dining on the other end has often left me disappointed, and the reviews we read about Osteria Francescana seemed to confirm this. For this reason, we decided on the trattoria.
It wasn’t long until we realised we made an excellent choice. We ordered the tortellini in brodo (as part of our taste test) and this was by far the best in Modena and on par those we had in Bologna. The brodo (or broth) was made the traditional way- from capon. A capon is a male chicken that is castrated, at a young age and then fed a rich diet. This method makes the meat a more tender and flavoursome, especially for a broth. The tortellini was delicate on the outside yet full of flavour on the inside. I ordered the pumpkin ravioli, cooked in a butter and sage sauce. Such a simple dish with minimal yet high quality ingredients- it’s what the essence of Italian cooking is all about. The sage leaves were large and fresh that they tasted like they had just been picked straight from a bush. Pumpkins were in season so the ravioli filling was sweet and perfectly balanced with flavours of nutmeg.
For our main, we had a chicken cooked in aceto balsamic with tigelle. Balsamic vinegar is one of the key products of Modena, and we had been dying to try a good balsamic dish (apart from our overly sweet tourist trap steak from the previous night). This meal certainly nailed it- the balsamic was aromatic, earthly and spicy- unlike the bland and highly acidic versions you buy at the supermarkets back in Australia.
The young waiter who serves us was the son of the parents who cooked out the back. They owned the family run establishment. The service was warming and genuine and told us a bit about his family history- something I prefer to the more formal dining experience. He offered us a complimentary digestive to finish our meal. So far this was the best dining experience in Italy.
Food: 10/10 – Service: 10/10 – Ambience 10/10


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