Something big is happening in the world of food.
A shift in how we think about what we eat.
Plates of food have turned into one of the highest art forms; a painting, a sculpture, a performance, all to be consumed. Meals in the World’s top restaurants are becoming cultural and not just culinary adventures, each dish a representation of research, science, history and experimentation.
Before living in Modena I was completely unaware of what was happening in the world of food. But now that I’m here I can’t ignore it. I shared yesterday our gourmet lunch experience at the Osteria Il Grano di pepe, which really opened my eyes to what the culinary world has to offer.
Modena is home to the WORLD’S 3rd best restaurant.
N° 3 ON THE PLANET
Before New York, Paris, and London there is Girona in Spain, Copenhagen in Denmark and MODENA in Italy!
5 minutes away from my apartment there is the Bronze Medal of Food in the whole entire world.
From the Website http://www.theworlds50best.com/list/1-50-winners/
Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana
When you live this close to greatness, the discussions around you begin to change. I remember, last year, when Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana was number 5 in the world and people could not stop talking about it. At simple dinner parties we’d start talking about molecular cooking, authentic ingredients and innovative approaches to making food.
Living with Regret
I don’t have many regrets in my life. But I do think about lost opportunities.
In particular I think about not having seen either Ella Fitzgerald or Luciano Pavarotti sing in person, even though BOTH were alive in my lifetime.
It seems silly, but I think about this all the time.
Much in the same way I think about chef Ferran Adrià’s elBulli restaurant, which was the number 1 restaurant on the planet and home to Adrià’s molecular cooking revolution. The restaurant closed in 2011 and is undergoing what will most likely be one of the most profound transformations of modern day gastronomy. It is becoming much more than a restaurant, it is becoming a creativity centre, that I believe will lead a culinary revolution and be seen as a defining moment in the history of cuisine.
What I am trying to say is that you never quite know what these artist / chef / leaders are thinking. At any moment they could just close up shop, forget about their 3-Michelin rated restaurants and decide to embark on a break-through endeavour.
So I thought ….. I’d better hurry up and go eat at Massimo Bottura’s Osteria Francescana while it is open, close to home and the number 3, because if he becomes number 2 or 1 I’m screwed!!
the 5 for 25 rule – aka $$$
People who know me, know that I save my money. I save and slowly build mini-savings for all kinds of goals. Needless to say I’ve been saving up to eat at Massimo Bottura’s restaurant for 2 years!!
I have budgeted that it will cost about 500 euro ($680) for myself and my husband for a dinner including wine. So I have put aside 5 euro a WEEK for the past 25 MONTHS and have now saved 500 euro for our first dinner at Osteria Francescana.
5 Euro a week is no big sacrifice…less than a euro a day the marketers would say. This, just to show, that you don’t need to be rich to experience the best of what the world has to offer, you just need to plan!
Happy Valentine’s Day Amore Mio
My husband is a huge fan of Bottura, and we often spend our evenings eating our simple meals but talking about Chef Massimo Bottura. What he creates, where he studied, what it must be like to eat his creations, what food contest he’s judging, what new projects he is a part of, and how important he has been for raising the cultural “barre” in Italy.
He is becoming a legend in our lifetime.
So imagine my husband’s surprise when I gave him his Valentine’s Day gift early. A homemade, heart pop-up card with the date and time of our Osteria Francscana reservation on it. To see my pop-up card and find out how to make it I’ve done another little write-up about it here.
He almost cried.
Happy Valentine’s Day
Join me in two weeks, I’ll be posting about our experience and obviously what I wore! I’m still waiting for permission from the restaurant on whether or not I can publish photographs of the meal on the blog, I’m hoping for the best!