DA CESARI (BOLOGNA, ITALY)

Da Cesari
Via de Carbonesi 8
40123 Bologna
Da Cesari
Tel: +39 051 237710
Cuisine: Italian
$$$ ($30-$45)
Wed, 10/25/2017, 7:00pm reservation
    (4 Piglets)

Bologna is a beautiful city. It is filled with colors of red and architecture consisting of arches throughout. It is known for pastas and salumi and boy, did we get a good amount of it.

Da Cesari is a restaurant in Bologna that has received great reviews and recommended by a friend. The restaurant is decently sized, rustic, and family owned. As soon as you walk in, you feel like you're part of the family. We decided to stick with pasta since that seemed to be what we were craving most of the time. 

The Interior

Part of the kitchen

The most delicious wine

SALUMI DELLA GRANDE TRADIZIONE EMILIANA (€12.00). This was amazing. Definitely order it if you like cold cuts. My favorite was the fatty one. LOL

TORTELLINI IN BRODO DI MANZO (€12.00). This was light and delicious. It was a good way to start the meal with something light, even if it was pasta. I loved the broth. It had so much flavor. It was a good starter. 

TAGLIATELLE ALLA BOLOGNESE (€10.00). What I realized in Italy is that traditional Bolognese is not saucy so to speak, but rather it coats the pasta just enough to flavor it. Regardless, it is delicious. It has tons of flavor and I love how the pasta is tossed in butter. It was meaty but not to the point that it was overwhelming. 

MY FAVORITE. SPECIAL: SPAGHETTI WITH TRUFFLES. I thought the pasta was delicious. It had a good amount of sauce. I only wished the truffle was a little more prominent in flavor but regardless, it was superb. I loved the texture of the pasta being al dente. I'm now craving pasta just writing this. 

Overall, I thought Da Cesari was a great place to get good pasta for the region. It was decently priced, which I appreciated. The service was good and they had a really great selection of wines. It feels like you're at home when dining at the restaurant. I would definitely recommend this restaurant if you are craving pasta and want something that isn't too fussy. 

Notable Dishes: Spaghetti with Truffles and Tagliatelle Alla Bolognese 

OSTERIA FRANCESCANA (MODENA, ITALY)

Osteria Francescana *ONE OF MY FAVORITES*
Via Stella, 22
41121 Modena, Italy
https://www.osteriafrancescana.it/
Tel: +39 059 223912
Cuisine: Italian
$$$$ ($50+)
Tues, 10/24/2017, 8:00pm reservation
    (5 Piglets)

Ever since watching the Netflix's Chef's Table on Osteria Francescana, I've been wanting to dine at this restaurant. The portrayal of the restaurant seemed so inviting. What lured me was the chef Mossimo Bottura, a guy who truly loves food and presented dishes that he wanted to present, even if it wasn't the norm at the time. 

So, three months prior to October, I woke up at 1:00am (Los Angeles time) and went online and snagged a res. I felt like I won the lottery. I was super ecstatic and lucky that I got the time and date that I wanted (5 minutes later, all the reservations were taken for the whole month). It seriously is that popular! Who wouldn't want to dine at one of the most prestigious restaurants in the world that was once the best restaurant in the world and has 3 Michelin stars?

The space is beautiful. Upon arrival, you're greeted by the maître'D who takes your coat and leads you to your table. There are about 10 tables that I could count. It's elegant, bright, simple and consists of hand-picked art pieces. The chairs are comfortable and the menu, well-it's beautiful. You have the option of choosing a la carte or two different tasting menus. I chose the smaller one, the Festina Lente menu for €220...(although the larger one only had a €30 difference.

The silverware

An array of delicious Amuse Bouche

COURSE ONE: Tempura of Aula with Carpione Sorbet. This dish was interesting. It was quite "fishy," which I didn't love. I thought it was well executed nonetheless. The sorbet with the crunchy tempura was nothing like I've tasted. Though I don't love fishy tasting food, I appreciated this dish. 

COURSE TWO: An Eel Swimming up the Po River. The eel was amazing. It was delicate, sweet, salty and cooked perfectly. It had an amazing texture and I would eat this all the time! 

COURSE THREE: Grey and Black Rice. This was probably my least favorite dish. There was caviar on top of this risotto dish. It again, was fishy and so I wasn't a fan. The risotto was definitely al-dente. I would've liked it cooked a little bit more, but that's a personal preference. 

COURSE FOUR: Cod Mare Nostrum. I LOVED THIS DISH!! The fish was cooked absolutely perfectly. It was flaky, delicate, moist and downright delicious. The sauce was light and the balance of acidity and textures was spot on. I'm so particular with my fishes and this was one of the best I've ever had. 

Complimentary Bread and Sticks

MY FAVORITE DISH. COURSE FIVE: Autumn in New York. This was probably one of my favorite dishes I've ever tasted, EVER. It was delicately prepared, innovative and magnificent in every shape and form. The creativity of representing the essence of what NYC is into a dish is the epitome of this dish. It was a broth with smoothness that coated your palate at the perfect possible way. It had the right balance of flavors and I just wanted it over and over again. 

COURSE SIX: Tortellini with Cream of Parmigiano Reggiano. Modena is known for their pasta and balsamic vinegar. The pasta here was cooked al dente. It was rich and simple. I enjoyed this dish. 

COURSE SEVEN: Suckling Pig Tender and Crunchy. This too was one of my favorite dishes. It reminded me of the Chinese suckling pig, cooked perfectly moist with the crunchy skin on top. The sauces that went with it were amazing. It coated the pig nicely and added a depth of flavor like no other. 

COURSE EIGHT: Caesar Salad in Bloom. This was definitely interesting. I couldn't believe I was eating flowers but in a good way. They said to pick it up with the fingers and eat it like a taco all in one bite. Inside was "the dressing." It was all delicious, fresh, and different. 

COURSE NINE: Yellow is Bello. This dessert was delicious. It was light and a good yellow in my belly! It had a crunch to it and a creaminess texture in the middle. It was a great way to end a perfect meal! 

An additional Dessert. It was amazing. The chocolate was decadent and just what I wanted. 

Oops! I Dropped the Lemon Tart (€30.00). At this point I was stuffed but I still wanted this dessert to try it since watching it on the Netflix special. I actually didn't love it as much as I did. It was slightly bitter and definitely tart. I did like the crunchiness and the tartness but not the bitterness. 

Overall, Osteria Francescana was everything I wanted and more. I went in with low expectations (I tend to get disappointed just like how I was with Alinea) and I ended up pleasantly surprised. The meal was absolutely fantastic and the service was on point. I loved that Massimo went over to say hello to every guest dining in the restaurant. He's pretty amazing. This was probably the best meal I ever had, from the time I walked in, to the service, to the food, to the chef. I don't know if I would dine here again just for the mere fact that I don't want to ruin my memory of how amazing it is. Who knows though? I still have to try the Parmigiano Reggiano made 5 ways. 

Notable Dishes: Autumn in NY and the Suckling Pig

Thanks Massimo!

HOSTERIA GIUSTI (MODENA, ITALY)

Hosteria Giusti
Via Farini n. 75
41100 Modena
www.hosteriagiusti.it
Tel: +39 059 222533
Cuisine: Italian
$$$$ ($50+)
Tues, 10/24/2017, 12:30pm reservation
     (4.5 Piglets)

After watching the second season of Master Of None, I was bound to make reservations at Hosteria Giusti. In the show, he meets a girl at the salumeria and they hit it off. I was now a single girl ready to mingle, in hopes of living the life the way Aziz Ansari did in the show.  

Hosteria Giusti happens to be Mario Batali's favorite restaurant. It also happens to only be open for lunch and caters to the lucky diners who manage to snag one of the four tables available. Yes, you read it right; there are only a total of four tables! I booked months in advance for this lunch and couldn't wait to try it. The restaurant itself was situated below my AirBnB (if you need recommendations, just ask me!) and luckily, I didn't have to dine alone.

The salumi

All the condiments

The store as you wait...

The dining room...only 4 tables

the kitchen

Upon arrival, you walk into the salumeria and check in with the staff to let them know you have a lunch reservation. The place itself is magnificent, with cured meats hanging from the ceiling and condiments after condiments all situated throughout the 4oo year old store. The hostess takes you through the store to the back, walking you through the kitchen until you reach your destination. The tables are rustic and you feel you're sitting in the dining room of a cute little European cottage. You're offered water and a wine list and the menu. Then the food comes....

We got wine...

Complimentary bread

MY FAVORITE DISH. FRIED DUMPLING WITH COLD CUTS (€12.00). Can I just tell you how freakin amazing this dish is? The bread aka the fried dumpling was light and airy and wasn't greasy for being fried. It was easy to eat and the cold cuts were delicious! It wasn't heavy and can be shared amongst your other party. I have yet to find something similar to this dish in LA.

MACARONI WITH "ZAMPONE" SAUCE AND POTATO MUSH (€18.00). I never had pasta that is paired with potato. The zampone sauce usually consists of shoulder and thigh meat as well as the pork cheek and skin. It is common and Modena and I can see why! It is delicious and flavorful. The whole pasta was cooked al dente (now I really know what al dente means). The flavor was delicious, light, and slightly rich without being overpowering. I actually enjoyed the potato at the bottom of the dish. It absorbed the sauce. I liked this dish a lot. Get it cause I have yet to find a dish similar to this in the States.

PUMPKIN RAVIOLI (€18.00). I mean, how can you go wrong with ravioli? It was light and the filling was smooth. It wasn't too sweet which can often happen with pumpkin. It was filling and yet, you find yourself wanting more. This dish was a good dish and fresh for the season.

SUCKLING PIG IN ROOM TEMPERATURE WITH ONION SAUCE AND AGED BALSAMIC VINEGAR (€18.00-HALF PORTION).  This was my least favorite dish. I felt the suckling pig was a bit too dry for my liking. I didn't love the onion sauce. It was a tad bit overwhelming in terms of acidity. Together, the onion sauce and the suckling pig were well-balanced but it still fell short of moistness and texture.

FRIED "COTECHINO" WITH ZABAGLIONE AND LAMBRUSCO (€18.00-HALF PORTION). This was my favorite main amongst the two. It wasn't what I expected. It was basically a deliciously, ground up, moist sausage that was fried and topped with a well-balanced sauce. It was crisp and the perfect size being the half portion. It wasn't overly heavy, so I appreciated that. 

COOKED PEARS WITH MOSCATO ZABAIONE AND TOASTED ALMONDS (€18.00). I picked this dish cause I thought it was something different. The pears were delicious and not too sweet. The portion size was a good size to be shared. I just felt that the dish wasn't amazing. It wasn't what I expected. It was a little sour and I just was hoping for something more. 

Overall, I can see why Hosteria Giusti is Mario Batali's favorite restaurant. It is unique and pays homage to authentic food of Modena. This was the first time I tasted what true "al dente" pasta meant. It was definitely something to get used to, but I now much prefer this mode of cooking pasta. I thought all the flavors were quite prominent at this restaurant and I loved the fact that it was intimate. They cater to you as though you're one of the family. Although I didn't love every dish at this restaurant, I thought it was a unique experience and I wouldn't mind eating at this place again. 

Notable Dishes: Fried Dumpling with Cold Cuts and Macaroni with "zampone" sauce