Modena and Emilia Romagna

This natural wine bar pours amazing vino from Italy, France, and Slovenia alongside delicious cheese, cured meats, and other gourmet treats. I love the hard boiled eggs with tuna sauce and Cantabrian anchovies with butter and toast. I could eat and drink here every day of my life and when I’m in Modena, I do.

The Osteria Francescana-affiliated brasserie helmed by Marta Pulini serves exceptionally good cured meats and tortellini with Parmigiano Reggiano cream.

Accessed via an alley off Via Emilia, Hosteria Giusti is a 4-table institution serving traditional modenese fare like tagliatelle and tortellini and a range of meaty mains like braised veal cheek and cotechino. Start with a round of minestrone fritters and gnocco fritto. Book well in advance. Lunch only. Don’t miss Giusti’s salami, cheese, and pasta shop, which is attached to the restaurant via a narrow corridor and accessed from Via Farini.

For more modenese classics visit Da Enzo.

This sandwich shop in the historic Mercato Alibnelli is open from early morning–swing by for a breakfast of gnocco fritto and coffee–until the early afternoon. There are simple focaccia sandwiches served from the counter before noon, but from mid-day until closing (around 3:30pm) sisters Sara and Chiara Fantoni serve five sandwiches (for €5 each) and they are awesome (both the sandwiches and the sisters). The menu changes daily but you might find panini such as: smoked swordfish with white peaches, capers, olives, and onions; crispy pancetta with arugula and truffle sauce; eggplant, roasted tomatoes, and goat ricotta.

Satisfy your sweet tooth with pastries from Dondi.

Satisfy your sweet tooth with pastries from here too.

Bloom on Via Farini does amazing natural gelato.

Swing by Menomoka for serious coffee. Actually don’t just swing by. Stay all day. The wine and beer selection is fantastic and they serve delicious pastries in the morning and nice cheeses and cured meats in the evening.

About 100 yards away, Mon Cafè does a good sweet and savory breakfast and tasty little sandwiches; I’m not a huge fan of their dinner menu, but the wine list is awesome, so it’s worth a stop for a drink.

La Bicicletta is nice for aperitivo.

Erasmo on Via Taglio is a great place for a pizza washed down with a chilled bottle of Lambrusco.

In the market for traditional balsamic vinegar? Visit La Cà del Non, an awesome family run acetaia outside Modena.

If you’re mobile (or don’t mind springing for taxis), be sure to check out Hombre, an excellent Parmigiano Reggiano producer (and owner of a vast Maserati collection), which provides cheese–and car museum–tours upon request.

And I Sapori Delle Vacche Rosse also makes incredible cheese.

For a memorable meal outside Modena, it’s hard to beat La Lanterna di Diogene. Not only are the owners of this agriturismo the nicest people with the most sensational Lambrusco list, the restaurant and farm also provide employment and professional training to people with special needs.

Northeast of Modena in Finale Emilia, Entra is an excellent trattoria.

Southeast of the city, Amerigo dal 1934 is a beautiful bastion of traditional regional flavors.

Antica Osteria del Mirasole east of Modena does delicous grilled meats.