I first heard of Osteria Francescana in 2018 when a friend of mine suggested we try to get one of the coveted reservations. I had no idea it was the number one restaurant in the world. The website indicated it was waiting list only so I immediately dismissed it and thought I would check back again if I was ever in the area.
Later, I brought up the conversation to my sister who immediately jumped at even the idea of getting a seat at the Michelin 3 star spot in Modena, Italy. She reminded me of the “Chef’s Table” episode that highlighted Massimo Bottura’s road to being the most known chef in the world and his dishes served such as “Burnt part of lasagna”, “Five Stages of Parmesan” and of course, “Oops, I dropped the lemon tart.” Each with its own story, its own discovery and its own reason for being included on the tasting menu. But how difficult was it to get a reservation at one of twelve tables? I was going to find out.
(Spoiler Alert: We totally get a reservation and it’s awesome)
Setting up the Reservation
When you’re the number one restaurant in the world, you are entitled to make the process of scoring a reservation as intricate as you want. In the case of Osteria Francescana, it was just that. On the first day of the month at 10AM, the reservation calendar is open for three months ahead. In my case, I was logging on in September to reserve for December.
Sleepy eyed, I pull up the website from my phone around 9AM to check if everything was still go. To my utter shock, I was immediately sent to a queue page that informed me that I was number 653 in line to reserve.
Shit.
I turn on my Laptop and phone and proceeded to wait with two positions in the queue in hopes of a miracle. The math was not on my side but my hope was I could wait out longer than others before me.
When the gates opened at 10AM, I was in the queue at number 456…it was NOT looking good. My friends were offering moral support as I was freaking out that I was wasting my time and energy for the greatest disappoinment of the year.
An hour into the opening, I was getting close but no guarantee that I would get a spot. My nerves were running incredibly high and any buzz on my phone put me into a panic. I could not afford to lose my spot in the queue for any reason.
And then, the countdown began…
At 11AM, two hours of waiting in the queue, I was in! Trying to keep my composure, I rushed to the calendar to see what dates I had to choose. All of the dinner spots were full but to my delight, I saw a few open seats for lunch! In what seemed like 5 seconds, I snatched up a date and proceeded to confirm the booking.
It was done. I couldn’t believe it. After two hours, I had confirmed my place to join a select group who would go on a food journey of a lifetime.
Osteria Francescana
Tucked back in the quiet streets of Modena, Massimo Bottura camouflages his masterpieces behind this rose colored building. If you were in Modena for other reasons, you would not know this is the world’s number one restaurant. He lets his food speak for itself as well as the top class service that awaits behind the oak door.
My biggest fear was not knowing how to properly behave at the table. I mean, it’s the number one restaurant meaning top service, top quality, top everything. What if I ate with the wrong fork or drank my wine too fast or didn’t eat at the right pace? Often enough, I can follow everyone else’s lead but we were all in the same position… no one knew what to do. There were beautiful plates and glasses, bread and butter bowls decorating the table. Do you eat with your hands? What is eaten with a spoon? Or fork? I was overwhelmed. But the wait staff made the process as enjoyable and stress free as possible. With every dish, they beautifully explained the origin and proper way to eat. We just had to sit back and enjoy.
We already knew we were going to order the “Everything” tasting menu as everyone at the table must order the same thing. So off we went on our 12 course (ok 13 course because we added the burnt lasagna) food journey…with wine!
Food
We dive into the first three courses. I was a little apprehensive about the amount of food and wine we would be consuming but the portions were very acceptable and often we would use one glass of wine or other pairing cocktail for a multiple courses. Massimo begins his experience with wonderful creations of different fish in broth. His use of truffle lightens the load and brings a very modern taste to Italian classics.
My favorite dish of the evening was “When my Mom met Bocuse” for its delightful presentation and exquisite taste. Massimo gives complexity to this dish with the crust lid to be broken up and eaten along with what is inside the cup.
My sister was salivating over the next two dishes ever since I confirmed our reservation: Five Stages of Parmesan and Burnt Part of Lasagna.
In the Five Stages of Parmesan, we were given a pallet cleanser for the next meat courses to tie up the food journey. Massimo gives us what Modena is known for in different complexities and temperatures to delight the taste buds and ruin you for future cheese all at the same time. Adding the burnt part of lasagna was the best decision of the day. Another instance where chef takes an Italian classic and puts his own genius spin on it. Presentation was impeccable and the taste confirmed we were still dining in Italy. He keeps true to the origin of the dish and was truly one of the best courses of the event.
Our next three courses dive into his guinea hen creations; three ways he connects Italian kitchen to this popular fowl in very different dishes. Within these three dishes, he keeps the tradition of the primi and secondi courses. Italian kitchens serve pasta dishes first before bringing out the main dish, either meat or fish. He starts the guinea hen rounds with his ravioli, hits you next with guinea hen covered in trimmings, and finishes with a final presentation covered in a crunchy skin topped with truffle. Everything in its perfection.
Our last two courses to complete the journey are to leave us satisfied and with a clean pallet.
Pumpkin risotto was so fitting to have with the cold December weather just outside the perfectly temperature dining room. But the main event was the lemon tart. The story behind this is quite the example of turning lemons into lemonade. As the wait staff explain, one of Massimo’s chefs was preparing lemon tart for a customer when it dropped on the counter and smashed, plate and all. His chef thought he had ruined the dish but Massimo’s brilliant mind saw an opportunity. He saw art. From that moment, he serves every lemon tart broken up on a cracked plate.
Our experience could not have been better. We did not get the chance to meet Chef Massimo Bottura as he was opening another restaurant in Florence. I hope to have the chance to shake his hand one day and thank him for letting the world into his soul.
Oh, and in full disclosure, I perhaps maybe possibly took a menu. I’ll be happy to return it when I visit again.
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