Bottura prolonga su particular dolce vita en Módena

A nonconformist by definition, a born critic, hyperactive, committed, not only to his wife, Lara Gilmore, talkative, hardworking, and quintessentially Italian. Also a revolutionary. Like all those who, 30 years ago, changed the course of gastronomy forever and will be the protagonists of Madrid Fusión, held from January 27 to 29. Massimo Bottura did it from his native Modena and his beloved Emilia by putting the now-famous Osteria Francescana on the map. A restaurant made to his specifications and in his own style, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.

Half a lifetime spent creating a cuisine that reflects the chef's existential questioning, challenging tradition with a critical eye, guided by discernment and the influence of the fine arts. This has resulted in iconic dishes such as the five ages of Parmigiano Reggiano, the crispy part of the lasagna, the memory of a mortadella sandwich, or Oops! I dropped the cake. All of them are now as legendary as they were irreverent in their time. These classics can now only be enjoyed during the Francescan Experience served at Casa Maria Luigia (2019), the 18th-century villa in the Emilia countryside that offers that "home away from home" for those who travel to Modena seeking la dolce vita.

Bottura acquired it when he least expected it, but, receptive as he is to the unexpected, he quickly transformed it into the Casa it is today. A paradigm of hospitality at its finest, Maria Luigia is the ideal place to indulge in hedonism. A tribute to the overwhelming personality of Bottura's mother, "an extraordinary hostess," in the words of her youngest son.

A mamma in the most welcoming sense of the word. A woman who loved to cook and share everything she made. She also loved to welcome and treat even complete strangers. A role model for her family, including her grandchildren. They called her Lu, and that's what the house, the imminent extension of Maria Luigia, will be called. She was also an example for Gilmore, Bottura's wife and the undisputed driving force behind the initiatives they undertook together against food waste, such as Food for Soul, and for a more inclusive society, such as Tortellante.

New year, new house

The demand from visitors to the original villa is so high that an expansion seemed inevitable. Therefore, Casa LU is currently under construction, as evidenced by the ongoing work, which continued even during the Christmas break. It is expected to welcome its first guests next March, when the changes Lara and Massimo have envisioned for the entire property will be implemented. According to their plans, breakfast, recognized as one of the best in the world for recreating Bottura's culinary legacy with both time-honored and homemade dishes, will be served at LU starting this year.

Between its portico or its open-air patio, depending on the season, the new Casa LU will house the villa's main kitchen and the future bakery for the pastries and bread that were previously served at Maria Luigia. Even so, the aforementioned Francescana Experience will remain the main attraction for those staying here for purely gastronomic reasons. A brilliant idea that has been maintained since the opening of the first Casa LU and that is more appealing than ever today, given the 30th anniversary of the four-Michelin-starred restaurant, three red and one green, which was crowned number 1 on the World's 50 Best Restaurants list in 2018. The only Italian restaurant to achieve this milestone to date. Gourmet tourists visiting Modena can sample, in a single trip, the greatest hits of Osteria Francescana at Maria Luigia, as well as Bottura's avant-garde cuisine at his long-established restaurant. The one on the prophetic Stella Street, home to the "Never stop questioning" sign that serves as the motto for this year's celebration. A visit can be complemented with a reservation at Il Gatto Verde, which has received both a red and a green star this year, and a visit to the villa's historic winery, where Bottura produces, offers, and sells his own vinegars. The Acetaia Maria Luigia houses more than 1,200 balsamic barrels, all of which are also "available for adoption" for a year, preserving the passage of time and a tradition passed down through generations. Tours and balsamic vinegar tastings are conducted in English and allow visitors to savor Modena's so-called "black gold." At the villa's restaurant, dedicated to creative open-fire cuisine, the brilliant Canadian chef Jessica Rosval recreates her culinary culture with ingredients and recipes from the local gastronomy.

All this in the company of the so-called "Francescan family," an intergenerational and multiethnic team of professionals, predominantly women. Among them is the brilliant sommelier, Valentina Bardini. These are people who go out of their way for every customer at Bottura's restaurants scattered throughout Modena and around the world, as well as for all the guests of Maria Luigia and even those of LU in the near future. The two houses will be connected by a wooden door fixed in the laurel hedge that currently separates Maria Luigia's main courtyard from the rest of the property. The breakfast portico will lead to the new rooms, each more unique than the last thanks to its artwork, where guests can also enjoy a good espresso, snack on Parmigiano Reggiano, or dine à la carte. These ten rooms will be added to the 14 with which Lara and Massimo began their first hotel project, although they prefer not to refer to it as such. “A house is much more than a structure with four walls, just as a heart is much more than a pump. Our houses and our hearts are living things and change as we change with time and maturity” they maintain. This is precisely why the collection of vinyl records, 8,000, as well as the art pieces and vehicles that Maria Luigia treasures like a museum open to its guests, continues to grow. Another challenge successfully overcome, one for which they both still recall their initial doubts. “It’s not easy to manage a 24-hour customer experience in the best possible way” Bottura adds, in clear contrast to the experience offered in a restaurant, including Osteria Francescana. In just three months, Casa LU will continue the “love” they have for what they do in Modena, where their memories, a present of Slow Food and Fast Cars published by Phaidon, and an inevitable future they face “like a dream” coexist.