I thought I was done with tasting menus—until I had this unforgettable meal in Italy
This restaurant is a destination unto itself—and it's an amazing place to spend Thanksgiving.
In 2019, Massimo Bottura—renowned chef of the three-Michelin-starred Osteria Francescana—and his brilliant partner in both life and business, Lara Gilmore, transformed a once-neglected 18th-century villa near Modena, Italy, into Casa Maria Luigia. I’ve been wanting to visit for years, and finally got my wish: Last week, for Thanksgiving, Tony and I traded turkey for an unforgettable hospitality experience there.
This stylish, food-centric inn, named after Massimo’s mother, reflects their impeccable taste. It’s adorned with an impressive art collection featuring works by Damien Hirst, Kehinde Wiley, Olafur Eliasson, and one of my favorites, Cindy Sherman. There’s an onsite acetaia that produces stellar balsamic vinegar, and there’s a kitchen filled with snacks that you can raid any time of day. Massimo’s love for cars and motorcycles is on full display with an onsite collection of sleek cars and bikes. I fell in love with the room dedicated to Massimo’s collection of more than 30,000 vinyl records. There, we came across a misty-eyed guest who found her father’s album and was listening to it in a wingback chair.
I’ll share more details soon on Afar, but for now, I can say this was one of my most memorable hotel stays—and meals—of the year. At Francescana at Maria Luigia, the inn’s fine-dining restaurant, the convivial atmosphere at shared tables rekindled my appreciation for tasting menus. These experiences can feel truly magical when they focus not only on exceptional food and preparation (which is extraordinary at Francescana) but also on fostering a warm, communal vibe. We even joked with our fellow diners about returning next Thanksgiving—and I suspect most of us were only half kidding.
While in the area, we visited Pedroni, an exceptional acetaia (balsamic vinegar maker) recommended by Rome-based writer Erica Firpo. Pedroni, operating since 1862, offers an immersive journey into the centuries-old craft of producing what can only be described as black gold. Thanks to the passion of owner Giuseppe III and his dedicated team, I now understand the not-so-subtle difference between mediocre, good, and great balsamic vinegar. As I dropped a significant amount of euros on 25-year-old balsamic vinegar, I vowed to the Pedroni team that I’d never waste the great stuff on a casual salad drizzle. (Try it with mild cheese, they told me, or maybe just plain!)
On Sunday, I flew from Rome to Cannes, France, to join the Afar team at ILTM (International Luxury Travel Market), one of the year’s most significant luxury travel events. The five days of back-to-back meetings can be overwhelming, but they fly by as I dive into conversations with hoteliers, journalists, and longtime friends in PR. While I’ll miss my steady diet of bucatini all’amatriciana and pappa al pomodoro, I’m consoling myself with perfect French Riviera croissants.
Although I’m leaving Italy, it’s still very much on my mind. My dear friend and fellow art-history enthusiast Heather introduced me to Art Holes, a podcast by comedian Michael Anthony. Despite his self-proclaimed lack of an art-history background, Anthony delivers thoroughly researched, hilariously irreverent takes on historical artists. Tony and I have been bingeing his eight-part series on the 16th-century Italian painter Caravaggio during our travels. We both agree: storytelling like this—unexpected, lively, and deeply engaging—has the power to bring art history to life in a way that feels fresh and exciting.