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I love how you’re simultaneously super respectful of the people and the restaurants you review while staying critical. Great combination, keep it up! It’s great to see someone who tries to stay objective in their assessment! 👍🏼👍🏼
Went there in 2018 and it was rubbish, I know peeps are gonna say I’m stupid but honestly for 600€ a head it just pissed me off when they forgot one course at our table, no lasagna crust , no bread accompaniments, horrible room, Parmesan dish is very good, rhum Baba with a slice of tomato on top … seriously? 600€? Crap
Great review! Although it looks somewhat disappointing to be seated in a windowless room, remember that restaurant proudly boasts with the “osteria” in it’s name, connecting even more with Italian tradition. And it’s situated in old Italian building. In many traditional osterias, windows are a rare sight. It’s a logical architectural choice, aware of the environment. Thick stone walls and narrow facades and streets protect you from the summer heat and winter winds. Massimo simply embraced his Italian heritage, instead of going against it. Of course, with today’s fame and finances, he would probably pick the better place than in 1995., but that is a charm of tradition for me.
You're incorrect on your information. The cheese dish he created for people to cook at home was not the five textures of Parmesan. It was a risotto. And it wasn't Massimo who first dropped the lemon tart to create that dessert, it was his sous chef from Japan. I can't argue with the accolades because the majority is always seen as right in this world but as someone who has been eating in 2 and 3 starred places for decades, worked in the industry myself, has a degree in food science and is utterly obsessed with the world of food (my 5000+ cookbook collection can attest to that) I can tell you that Francesscana did nothing to revolutionise Italian cuisine, he made it more noticeable to those who read Forbes magazine and became the most recognised Italian chef but if you know anything about Italian food you would know that Le Calandre does the most intellectual and innovative cuisine in Italy (along with a couple of others) but Alajmo he is just not so en Vogue. p.s I lived in Italy for over four years and my Italian wife's father is a wine collector in Italy so I'm not new to this food. Bests
Having been to several 3 michelin star places, I've come to realize the following: 1) Not every dish is going to be the same for every customer. Some things I enjoy eating more than others. But that doesn't have to mean it was improperly prepared. It just didn't suit my tastes 2) Worth becomes something in the eye of the beholder. If you are into food and respect the fact that doing 3 michelin star food is incredibly labor intensive for a reason; then worth becomes more justifiable. But, there are no doubt lots of people who go here entirely because it is expensive and a status symbol. 3) The first time you see food like this will always have that novelty that becomes hard to top. Every time since, I've been less wowed by the food, creativity, and the service as compared to that first time. Its kind of unfortunate but true.
your last point is pretty interesting. I sometimes feel the same, not for cuisine, but for albums. I listen to a lot, a lot of music, dedicating even 5 hours of my day (everyday) to solely listen to music and pay attention to it while I do nothing else. and similarly to these restaurants, when I find that one album that blows my mind, for the few days that follow I feel like everything else I listen to just isn't the same, it just lacks the magic. but then time passes and all goes back to normal. to me these exclusive experiences are good to have once in a while, one because they're really special and almost nothing else offers what they do, and two because it's kinda true that if you lose yourself in them then everything else is going to pale in comparison. it's also like an addiction, the monent you feel it is so damn great and the moment when you don't have your desired pleasure you feel awful and feel the need to experience more. which is also why some of my favorite records I don't even play once a year, I rarely go back to them to be honest; there's a force that drives me to keep looking for new music in hope that I will find another one of those gems. and the same you could do for restaurants: the incredible experience you may have in such a high level restaurant should not dim all the others, greatness is waiting to be discovered sometimes and you may never know if the restaurant you step into next is going to have that magic or not. greatness always shines, do not compare to the best of the best, but rather appreciate something for what it is, its own experience. or maybe I just went off and all of this is nonsense. eh, I don't know
Point 3 is exactly what I have with pretty much all 'fancy' restaurants, it's more of an experience, like going to Disneyworld. I have that feeling especially with the Fat Duck...you'd probably be bored the 2nd time you get the seashell with earphones. Personally, I much prefer enjoying a normal 3 course meal with family/friends at that local place you all enjoy.
@@Jorg05111980 I think this is a good point. Treat it like a once a year kind of thing. But going to many of these several times a year will truly kill the experience. And my favorite thing now is to find a new restaurant that's got a few different items to try and being completely satisfied with the food. Could be a new ethnic restaurant elevating a fish taco or a really good Italian restaurant serving the most well made plate of pasta.
With the amount of work and dedication that you put into these videos, and the precision with which they are filmed, your episodes have the quality of an amazing tv show. I'm sure you will easily reach 1 million subscribers, dedication and hard work always pay off. Keep up the good work and can't wait to see the next episode!
I really wouldn't be happy travelling all the way to Modena , paying €320 each just for the food and getting the meal that was served to you. There's no stand out courses and very little excitement in your €1000 meal for 2. On the other hand my own experience was world class , all served by Massimo himself and I was fortunate enough to have the Tasting menu of Massimos classic dishes. I've wanted to return again for a long time but certainly wouldn't want to go back and eat this menu what you had chosen. I'd be very pissed off.
I think this review/reviews are fantastic as I see many others videos that are talk about their expernieces of the restaurant but don't discuss the impact of those in a more objective lens. The vegetable dish I think I would love as I have slowly grown to love eating vegetables and the way you described them it makes me want to try them even if you didn't due to prefence
This story about Bottura and the Parmigiano wheels is bogus, no one outside the industry knows about his dish and he’s for sure not the reason why the cheese was bought.
Perhaps your camera distorted this a bit, but I found the lighting to be cold, dim, and rather uninviting - qualities that I don't associate at all with Massimo! A restaurant should be as thoughtfully lit as any theatre production.
You review these places with a refined precision. I work at a Michelin Guide bar in Orlando, Florida. These reviews always remind me how different these multi-star places are.
I have been to a number of similar restaurants and its not for me. Too many dishes, very complicated to understand what you actually eat, form over taste, posh-boring environment. No thanks. Instead I prefer restaurants with soul, a la carte menus, extremely good food that you can recognize with friendly but not snobbish service. As a matter of fact I very recently experienced one of the best restaurants in my life in Genua: Zeffirino. Family is still working there! Beautiful and historic interior, great selection of food and wine, really fun that they prepare some of the food in front of you. And the food was fantastic! Maybe I was lucky that day but in my book it was better than many 3 star restaurants.
Really honest review, I loved it. Usually people love the "salad Fiorentina" thing, it is refreshing seeing someone with a different opinion, while still respecting the creativity and intention of the chef. Keep going, you really deserve a million subscribers!
I don't want to come across in the wrong light. I'll risk sounding a little off-touch, though. Do you not find it strange that someone who owns (does not say runs, not saying you aren't but you say co-owns) a 1 michelin restaurant is complaining about 3 star restaurants services. I would be very interested for you to post a non-biased review of the restaurant you own on this channel. I'd love to see review your own restaurant under the same guise. Many would view the difference between a 3 star and a 1-2 star as sign of personality, in that a 1-2 star is happy to be a bit friendlier and not take it so seriously, but with a 3 its expected to be the life, blood and soul of that restaurant to look after the guest. Hope it doesn't come across in the wrong light, but I would love to hear your opinion on why the restaurant your co-own isn't regarded higher in the guide. Is it because you believe that is where you want to be? Or do you believe it's underrated? For contexts sake, would be great to see where your baseline is.
I went to Modena last month with the wife to pick up my (our...her) Ferrari Purosangue. When I became fortunate enough to afford a Ferrari a few years ago, my wife said I could only buy one if it was 'family friendly'. I'm sure it was her way to stop me ever buying one! When the Purosangue launched she said I could only have one if we visited Osteria Francescana when we picked it up....again I'm sure she didn't think I would travel to Italy to pick the car up as we live in London. The obstacles didn't stop there! After promising a table at OF, I rang the restaurant myself in December - and was told they had no availability! In the end, the guys at Ferrari managed to booked the table at OF for us! We drove from the factory to the restaurant and back. The food was amazing and we were also fortunate enough to meet Massimo. A great weekend I will never forget!
This channel deservers a three michelin star. 😉 Btw i work in a michelin star restaurant and its nice to see people interested in this type of videos and to see the dedication of all professionals behind the stars, thanks for showing that.👏👏👏
really appreciate the honesty. You clearly aren't paid for these reviews. A lot of fine dining channels will say nothing negative about their experience but you are honest and raw (especially about sketch which I have also been to). keep going and you will be htting 100k subs and 1mil views per video!
As a culinary student and business owner studying classic French technique, this channel is inspiring. Perfection is strived for, and you can see the hard work behind the brigade
For 1000 € (2 people), and a 3-star Michelin, you should expect more than that, a sense of uniqueness, uniqueness of the place, uniqueness of the way you are treated and also uniqueness of the time. Dishes are not enough for that.
I've had the fortune of dining in a different Michelin restaurants in Asia and Europe, and the consistent thing I always felt was how sterile and mechanical the service was.. It feels very manufactured, cold, and repetitive whilst not being bad service, but it felt like it made no difference if I was there or not, because the staff is just regurgitating their script in a robotic way. Maybe this is the way the Michelin inspectors like to judge, but it's playing piece of music perfectly but lacking soul.. Most dinners are almost 3 hours long, and it feels longer when the place and venue is lacking soul and forget that the experience of the guest is equally as important as the execution in the kitchen. There are times where I'm thinking to myself, how many more dishes or I can't wait to just end this, and in one of my recent visit to Barcelona, we didn't realise that we've spent more than 4 hours there. When it comes to the food part, it's highly subjective.. There are times where you get why this restaurant got their 3*, and at times, wonder how this 2* or 3* is better than another 1*. In some restaurants, the kitchen itself is the show/performance and it's amazing to see the dance, yet they are executing like a machine.
I like that you're not afraid of speaking your mind, it makes videos more authentic and not like an ad. Unlike the other places you went, Osteria Francescana seems like a bit letdown for you and didn't quite reach your expectations. Btw, if it's possible, please make the videos a bit longer and give us more details on the food.
I understand it's an experience but how does one get full after eating those portions? I would love to try one of these places given that i live in NYC but I can't wrap my head around spending so much just to leave hungry
Surely if they put it all onto one plate it'd look a lot bigger. A person doesn't have to eat that much anyway to feel sated, provided that the dishes work well. Sushi looks tiny but already eight pieces is sufficient.
I dunno, I need something that’s more substantial as a main before we move on to sweets. I remember at Alinea it was like duck prepared 40 ways or something and it was pretty disappointing too. All tiny bites on a big plate. Great video. Keep up the amazing work.
Alexander's critique was right on from the wait staff to the food starting at the 6:48 mark. It's hard for a restaurant, even a 3 Michelin star restaurant, to be a perfect 10 on everything. A wonderful dining experience never-the-less at Osteria Francescana. Many other top restaurants to try before I return to Massimo's.
I love Osteria Francescana, I went last year and had the tasting menu and wine pairing. Fantastic experience, and I have another booking in august this year.
I am in awe of the quality of this vid and the work that goes into each vid. Im glad to say i was here at 7k sub and will be proud to say it again when this channel reaches 1M or more because it deserves that much.
I always enjoy your videos and love how calm and good you describe every single detail, this chanel will get to the end of the year minimum 100k so I am very happy to see this small chanel rise itself up to the throne.
It's understandable his father would object to him becoming a chef, since only until recent decades, a chef was considered to be a job at the level of a tradesman, like a plumber, not a celebrity (except for maybe a dozen top world chefs)
I love Osteria Francesca, the window less room was a mandatory choice beacuse Francescana is in the centre of Modena so the rooms can't be changed for Paesaggistica (in old town in Italy you can't change what you want if you are in hystorical city centre). Can i suggest you his Casa Maria Luigia in the countryside for a more batter and lighter experience. P.s. next time in italy try Enrico Martolini al Mudec in Milan: not only a 3 ster michelin but olso chef Enrico has a total of 12 michelin star!
I think it is difficult for the wait staff to be highly communicative when they are waring masks. Hopefully this will soon be finished. This is one place I would truly like to visit.
Well, to be honest, not to underestimate the importance of Massimo Bottura, the one thing that effectively saved Parmigiano was the idea of "solidarity Parmigiano", the italian population was asked to buy damaged cheese form the wheels broken by hearthquake at a symbolic price (lower than the market one for perfect cheese but still high enough to guarantee sufficient income to the hit producers) to help the region and it worked extremely well.
Went a couple years ago, top 3 meals ever for me but this menu honestly looks less exciting than the one I had. Room is odd as you can hear a pin drop in there and the service was indeed quite clinical (but still top notch). Just an old school approach I guess, which is ironic considering the cooking style. 🤷♂️
Alexander seems to be trying to make good reviews. I suggest him to try to pronounce correctly the place he's going. He mispronounces all osteria, francescana, Massimo and bottura. How hard can it be accentuating properly? It's 4 words. Just saying
The staff thing is a subjective. I don't want any personality in my servers, I want them to be mechanical but perfect... I should say when I was younger and cared about fancy restaurants. Now its all about that hidden gem in a nowhere village that the grandmother is still running the Kitchen... that's 3 stars for me anyway
I can't figure out your fixation with Champagne or is it more of a fetish, I haven't seen one of your episodes without a need for a Krug Grand Cru or similar, champagne, champagne, champagne....
Ah I remember where I heard the name before - Osteria.. The 'Wine King' had a bad experience in an Osteria restaurant (Osteria Mozza) with an arrogant somerlier.
Once the great marco pierre white gave away his 3 Michelin stars and quote I can not be judge by a person that know less than me . And here we are watching a guy that probably can’t fry and egg .
I've Actually seen most of the content on this channel but I still don't know what Alexander's restaurant is called, makes you think he's in it for a good reason right
Great review! I’m a new subscriber and cannot wait to follow your journey. I was fortunate enough to attend OF in October- my feedback would be very similar to yours tbh. It didn’t blow me away and a few of the dishes “weren’t for us”. The wine pairings were good, I really enjoyed the Mascato, it is so fresh and vibrant- I ordered a case to have at home soon after! Keep up the great work 👍
Micheline * is controversial these days. I love this don't get me wrong but, tomato spaghetti on a tasting menu @320 piss off. It's turning into art not food.
Is what it becomes a Chef when it mastering the cusine. An Artist, for that is rewarded with Michelin stars and for that people that will only ate and fill their belly could simply avoid to spend tons of money in a Michelin star restaurant but simply eat great food in others restourants. Whan Massimo Bottura sell is jot just food but also art combined. It sell an once in a life experience.
I am really glad I watched this vid, another great entry 🙂 I have to admit, for me personally, the dishes I saw in this video look interesting but slightly unappealing. Where is the balsamic short rib, the perfect Ragu he featured previously on his menu? And not nearly as many luxury ingredients as I would expect. I'm sure this was still a brilliant meal, but it actually had the effect of putting me off more than attracting me...not what I had expected.
Hey Alexander, I'd really like to see longer videos, I feel like I'm wanting to know more even if it's just more camera footage (even stills). Cheers man! I'm enjoying your content!
Your honesty is refreshing and makes it enjoyable to watch. Not every dish of each course will be amazing and that's what makes your channel intriguing. Kiraly vagy.
