Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore on Modena and Miami
Massimo Bottura and Lara Gilmore on Modena and Miami
The husband and wife were in Miami to host a dinner for their new book and to dish on their new restaurant
Massimo Bottura is one of the greatest chefs of our time. His Osteria Francescana has achieved a three-star Michelin rating and is included on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants “Best of the Best” list.
With all those accolades, Bottura isn’t one to rest on his laurels. The chef is opening a branch of his one-Michelin-starred Dubai restaurant, Torno Subito, in Downtown Miami later this year. The restaurant will be helmed by chef Bernardo Paladini, who was on the team of the Dubai Torno Subito.
Bottura has also released a new book, Slow Food, Fast Cars, co-authored with his wife, Lara Gilmore. The gorgeous book gives readers an inside look at their Casa Maria Luigia, a country inn located on an 18th-century property in the Modenese countryside.
Bottura and Gilmore also hosted a dinner at the Mayfair Grill in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood as part of their, Slow Food, Fast Cars Dining Series with Massimo Bottura.
Broken Palate caught up with Bottura and Gilmore who talked about their new book, their stunning Casa Maria Luigia, and their new Miami project.
Broken Palate: Your new book is stunning and showcases your gorgeous Casa Maria Luigia.
Lara Gilmore: I think it’s a love story to Modena and this particular region that Massimo came from. Casa Luigia is about bringing together our passion for art, and our passion for cars. We were able to create a design experience of place and invite our guests to share in what really inspires us.
BP: It really looks like Casa Luigia is more a gorgeous home than a hotel.
Lara Gilmore: We welcome you with Lambrusco and Parmigiano. You’re welcomed into an Emilian home that is part of a three-Michelin-starred chef’s world.
Massimo Bottura: We serve the best Parmigiano that you can get in the world. It’s made the same way it was made 300 years ago. It’s a simple cheese slice shared with Lambrusco to share with our guests the best flavors of Modena.
Broken Palate: I was investigating the property and I love that there’s a fridge accessible for guests at any time of the day or night with different foods.
Lara Gilmore: There’s an intentionality behind the scenes. There’s rigorous culinary R&D that makes sure everything is at the level of a three-Michelin-starred restaurant but the feeling that you get is a very welcoming feeling.
Broken Palate: It seems that the property is also an extension of its surroundings.
Lara Gilmore: It’s very much the feeling of Modena. It’s now the 30th anniversary of my coming to Modena and what I’ve found is a population of people who are so passionate about everything — whether it’s cars or food products or ceramics and we want to mirror that. Although you have Ferraris in the garage, it’s done in a very natural way. We want you to enjoy the objects, the vinyl records, and the cars that inspire us. They inform everything in the kitchen.
Broken Palate: You are opening Torno Subito in Miami — will you source products from Italy? Is it difficult to find the same products that you have in Modena?
Massimo Bottura: Today, in America you have amazing access to Italian products. There’s great local ricotta. You can buy amazing ingredients. They cost a little more, but as Italians, we are obsessed with quality. At Whole Foods, I know the person who buys the wheels of Parmigiano. She knows all the cheesemakers. If you go to Eataly, you have a selection of amazing ingredients. Pasta, for example — you can buy Barilla for two dollars but you can also buy pasta for eight dollars.
In South Florida, there are some amazing farmers growing everything from cherry tomatoes to microgreens. Our chef, Bernardo Paladini is so happy about all the connections with farmers, fishermen, and cheese makers here in Florida.
Broken Palate: When will Torno Subito open in Miami?
Massimo Bottura: In a couple of months — we’re hoping for the end of February. It’s colorful and fun and it’s Dolce Vita with a beautiful bright kitchen and a yellow wood-fired oven.
Broken Palate: Why did you decide to open Torno Subito in Miami?
Massimo Bottura: At this point in my life I feel lucky because I’ve built a reputation for being obsessed with quality in every single detail. I’m successful enough to decide where I want to spend my time. If I’m here now, it’s because I want to be here. I really love Miami. I was here for the first time in 1982. In South Beach, there was just the News Cafe. I was like, “Oh my God, what a place”. I would come every year with my friends and I saw the development. Miami has always been a very important place. To me, the Italian community here is very strong and I’ve always felt at home.
When I had the opportunity to bring Torno Subito to Miami, I accepted. We have the perfect chef. That’s kind of the way we are. There’s always space for something new in our future.