Going to Ferrari factory, food question

As I thought about this I tealized it's almost impossible to get a bad meal in Italy!

I think both places are great. Cavallo no does have history and shouldn't be missed. Montana has great memorabilia. Both have great food.

 

Try Retro Gusto, aside Ferrari factory

No problem for finding good food: Here there is everywhere good food, so you can choose which you like when you will be here too

Ciao

 

We eat at The Drake https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@44.526795,10.8665349,3a,68.7y,288.77h,89.16t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1siw_7XM-_RaqkBlKzPvoIbQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656?hl=en

The steak is the best I have ever had.

 

That proves it's not necessary to spend a lot of money to eat at Montana: yes, it's a great looking place, full of Michael Schumacher and F1 itrems, excellent to feel the Ferrari racing atmosphere, but at the Drake (and MANY others) you can eat very well at (less than) half the price than Montana.

Trust me.

Have a nice stay

ciao

 

Rossella and Maurizio's Ristorante Montana is NOT expensive at all. No "spending of a lot of money" there. Absolutely not.

Marcel Massini

 

Wise, wise words indeed, Alberto; how true!
We have decidely many thoughts in common. But we are both living in countries where it is easy to find good food. I also have a limit where "too much is too much", whatever it is; it's actually not a question of money in itself, because I could afford it, and some of my friends actually do, but for me "too much is too much" above a certain level.

Rgds

 

Also highly recommended are:

Ristorante Al Caminetto - Da Dino
240 Strada Martiniana
Modena (actually Baggiovara, near the hospital)
(lots of memorabilia and the original barber chair of Enzo Ferrari, who for decades every morning visited his personal barber in the city of Modena).

and

Ristorante da Pasticcino
Via Paletti 32 (Angolo Via della Pace)
Castelnuovo Rangone (MO)
(This is the ex-Scuderia F1 cook)

Both aforementioned restaurants offer excellent food and outstanding Service. And they are inexpensive.

Marcel Massini

 

Albert and Marcel - I think you have covered this issue already in this thread or elsewhere?

Attempting to help bridge the debate a bit - Montana is not expensive by most Ferrari owners' standards, not meaning because they all have money (although generally that is true), but more because the pricing at Montana is highly consistent with other places most of us eat. Said differently, it may well be true that there are cheaper places to eat in the area, but if one likes Montana and isn't bothered by the price, its really not necessary to seek out lower cost options for the 1-2 meals that most of us are having in the area during the rare occasion of a factory visit.

Edit: For comparison and to attempt to clarify the point, I travel pretty much year round and food is often the focus of those travels. I found Montana (and that whole area) to be a relative bargain compared with the 20+ European cities I've eaten in over the past year alone (including 6 in Italy). I don't eat Michelin stars on these trips any longer, I'm always in favor of relative value of course (like anyone). I had lower quality and/or more expensive food in Bellagio, Amalfi, Florence, Rome, Santa Margerita Ligure and likely a few other Italian cities I'm forgetting over the past couple of years.

 

I was in Maranello and Modena for my birthday on the 7th last week and had two great meals: a great lunch at Montana in Maranello (where they put a candle in my fruit salad lol) and dinner at Zelmira in Modena which I really like. Wonderful food. There was a table of 12 Asians in Maserati garb, there had been some sort of function at the factory.

Another one which seems interesting but which we have not tried yet is Mon Cafe, it seemed very lively, right around the corner from Zelmira so I took the business card for next time: it says caffeteria but people were having proper meals and seemed to have a great time.
Moncafè - Il partner internazionale per la tua caffetteria

A glass of Limoncello at cafe concerto afterwards is always an enjoyable way to finish the evening.

We considered Osteria Francescana but I decided against it, over the top.

By the way stayed in a great new agri-turismo hotel:

https://www.levignedelladuchessa.com/

They could not have been nicer brought me a birthday glass of prosecco by the pool when we arrived and I had another swim at midnight great rooms good ac.

It is about 15 minutes due north out of Modena in the countryside a great place to stay in the warmer months.It was very convenient to visit Carrozzeria Autosport in Bastiglia which I had to do for a client.

Best regards,

Marc

 

Whenever I visit Maserati SpA, Pavarotti's is where upper management would always take us. Another spot favorite is Bianca.

 

Yes, Montana is not so expensive, but remember we aren't talking of Milano, Paris, London and even nor of Modena: Maranello is a very small and cheap place, one of the worst place we have in Italy (except Ferrari), so you cannot comparte the prices of Bellagio (one of the most expensive places in Italy) with Maranello, a "God forgotten" place. Enzo placed there his factory just because prices were very low there.

This said, the Montana is a great restaurant, but Retro Gusto, Opera 02, Bianca, Antica Moka, La Quercia di Rosa, Arnaldo la Clinica Gastronomica, Pasticcino (and many others) tie Montana or are even better, at the same price.

Then there are the cheaper ones like the Drake, Muzzarelli and so on.

I repeat: one or two days stay and Montana is ok, for more meals, save the money or at least go for others just to change a bit, without any fear

ciao

 

A few years ago I spent about a week running around the area (closer to bologna) with Valentino Balboni. He took me to a number of little farm restaurants out in the middle nowhere, that were absolutely fabulous. The fun part was trying to follow him driving Murci SV on 1 1/2 lane wide back roads late at night after a great meal and wine.

 

My fiancee will always seek out less obvious restaurants and such. Her idea is always try to find the places the locals use. The food has to be the best and sensibly priced.

 

Just came back from my factory visit and I ate at the Montana yesterday during lunch time.

The meal was good and so was the price. For 75€ we had:
2 proseccos
0.5L red wine
1L sparkling water
2 expressos
2 limoncellos
2 entrees (parma ham, melon, cheese...)
2 main courses (filet strips, thing tagliatelle with Bolognese sauce...)
1 dessert (a very nice tiramisu)

All in all that would have easily fetched over a 100chf in Switzerland.

 

Modena

 

Wise girl indeed.

Rgds

 

I'd do Maranello.

 

After posing the question a while back about which Ferrari Museum you would visit if you could only visit one, I wanted to give my feedback after a fantastic trip.

We made the decision very easy and visited both! That is obviously the way to go as they sell a ticket for both, and they both have cars not to miss.

If I were to choose just one though it would definitely be Maranello. The museum is bigger and it was one spectacular car after another from the 250 LM to the 250 GTO all the way to the La Ferrari, LaF Aperta, and the FXX K. Not to mention many F1 cars.

The Modena museum was impressive for the architecture and the old building being merged with the new. I was a bit surprised that the Museum itself was just the 1 big room only, but the layout was pretty cool. The current highlights were the white La Ferrari Aperta and the Green La Ferrari. Also the Engine Museum was pretty neat as well.

 

Has anyone had a bite at "Il Caminetto - da Dino" in Modena? Is it worth a visit?

JS

 

Well it's just my 2c but I liked having lunch where Enzo took lunch nearly every day and walking out the door, crossing the road and entering the factory for the tour was pretty awesome... Food is fabulous everywhere in Italy if you just throw the tour guides in the bin!

 

Great thread, glad I already ate breakfast. It sounds like Italy is gastronomic heaven. I spent a lot of time in France, but have never been to Italy.

 

Drive on over to Modena and eat

 

For dinner... Agriturismo Pilati it is in Nirano, couple miles from Maranello.

You'll thank me later.

It's a farm to table type restaurant, everything fresh, authentic food from the region, served family style, and you won't know what's on the menu until you go to eat it (I'm really picky, was worried but it was awesome). I'd go there hungry, you won't be able to move after. Does get louder in there once full because it's in a renovated stable so don't expect a super quiet dinner, though nice cozy and unique place for dates/family/friends to go and expect 2-3 hours to eat. You'll need reservations well in advance based on what our friends told us (think a month or two out plus), they're only open a few days a week and is full when it is. It's where locals in Sassuolo/Spezzano, etc. go when they go out for a nice meal vs. being full of tourists.

 

A nice quiet Trattoria - Trattoria Zanichelli, it's in the hills above Maranello.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@44.4976083,10.8738884,3a,75y,328.37h,94.18t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sUy6j2WJyUPwEcE4NAd59mw!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/Trattoria+Zanichelli/@44.4993882,10.8690538,16z/data=!4m13!1m7!3m6!1s0x477fe3a68615c257:0x3c16ac6b4ee57f8a!2s41053+Maranello,+Province+of+Modena,+Italy!3b1!8m2!3d44.5263024!4d10.8666834!3m4!1s0x0:0x7bd1cce8710af19c!8m2!3d44.4976341!4d10.8735412

When the owner knew we were Ferrari fans/owners he gave us a commemorative glass. Great local genuine food, quiet and very nice staff and not expensive at all.

 

absolutely agree with Marcel having visited both several times - Montana on another level