Monday 11 July 2011

Da Enzos of Modena

This is just a quick blog to let people know about a great little local restaurant which I went to on my recent trip to Modena.

We were in Modena for our visit to Osteria Francescana however we had two nights and so had to find somewhere to eat on the first night.  I had read a great review of a restaurant hidden at the back of a bar(Hosteria Giusti) but we arrived to find that, while the bar was open, the restaurant was closed on Mondays and Tuesdays.  Propped up against the bar we started plotting our next move... 

Thankfully a friendly local guy turned to us and queried our quizzical expressions- what are you looking for?  How much? He pondered for around ten minutes and came back with Da Enzos so we finished our artisanal beer (I never knew the Italians did these so well!) and made our way round the corner to Enzos.

Now when you walk into Enzos I almost guarantee that you are not going to be overly impressed on first sight- its up a narrow staircase and the decor is a little dated.  That, however, is not what this place is about- what it lacks in modernity it makes up for in simple hearty local classics.

The restaurant was a little empty when we arrived but it quickly filled up with local families and by the time we were half way through our el primi it was buzzing.

As we were off to Osteria Francescana the next night the Fashionista and I were "taking it easy" and therefore decided to share a pasta dish of pumpkin tortellini in a sage butter sauce- the pasta was nice but the filling was a little sweet and, rather strangely, had undertones of marzipan.  The local at the bar recommended we try Cotechino (a rich italian sausage which is boiled on a low heat for four hours) and Zampone (a local sausage made in a pig's trotter).  Feeling adventurous I gave the Zampone a shot and the Fashionista had the Cotechino- both, while rather similar, were delicious served simply with potatoes.

Now Enzo's is not a fancy restaurant, and if you are looking for somewhere where the food will be served beautifully in chic surroundings then this is not the place for you- if, however, you are looking for genuine Modenese cooking in a comfortable and welcoming atmosphere then you could do no better than Da Enzos of Modena.

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