One of the rare times where expectations were high, but not met. I had been crushed when the place was closed my first visit to Modena in 2015. Determined, I returned to the city in 2017, and HG was my first call (in fact, I confirmed they were opened before booking the hotel). I love all the intrigue in entering through a secret door from inside a high-end meet and cheese shop. There are just 4 tables, so it's very intimate too. The menu is concise, and offered in English. But the food didn't "wow" me. The "dried cod cream with toast" appetizer was like hot fish dip. It was, I can't believe I'm saying this, a little gross. And it was 18€! My table of 4 was playing "hot potato" with it. The 12€ fried dumplings with cold cuts was one of the better items. Both pastas (macaroni with duck and linguini with pork cheek sauce) were enjoyed by all, but at 18€ each, were also a little shocking. The 26€ main courses were mostly fine, but again, way too expensive and too small. Nothing even worth describing in my usual exhaustive detail. Oh wait: the "fried cotechino with zabiglione sauce" was also gross. So another big strike out in the secondi to go with the hot cod dip. For a place with such a fanatical foodie following (FFF), I would have much preferred the weekday lunch at Strada Facendo (a multi course lunch for the price of a single dish here). read more

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After watching the second season of Master Of None, I was bound to make reservations at Hosteria Giusti. In the show, he meets a girl at the salumeria and they hit it off. I was now a single girl ready to mingle, in hopes of living the life the way Aziz Ansari did in the show. Hosteria Giusti happens to be Mario Batali's favorite restaurant. It also happens to only be open for lunch and caters to the lucky diners who manage to snag one of the four tables available. Yes, you read it right; there are only a total of four tables! I booked months in advance for this lunch and couldn't wait to try it. The restaurant itself was situated below my AirBnB (if you need recommendations, just ask me!) and luckily, I didn't have to dine alone. Upon arrival, you walk into the salumeria and check in with the staff to let them know you have a lunch reservation. The place itself is magnificent, with cured meats hanging from the ceiling and condiments after condiments all situated throughout the 4oo year old store. The hostess takes you through the store to the back, walking you through the kitchen until you reach your destination. The tables are rustic and you feel you're sitting in the dining room of a cute little European cottage. You're offered water and a wine list and the menu. Then the food comes.... MY FAVORITE DISH. FRIED DUMPLING WITH COLD CUTS (€12.00). Can I just tell you how freakin amazing this dish is? The bread aka the fried dumpling was light and airy and wasn't greasy for being fried. It was easy to eat and the cold cuts were delicious! It wasn't heavy and can be shared amongst your other party. I have yet to find something similar to this dish in LA. MACARONI WITH "ZAMPONE" SAUCE AND POTATO MUSH (€18.00). I never had pasta that is paired with potato. The zampone sauce usually consists of shoulder and thigh meat as well as the pork cheek and skin. It is common and Modena and I can see why! It is delicious and flavorful. The whole pasta was cooked al dente (now I really know what al dente means). The flavor was delicious, light, and slightly rich without being overpowering. I actually enjoyed the potato at the bottom of the dish. It absorbed the sauce. I liked this dish a lot. Get it cause I have yet to find a dish similar to this in the States. PUMPKIN RAVIOLI (€18.00). I mean, how can you go wrong with ravioli? It was light and the filling was smooth. It wasn't too sweet which can often happen with pumpkin. It was filling and yet, you find yourself wanting more. This dish was a good dish and fresh for the season. SUCKLING PIG IN ROOM TEMPERATURE WITH ONION SAUCE AND AGED BALSAMIC VINEGAR (€18.00-HALF PORTION). This was my least favorite dish. I felt the suckling pig was a bit too dry for my liking. I didn't love the onion sauce. It was a tad bit overwhelming in terms of acidity. Together, the onion sauce and the suckling pig were well-balanced but it still fell short of moistness and texture. FRIED "COTECHINO" WITH ZABAGLIONE AND LAMBRUSCO (€18.00-HALF PORTION). This was my favorite main amongst the two. It wasn't what I expected. It was basically a deliciously, ground up, moist sausage that was fried and topped with a well-balanced sauce. It was crisp and the perfect size being the half portion. It wasn't overly heavy, so I appreciated that. COOKED PEARS WITH MOSCATO ZABAIONE AND TOASTED ALMONDS (€18.00). I picked this dish cause I thought it was something different. The pears were delicious and not too sweet. The portion size was a good size to be shared. I just felt that the dish wasn't amazing. It wasn't what I expected. It was a little sour and I just was hoping for something more. Overall, I can see why Hosteria Giusti is Mario Batali's favorite restaurant. It is unique and pays homage to authentic food of Modena. This was the first time I tasted what true "al dente" pasta meant. It was definitely something to get used to, but I now much prefer this mode of cooking pasta. I thought all the flavors were quite prominent at this restaurant and I loved the fact that it was intimate. They cater to you as though you're one of the family. Although I didn't love every dish at this restaurant, I thought it was a unique experience and I wouldn't mind eating at this place again. For more pics, check out thefoodseeker dot com read more

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My best friend and I were planning a trip together and she suggested Bologna because all we want to do is eat and drink, and she had just had an amazing weekend there with her husband. She had Hosteria Giusti on her radar but couldn't snag a reservation at the time so we wanted to try to get one for our trip. And then Master of None Season 2 came out, which we both really love, and were like.. wait. So basically, we ended up having a Master of None Italy tour, and took a quick train to neighboring Modena for the night, and sat at the same table they shot for the scene. They have only 4 tables and are only open for lunch. I just emailed quite far in advance for a reservation, and they confirmed shortly after. They just asked to call/sms/whatsapp closer to the reservation date to confirm, which I did the night before. We decided to order mainly pasta (Pastas are €18 each, or €12 for a half portion) since that is what they're known for. Though we also ordered a few appetizers and a main course (and of course Lambrusco) to round out the meal. My friend really wanted a salad, though it was not what we expected. It was just some sauteed chicken and vegetables over some bitter salad greens. The varying temperatures was a bit jarring. The selection of cold cuts, paired with fried dumplings (I'd consider it more like puffed hollow bread) fared better. The pastas were definitely the highlight: Tortellini in capon stock - delicious, clean flavors. Macaroni with zampone sauce and potato mush - perfectly aldente, delicious but a bit salty. Macaroni with duck sauce - super thin and soft and delicious on its own, the duck is almost unnecessary. We also ordered the Cheek veal with potato puree and aubergines in fresh tomato. We were actually quite full so this was tough to finish. It was also quite salty and not so memorable so I would probably try something else. read more

This was one of the best meals I have had in Italy. If this place was a person, I would divorce my wife, leave my family, and risk everything for it. read more

I had my heart set on Hosteria Giusti after thorough research on Modena (credit to Katie Parla's blog with great recommendations). Modena feels like a sleepy small town that hasn't changed much in the last hundred years, and this meal was the perfect way to experience just a bit of it. A must try is the Gnoccho frito - puffed fried dough impossibly thin and literally light as air, and yet somehow chewy in a satisfying way, topped with an assortment of salumi (you are in a salumeria so of course it's amazing). I am glad to have tried the Cotechino, appetizer-sized, to have a taste of a very traditional food. We were warned that it was strong, but I found the pickle-y sauce perfect to cut through the richness, and it was not gamey. The slices were so thin they melt away in your mouth. You cannot come here without trying the tagliatelle with ragu. Fresh tagliatelle, delicate and thin and eggy, paired with a rich tender ragu (the meat was left in large stewed chunks, not ground or minced). I gained a new appreciation for pasta. Hearty and comforting but also refined. Our other pasta, strichetti with vegetables, was good but not necessary. Perhaps stick with meatier options, which it seems Modena excels at. Like the suckling pig with balsamic vinegar and the sweetest most unctuous stewed onions. Definitely get that - I only wish there was more on the plate. Book well in advance. With only 4 tables, it is exactly like eating at someone's house - being surrounded by family heirlooms and photos, being taken care of by (extremely kind and friendly) family members, eating traditional dishes from this area. This is the kind of meal that's worth traveling for and was incredibly memorable. read more

The Hosteria is only open for lunch and has 4 tables (16 people), so reservations are strongly recommended. Food is Classically based Emelian food done with the best ingredients and simply presented. Each dish is to be cherished read more

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Exceeded expectations for food and service. Worth the slight detour to Modena to experience it. The fried cotechino will not soon be forgotten, nor will the pasta dishes or the chocolate pudding. Wine suggestions were spot on. read more

Amazing food, awesome wait staff. Ciccioli is to die for. Get the suckling pig as it was best of all that we, as a party of 6, have ordered. Love the secrecy of the place and once you sit down it feels like grandma is going to pop up and serve you lunch. We wish they jarred and sold the tomato mostarda served with the cheese plate we ordered. I'd vote this to be a MUST DO in Modena ;) read more

With only 4 tavolas or tables, one is pleasantly surprised after walking through the amazing deli and arriving at a quaint room in the rear with seating at 4 tables. Lunch is only served and not on Sunday or Monday. It was a masterpiece of flavors but the Gnochi Fritto was sensational. Pasta was superb and the elegance of the flavors from the antipasti to the primi course all ramped up a notch. Not a large menu which is great as every dish offers us superb. The staff know their stuff. Try all that you can to reserve a table at a place even Mario Batali wants to be seated in. Phenomenal. Bellissimo. read more