66 TRAVEL+LEISURE | SEPTEMBER 2019
EXPERIENCES
Mimmo Paladino’s
Warrior in Bronze
on the grounds of
Casa Maria Luigia.
Lara Gilmore and
Massimo Bottura at
their new inn, Casa
Maria Luigia.
Han Dynasty Urn dominates the
entrance hall, and a Tracey Emin neon
piece—Red, White, and Fucking Blue—
hangs in another sitting area.
“We wanted to share our passions
and stories with people,” Bottura told
me. They’re also sharing Bottura’s
cooking: guests will have guaranteed
reservations for intimate dinners in the
inn’s dining room, Francescana at Maria
Luigia, featuring several of the Osteria’s
greatest hits, including “five ages of
Parmigiano-Reggiano” and “the crunchy
part of the lasagna.” “We are trying
something new, and putting ourselves
out on a limb a bit,” he says. “But this is
who we are—our outlook on the world.”
Bottura has become something of a
culinary ambassador for his hometown,
championing the artisans, trattorias,
and bars that have been a constant in
his life and shaped him as both diner
and chef. He and Gilmore can often be
spotted dining around town or visiting
local food producers. Here, the duo
share a few of their go-to spots.
TRATTORIA BIANCA
On Mondays, when Osteria Francescana
is closed, Bottura and Gilmore take their
kids to this bastion of culinary tradition,
family-owned since 1948. Their
routine? Start with gnocco fritto,
squares of fried dough served with
prosciutto, mortadella, and sour-cherry
jam. Follow with tortellini en brodo,
then a plate of its big brother, tortelloni,
stuffed with ricotta or pumpkin.
trattoriabianca.it; entrées $14Ð$34.
vintage shops and hanging works from their
extensive collection of contemporary art. The
pool, tennis court, and gardens contribute to the
sense of chic country living, as does the
communal kitchen, which is stocked with snacks
and half-bottles of Lambrusco.
“The estate was once owned by a man who was
something of a belgioioso—a happy-go-lucky
playboy,” Gilmore told me when I visited the
property this spring. “I wanted to capture that
spirit but make it more feminine.” The couple
chose vibrant Gucci wallpapers for the rooms and
made sure each contained an element of
surprise—I spotted a lampshade printed with a
Stooges lyric in one room, a louche Wolfgang
Tillmans photograph in another, and a spiral
staircase leading to a private sundeck. Barbara
Kruger’s Untitled (Go/Stay) hangs between a
vintage Victrola and an Art Deco bar in the cocktail
room, a Lego version of Ai Wei Wei’s Dropping a
FROM TOP: CALLO ALBANESE E SUEO/COURTESY OF CASA MARIA LUIGIA; PAOLO TERZI/COURTESY OF CASA MARIA LUIGIA
