Good Things to Eat

When it’s time for lunch, dive into the cheerful ambiance of the historic Albinelli Market, an art-deco style marketplace that offers PDO (protected designation of origin) and PGI (protected geographical indication) products, welcoming areas to enjoy a quick bite, and take-out options.

For a more classic lunch, choose one of the many traditional restaurants in the city center where you can sample such appetizing specialties of Modena as the city’s famous tortellini, cotechino and zampone (dishes made from a mixture of ground pork flavored with herbs and spices and stuffed into the hollowed-out lower-leg of a hog), or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese served in large flakes and sprinkled with Modena’s traditional balsamic vinegar.

All of that, of course, can only be accompanied by a nice glass of Lambrusco, our local red wine, sparkling and vivacious. A vast selection of mouth-watering local sweets and pastries is also available, including the bensone (a traditional pastry made with flour, milk, eggs, butter, and sugar and sometimes filled with jam); zuppa inglese (a trifle made with sponge cake, a red herbal liqueur, and custard), and almond-flavored amaretto liqueurs. They’re a great way to end your meal on a high note.