Opera02 is the restaurant that hosted us for lunch with Piacere Modena: more than a restaurant it is a farm where the restaurant, spa, vinegar cellar and cellar are concentrated. A little gem perched in the hills of Modena: Opera02 is not located in the center of Modena but in Levizzano di Castelvetro, just 25 km from the provincial capital. The company is completely surrounded by greenery: hectares and hectares submerge Opera02 in a lush green "carpet", surrounded by vineyards. A magical place where nature becomes queen and undisputed sovereign.
History
The name of the facility, Opera02, actually tells the whole story of the company: Opera it was chosen because they wanted to give the idea of a magnificent place, of something extraordinary, of an Italian product that could also be understood abroad; on the basis of this vision of one's own entrepreneurial identity, the name Opera was chosen, also because it has the same meaning in other languages as well, such as English and Spanish. Lo 02 because it all started in 2002: that year Enrico, one of the owners, had the intuition to buy 5 hectares of land from an elderly farmer; three years later he buys the entire hill with a barn from the 50s: the stable has been transformed into an acetaia and around which the entire farm was built. Still in 2005, the agricultural activity passed completely to organic and the entire building was designed and built in full respect of the environment.
Opera02 currently has a structured structure as follows:
- 8 rooms;
- An outdoor swimming pool;
- A spa;
- An vinegar cellar;
- A cellar in which different types of Lambrusco are produced and exported all over the world.
What to eat
What struck me the most about the Opera02 Restaurant is the attention to detail: the table has been impeccably decorated, with an essential but at the same time elegant style. Even the bread basket made with recycled paper bears the Opera0 logo, as well as the linen tablecloths that blend well with the elegance of the glasses and cutlery. The same elegance made of simplicity and tradition that you will also find in the menu; during our lunch I was able to appreciate:
- Fried dumpling: a specialty of the Emilian tradition; it is a soft sheet of water and flour fried in lard.
- Cheese platter: I could have eaten it in industrial quantities because I think ricotta with balsamic vinegar is not easy to eat, but don't miss the Parmigiano Reggiano in three different ages and the selection of jams and honeys.
- Tortelloni stuffed with ricotta in butter and sage: this is also a typical Emilian dish and I must say that the preciousness of the freshness of the flavors makes my mouth water just thinking about it; the tortelloni are served together with a small soup tureen that can be added according to your tastes.
- Meat in vinegar covered with crispy bacon and baked potatoes: at the end of lunch it is difficult to get even more into your stomach, but I can assure you that the potatoes were very crunchy and the meat tasted very good.
Everything was washed down with an excellent selection of Lambrusco wines produced by the Opera02 winery.
If I managed to make your mouth water or if you want to have a relaxing weekend, take a look at the Opera02 website.
