Photos: Marco Poderi
A virtuoso in the kitchen, a great philanthropist, and one of the finest international chefs gets his inspiration from art, music, slow food and fast cars
In his dishes, there are traces of Federico Fellini’s films, a spoonful of the Ferrari, Maserati and Lamborghini, traditional Italian mum’s cooking, the emotion of Billie Holiday and a powerful geyser of creativity. He is Maestro Massimo Bottura, one of the finest Italian and international chefs.
“My name is Massimo Bottura. I’m an Italian chef born in Modena. I grew up under the kitchen table at my grandmother Ancella’s knees. That is where appetite begins for me. Inspiration comes from the world around me – from art, music, slow food and fast cars.” This is how Maestro describes himself –a man who has taken the path less travelled, a cooking artist who creates new perspectives on gastronomy.
As is the case with most people with a vision, his path to success was a thorny one. He has experienced the lot – from hatred and negation to sheer adoration and respect. As Aristotle once said: “No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness.”
Today, Massimo Bottura is an international culinary legend, the chef of Osteria Francescana, a restaurant in Modena with three Michelin stars, which was named the World’s Best Restaurant in 2016 and 2018. Projects in other cities and countries such as Gucci Osteria Firenze, Gucci Osteria Los Angeles, Torno Subito Dubai and Gucci Osteria Tokyo have one Michelin star each. Not only does he own many restaurants that serve his signature dishes, but Bottura is also a great story-teller who will immediately win you over with his energy and passion.
