Giusti food and wine, the oldest delicatessen in Europe in Modena with the Hosteria in the back room – Virtù Quotidiane

MODENA – Walking through the streets of central Modena means taking a journey back in time. The cobblestones that cover the streets, the historic buildings that rise with refinement. And the shops. Here everything speaks of a history of craftsmanship.

The temple of roots is concentrated in via Farini where Giuseppe Giusti Food and Wine is developed, which contains in a single place the oldest delicatessen in Europe, an almost hidden tavern behind it, where attentive and impeccable service is conducted and the bottle shop , where there is a selection of Italian and foreign wines to be tasted at a convivial table.

The Giusti universe (which in Modena also means balsamic vinegar) began in 1598 with Giovanni Francesco Justi (dialect spelling of the surname Giusti) who enrolled in the “List of Lardaruoli and Sausage Makers” and began to practice the art of pork processing.

In 1605 the delicatessen officially opened in the place where it still stands today, along via Farini at number 75. Entering this place means being pervaded by the scent of craftsmanship and an atmosphere full of history. The sign outside reads “Premiata Salumeria Giuseppe Giusti, house founded in 1605”.

Inside, the products dot every corner of the gastronomy, with the hams hanging on the central wall on display, behind the counter windows the fresh and hand-made preparations, and then the typical Emilian cured meats, bottles, packets of pasta, preserves, and lots and lots of delicacies all of the highest quality. Behind the slicer, a sign shows “the price list” of the Fascist Federation of traders.

Until 1980 the delicatessen was handed down within the same family. Then forty years ago, the handover took place Adriano Morandiwho as a shop boy alongside Giuseppe Giusti (the last owner of that family who had no heirs intent on continuing the business), becomes the owner.

In 1989, Adriano, “Nano” to his friends, to deal with a difficult situation, decided in the back room of the shop to restore the old slaughterhouse of the delicatessen and create a small Hosteria with only 4 tables in which to offer pure and simple tradition Modenese. There was and is in the kitchen Laurahis wife, a bank employee at the time.

In 1993, he arrives to help them Matteo, the first son who, after a stint at the delicatessen counter, specializes in the world of wine, helping his father in the Hosteria and expanding the choice of labels in the bottle shop. In the late 90s too Ceciliathe second daughter, joins them and today takes care of the delicatessen and lunch service in the Hosteria.

The restaurant, with a maximum of 24 seats, almost seems like a food speakeasy, with the entrance tucked away in a very small parallel street on Via Farini, difficult to find with the navigator, or by accessing through the delicatessen, going to the back of the shop. The dishes offered (all traditional, starting with the classic gnocco which melts in the mouth like a cloud at the first bite), the wine list, the suggested pairings up to the dessert, are of the highest level, as is the attention and care of the service.

In 2005 Adriano passed away, but since 2018 the family has counted on the third generation with Daniel who, after a diploma in a food and wine institute and a brief interlude in the world of catering, joins her grandmother Laura in the kitchen, learning the techniques and recipes that have made the history of Modena tradition and the restaurant.

In May 2023 the Morandi family opened the Bottiglieria, their idea of ​​a wine shop to welcome lovers of good wine, tasting the best labels in an intimate and refined environment.

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