No. 1: Modena's Osteria Francescana

After our trek through the Dolomites, we headed to the center of the wedding festivities - Correggio - a beautiful town near Bologna/Modena.  Not only did the area serve as the the perfect venue for my cousin's wedding, but it also served as the perfect backdrop for my birthday.

After all, given how close we were to Modena, we had to check out Osteria Francescana.  (For those who have seen Chef's Table, Chef Massimo Battura was even more lovable in person and personally greeted everyone dining.)

Well worth it and not hard to see why it was crowned the No. 1 Restaurant in the world.  A few of the dishes over the 4.5 hour meal from our Sensations tasting menu:

Tribute to Normandy.

Lentils are better than Caviar.

Mediterranean Sole.

Autumn in New York.

Five ages of Parmigiano Reggiano in different textures and temperatures.

Crunchy Part of the Lasagna.

At the dinner of Trimalchione: fowl in the ancient Roman style.

Croccantino of foie gras. (Foie Gras Ice Cream Bars with Traditional Balsamic Vinegar from Modena.) 

Caesar Salad in Bloom.

Oops! I dropped the Lemon Tart. (Customized.)

Camouflage of Vignola (Chocolate, Cherries and Pop Rocks.) 

One of several dishes not on tasting menu but offered as additions.  Some sort of exploding cherries and pistachio deliciousness. 

Me. Way too excited about it all.  Especially with Massimo's parting gift, a bottle of his own aged balsamic vinegar! 

Dolomites

Despite being one of the most picturesque stops in Italy, the photos still failed to do the Dolomites justice.  We drove from Venice to the Dolomites and stayed in Alta Badia - specifically Val Gardena. We stayed one night, hiked to the top of Lagazuoi-Lagacio per this map, and took the gondola down.

To be honest, I still have no real concept of the areas/regions but because we had a car, I think we were able to drive through what seemed like a lot of the Dolomites.

Truly one of the most exhilarating experiences ever.

Not only did I not fall off a cliff, but I didn't even break a nail and I got to use my new Apple watch!