Some of you may be aware that Binge has been on an indefinite hiatus. We're making a small comeback with a series of mini reviews: reviews of dishes instead of full-blown restaurant reviews. This is the third in the series.

Trattoria Aldina is hard to locate. After a couple of times of walking around the block and rechecking google maps, it became apparent that it was opposite Modena’s fresh food market—Mercato Albinelli—but upstairs in a nondescript, residential building. There was no obvious sign at ground level, so it was clearly for those in the know, mainly locals. It felt like the perfect place to have a clandestine rendezvous. Arrive at noon sharp, as they take no reservations and the place fills up fast. You enter via a characterful L-shaped dining room, which would not seem out of place at Nonna’s house.

The food and drinks menu is delivered orally and rolled off the tongue at great speed, so pay attention. The lasagne sounded tempting and possibly a good indicator of the standard of the kitchen in general. After a brief pause to survey the surroundings, it arrived looking unctuous, with a good balance of ragu, fresh pasta sheets and bechamel. There was no shortage of excellent pasta in the preceding days from our trip to Italy but from the first mouthful, George Orwell’s famous quote sprung to mind: “all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”. This one was definitely the tastiest we had eaten. 

To follow, we had plates of fresh tagliatelle and ragu and the famous brodo di cappone, a regional speciality of a delicate capon or chicken broth with homemade cappelletti stuffed with meat. A panna cotta chaser was a good way to sweeten the palate after a meal that would be etched in our memories for a long time. 

*The restaurant only accepts cash so make sure you arrive ready.