Modena native Massimo Bottura, 50, has been hailed as Italy’s leading chef. The self-taught maestro started his culinary career in 1986 when he took over a roadside trattoria in his hometown. It was not long before he was apprenticing with French great Alain Ducasse. In 1995 Bottura opened his Osteria Francescana in the historic heart of Modena, a 12-table restaurant that in 2011 was awarded three stars by the prestigious Michelin Guide.