TOP FOOD ART MIX MASTER: MASSIMO BOTTURA

But Bottura had come up through the kitchens of Alain Ducasse, Georges Coigny, and elBulliwith Ferran Adrià, He had vision, drive, and the chops to make it happen. He and his wife/partner Lara Gilmore persevered and together -- they not only won over the locals with their food-art, but won over the world.

The level of creativity Bottura conjures just from using ingredients from the restaurant’s surrounding Emilia-Romagna region is remarkable. While Parmesan cheese has certainly found its way into many dishes around the world, none is more innovative than his ”Five Ages of Parmigiano Reggiano,” a flight of the regal cheese offered in a range of temperatures, textures, and tastes.

Bottura’s “Adriatic Chowder” is a veritable seafood pot pie, filled with a mix of locally sourced sea snails, razor clams, blue lobster, and truffled clam chowder.

Impressive contemporary paintings grace the walls of the restaurant’s three gracious rooms. Bottura cares as much about visual aesthetics as he does about flavor. The ironed tablecloths and the polished silver signal the elegance that is to come.

Bottura’s menu is “a narration of the Italian landscape and our passions.” He explores and mixes a range of ideas, techniques, and cultures. With whimsical, high-concept names of dishes that are not what they seem, here’s what’s on at Osteria Francescana at the moment:

• Aula croccante in carpione
• Tribute to Normandy
• Mediterranean sole
• An eel swimming up the Po River
• Green over brown over black: camouflage rice
• From Cervia to Modena: leeks, shallots, and black truffle
• The crunchy part of the lasagna
• Suckling pig, tender and crunchy
• Caesar Salad in bloom
• Popcorn

Bottura and Osteria Francescana were featured in episode one of the first season of Netflix's Chef's Table and in the Master of None series.

But Bottura serves many more than the lucky few who are able to dine at his epicurean temple and his new outpost Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura at the Gucci Garden inside the Palazzo della Mercanzia. He lends his voice to both industry and community causes.

Bottura founded the non-profit association Food for Soul which aims to empower communities to fight food waste through social inclusion. Food for Soul partnered with non-profit Gastromotiva, to open and operate community kitchens: Refettorio Gastromotiva in Rio de Janeiro, Refettorio Ambrosiano in Milan, Refettorio Felix in London, and Refettorio Paris.

When Parmigiano Reggiano producers were wiped out after the 2012 Emilian earthquakes damaged millions of dollars' worth of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, Bottura stepped up to help raise awareness of their plight and help raise funds to aid their recovery.

Bottura serves on the board of the esteemed Basque Culinary Center. This year, its symposium hosted a creative mix of experts who exchanged ideas about science, culture art and gastronomy, with guests speakers such as French artist JR, American journalist Ruth Reichl; and British designer Ilse Crawford.

Check out Bottura’s books: Aceto Balsamico, Parmigiano Reggiano, PRO. Attraverso tradizione e innovazione, Never Trust a Skinny Italian Chef, and Bread is Gold.

See more art food fusions in The Beautiful Extreme Art of Plating, Beautiful Edible Art Fools, Let Them Eat (Mondrian) Cake), Art Science & Food Waltz, and more stories on BeautifulNow.

Read more about Magnificent Mix all this week on BeautifulNow. See Marvelous Mixed-up Landscape, Chartreuse: A Magical Mix, Mushrooms are Saving Bees & Us!, and check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Wellness, Impact, Nature/Science, Food, Arts/Design, and Travel, Daily Fix posts.

Do you have amazing Artworks? Enter them in this week’s BN Photo Competition.