Ferrari, Maserati, and Pavarotti all hail from St. Paul’s sister city in Italy: Modena. Not interested in exotic cars and opera? This northern Italian city also holds a claim to creating tortellini, tortelloni (not the same thing!), Parmigiano-Reggiano, prosciutto, and the dark, syrupy aceto balsamico (balsamic vinegar). 

You may not have realized that St. Paul enjoyed a special relationship with this Italian culinary capital. And you may then feel dismayed to learn that some 25 years ago, St. Paul allowed this status to lapse. In the early aughts, I lived in Modena for three years writing for an Italian newspaper and teaching English.