After working at fine-dining temples in New York City—Eleven Madison Park, Cru—chef David Nayfeld is venturing into slightly different territory. Rustic Italian. Opening soon, he unveils his years-in-the-making project with chef (and fellow Eleven Madison Park alum) Angela Pinkerton. It’s called Che Fico, and it’s focused on food all over Italy, not just one specific region.

But to prepare for opening the restaurant, Nayfeld took an R&D trip to Emilia-Romagna, where he ate his weight in pasta. “The beauty of Emilia-Romagna is that you can explore so many cities in a short amount of time, and each is famous for their own export or specialty,” says Nayfeld. Follow the chef to see all the spots he sought out in Italy.