Chef Stefano Secchi presides over One MICHELIN Star Rezdôra, a rustic Italian restaurant focused on the cuisine of Italy's Emilia-Romagna region. He's perhaps best known for his pasta, and he's spent years perfecting the art, spending years in Italy at a number of impressive restaurants, including Modena's Three MICHELIN Star and Green Star Osteria Francescana, Hosteria Giusti, and in Piemonte at One MICHELIN Star All’Enoteca.
Despite his many years in Italy, New York is home for Chef Secchi and his family, and he has plenty of advice, from where to grab the best bread to where he takes his kids on their way home from school.
Check out all of his picks below, and to read our Inspectors' take on Rezdôra, click here.
Where is your favorite spot for coffee?
Vergnano "Bancone" or Stand at Eataly, usually with my good friend Leonardo who runs the cooking school.
Where is your go-to breakfast/lunch spot?
Breads Bakery or Dominique Ansel Workshop, both in our neighborhood. Breads is an institution and DA is easily one of the most enjoyable higher end bakeries anywhere, very talented.
Where would we find you after-hours?
Patent Pending or Nubeluz in Nomad for the view.
Do you have any guilty pleasures?
Gentile is a gelateria I take my kids to when they finish school (usually once a week). It's on our way home and they have flavors that remind me of living in Italia.
Where would you go to celebrate a special occasion?
Sushi Noz, no question, one of the best Japanese experiences in the city and Chef Noz is an excellent human being. I eat a lot of Japanese on days off. It's a similar approach to "cibo Italiano," or Italian food
Where would you take an out-of-towner?
Tim Ho Wan for Dim Sum in the East Village. It's close to my apartment and has so many different options.
Tell us about your favorite place in New York?
It has to be Sheep's Meadow in Central Park on a 75-degree spring day!
Where would we find you on your day off?
Madison Square Park, tossing my kids on the swing or kicking the soccer ball in the green grass...tanta roba!
Hero image: Courtesy of Stefano Secchi
