In the Italian dialect of Emilia Romagna, “rezdôra” is the grandmother or matriarch of a household, traditionally responsible for hand-rolling the family’s pasta. In New York City, Rezdôra is Chef Stefano Secchi’s One MICHELIN Star restaurant where rustic Italian cuisine shines, with dishes like “Grandma Walking Through Forest In Emilia”—cappelletti verdi with roasted, sautéed leeks and black mushroom purée. Best known for his pasta, Secchi spent years perfecting the art under the tutelage of chefs like Massimo Bottura at Three MICHELIN Star and Green Star Osteria Francescana in Modena, and Davide Palluda at One MICHELIN Star All’Enoteca in Piemonte.
His roots may be in Italy but today, New York is home to Chef Secchi and his family. Unsurprisingly, he has plenty of advice, from where to grab the best bread to where he takes his kids for a sweet treat after school.
Check out all of his picks below, and to read our Inspectors' take on Rezdôra.
What's your go-to coffee spot in NYC?
The Caffè Vergnano "bancone" or counter at Eataly, usually with my good friend Leonardo [Palazzo] who runs the cooking school.
New York is a city for early birds—any favorite restaurants or bakeries for breakfast?
Breads Bakery or Dominique Ansel Workshop, both in our neighborhood. Breads is an institution and DA is easily one of the most enjoyable high-end bakeries anywhere, very talented.
Then again, New York can feel like a city that doesn’t sleep. Where do you head after hours?
Patent Pending or Nubeluz in Nomad for the view.
With so many places to indulge in NYC, what’s your ultimate guilty pleasure?
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’s the perfect place in NYC for you 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
First impressions are everything: 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.
Is there a particular spot in NYC, outside of the restaurant scene, that feels special to you?
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! (It’s amazing.)
Address book:
Rezdôra
27 E 20th St, New York, NY 10003
Eataly
200 5th Ave, New York, NY 10010
Breads Bakery
18 E 16th St, New York, NY 10003
Dominique Ansel Workshop
17 E 27th St, New York, NY 10016
Patent Pending
49 W 27th St, New York, NY 10001
Nubeluz
25 W 28th St, New York, NY 10001
Gelateria Gentile
locations across Manhattan and Brooklyn
Sushi Noz
181 E 78th St, New York, NY 10075
Tim Ho Wan
85 4th Ave, New York, NY 10003
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Hero Image: The chef calls himself the product of an Italian farm boy and an English mother (courtesy of Stefano Secchi)
