DINING, FOOD, REVIEW
How a Michelin Star Restaurant Felt Like Home
Reflections from Rezdôra
Michelin Star establishments are inherently enchanting.
With platings that border on the architectural and ingredients that are a mouthful in more than one sense of the word (try saying langoustine carpaccio three times fast), patrons are meant to be mystified.
Rezdôra rejects the pomp of these lavish establishments without sacrificing any creative ingenuity.
I am inclined to believe that Chef Stefano Secchi is a student of Christopher Nolan. Within his osteria just below street level in the Flatiron District of New York City, I witnessed a culinary Prestige.
Midtown Magic
Much like the illusions in Nolan’s seminal thriller, my experience at Rezdôra consisted of three acts.
The first of these acts is known as “The Pledge,” where the magician shows you something ordinary and asks you to inspect it.
There should be nothing “ordinary” about a Michelin Star dining experience for most of us. However, as my three friends and I opened our menus, I noted the accessibility of each dish. Mortadella? Tagliatelle? Cacio e Pepe? I know these! I’ve even shared some of these meals with my Calabrese friend, Will, and his family!
The second act is called “The Turn.” Here, the magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary.
It all began with the bread.
With a gentle clink, our server set spears of house-made bread kissed with black grill stripes and a layer of olive oil so thin it was almost atmospheric before us.
Now, fresh bread is always worth celebrating, but as synchronized snaps rang out from our first bites, our eyes widened (and perhaps watered) as a collective sigh washed over the table.
Next came the pasta.
Up to now, our experience could have been classified as “fine dining” — reservations made a month in advance, sophisticated drinks, and bread that wasn’t free — but now…now we had entered uncharted territory.
Dressed in a pastel orange cream sauce and topped with the freshly grated parmigiana, the tagliatelle pomodoro couldn’t have been more deceptive.
Bright, citrusy tomato blushed above the rich crema that coated each perfectly al dente strand of pasta. These are the flavors that lull your eyes closed. They’re too important to be competing with visual stimuli. You need a moment to regain your bearings and remember you are, indeed, fully conscious. A special thank you is in order for my wife’s willingness to share a bite of her order with me.
My dish boasted a bit more drama; a house-made raviolo stuffed with herbed ricotta and raw egg yolk topped with black truffle. Inspired by the signature dish of the Italian royal chef, Nino Bergese, my heart raced as I sliced through the center. Decadent orange egg yolk raced down the slopes of the raviolo, forming a golden halo at its base, accompanied by savory gusts of steam escaping from the center.
Bliss.
Of course, the taste was equally enlightening; after all, this was my first time eating truffles in earnest, not comingled in some oil base or used as a seasoning for $12 french fries.
The grand finale came in the form of a twenty-eight-ounce ribeye.
I first learned of Rezdôra and Chef Stefano through Eater’s YouTube series, “Mise en Place.” I distinctly remember halfway through Rezdôra’s feature, executive sous chef Anthony Bellock looked directly at the camera and stated, “don’t sleep on the costata.” Challenge accepted.
Our 60-day dry-aged ribeye was the showstopper. Cooked to a perfect medium-rare, each slice of our bistecca per due melted. Rubbed in a porcini powder, the seared outer crust of this magnificent steak offered the duplicitous richness of marrow and movie theater popcorn butter (I cannot make this up).
Inception d’Italia
The third act, known as “The Prestige,” is the hardest part of any display of magic. Although Nolan’s film draws upon the reappearance of a previously departed object, that metaphor doesn’t play out as well when thinking of food.
However, Rezdôra still managed to materialize something otherwise invisible; memories. Here I am drawn to consider another Nolan masterpiece. Is it possible to vicariously experience someone else’s memories through a meal?
While Chef Stefano’s culinary mastery was cultivated in some of Italy’s most celebrated kitchens, his eyes still light up when he talks about honing the traditional mattarello technique for rolling pasta under Nonna Laura Morandi at Hosteria Giusti. After all, a “rezdôra” refers to the Modenese head of household — usually a nonna who hand rolls pasta.
This dedication to heritage transported me from New York City to the rolling hills of Emilia-Romagna. I wasn’t looking to “discover the secret”’ behind the wonder of each dish. I was thrilled by the magic. I wanted to believe.
Perhaps this is why I am so grateful that Rezdôra was my first encounter under a Michelin Star. I did not feel I had joined the well-heeled upper echelons of society; instead, I felt as if I had just left a new friend’s home after sharing their favorite meal.
When you think about it, food is a lot like magic. It’s something that we see every day and often don’t pay much attention to. We take it for granted. The food Rezdôra serves is more than just a meal. It is an experience that transports you to another time and place, evoking memories of loved ones and cherished moments. Chef Stefano’s passion for his craft shines through in every dish, making each one an unforgettable masterpiece.
