Within the final yr, Stefano Secchi lived by means of each chef’s nightmare: His Flatiron restaurant, Massara, was beginning to hit its stride (and had simply develop into worthwhile) when a kitchen hearth became a catastrophe that saved the enterprise closed for a yr. The evening it occurred, Secchi had been flying to Italy for a marriage. “I landed and had ten missed calls and 25 texts,” he recollects. “I’m asking my staff, like, ‘Guys, can I come again?’ they usually’re like ‘You are able to do nothing proper now.” When the restaurant eventually reopened earlier this month, Secchi was as soon as once more flying to Italy. “I’ve main PTSD as a result of the very same factor occurred final time,” he says, joking (perhaps). After all, Secchi can be the envy of many restaurateurs since his first New York restaurant, Rezdôra, stays, seven years in, one of many metropolis’s few really inconceivable reservations, full each evening for the easy purpose that it is vitally good. Subsequent, he’ll take over one in all downtown’s most storied places — the previous Gotham Bar and Grill — however earlier than that, he spent every week this summer time getting an early (actually) bounce on marathon coaching, readying some new menus, and attempting with various levels of success to sneak into his eating places unnoticed, each to cook dinner and to eat.
Tuesday, June 23
I get up very early. We’ve youngsters, so now we have little or no free time. I’m up round 4:30 or 5 to meditate. I learn the New York Instances, I’ve a fast cup of espresso — an a.m. moka pot, all the time, all the time, all the time — after which I’m going on a run to clear my thoughts. Operating that early is wonderful as a result of nobody’s round. It’s excellent and also you’re not dodging individuals.
Once I get residence, colazione is an omelet with Havarti and avocado. That is my go-to breakfast, and I used to make it on a regular basis, however my spouse has stepped in recently. Her omelet recreation is subsequent degree. She makes it and we break up it.
In the midst of the day, I finished by L’Appartement 4F in Manhattan. It’s cool that they’re within the area that was once James Beard’s home. I had an almond croissant and an espresso, no sugar. They don’t overcomplicate issues. I dig it.
We’re doing a menu flip at Rezdôra, and lunch was tasting numerous dishes for the summer time menu: tortello di friggione and ippoglosso, which is halibut with fennel and pomorodini. Whenever you consider halibut, you consider northern European nations like England, Scotland, or Norway. We didn’t actually have halibut in Italy; after we did get it, it will be on the massive fish market in Milano: This one comes from Norway, this one comes from the deep waters of western Spain.
In the meantime, I even have Parmigiano-Reggiano, which first turned a ritual for me once I was in culinary college at CIA and once more once I was cooking in Italy. I break off good items and depart them on a chopping board for my fellow cooks.
Proper earlier than p.m. service, I all the time have tea, a mix of jasmine pearls and English Breakfast. My mother is English, and I picked up the tea behavior from her. I all the time have some new sort of cheese with tea: Parmigiano or Manchego or a little bit of New Zealand cheddar — no matter’s fascinating that I’ve picked up from the shop. It’s a bizarre mixture of candy and salty simply earlier than dinner service, and it’s completely scrumptious. If somebody did tea with cheese choices, it may develop into a factor. Perhaps not L’Appartement 4F-level strains, however one thing epic.
Wednesday, June 24
A.m. moka at 4:30. Go for a run.
Once I get again, now we have some berries from the Union Sq. Greenmarket, so I combine these with a couple of nuts and yogurt. We make our personal yogurt with milk from Battenkill Farms. We’ve a yogurt machine from an organization referred to as Luvele. We get the very best milk we will discover, and I do a 24-hour yogurt. It’s actually wealthy. We put it within the fridge and let it relaxation for 12 extra hours, pour off any whey, after which whisk it till it turns into actually thick. It doesn’t have any stabilizers or components, and my youngsters are massive followers.
The wood-burning oven is fired up at Massara, and we’re doing a couple of menu-test objects earlier than reopening. It is going to be nice to get again into our previous residence. We’ve some fennel from Campo Rosso Farm — I’m an enormous fan of what they do — and I should have eaten seven pizzette for lunch as we labored by means of the dough and tried a brand new seasonal choice: Sungold purée, spring onion, mozzarella di bufala, and guanciale that melts in so nicely.
“Dinner” was an espresso as a result of I used to be nonetheless full from lunch, and I tasted purées and pastas at Rezdôra throughout service.
Thursday, June 25
An a.m. moka, an early-morning run, an omelet.
One other espresso at 10 a.m. at Eataly with my pal, Leonardo, who runs the cooking class there. We’ve a espresso, fun, and cry — actually cry — about how Italy didn’t even qualify for the World Cup for the third time in a row.
Within the afternoon, now we have one other tasting for Massara’s return. This time it’s pasta and fish on the wood-burning grill. The grill is the rationale we needed to depart, however there’s nothing just like the live-fire taste, particularly after we’re speaking about meals from Campania. We’re so pleased to be again within the area, however the metropolis by no means makes it straightforward, particularly with allowing for a small enterprise. What was presupposed to be a three- or four-month closure turned a full yr.
Dinner was at 8 p.m. at Rezdôra. I attempt to do these visits incognito, nevertheless it hardly ever works. I by no means used to eat within the restaurant in any respect as a result of I work six days every week and I’m there so usually: Why would I need to go to eat throughout my break day? However consuming at your personal place is the very best factor you are able to do: I get a lot out of those dinners. We simply celebrated seven years on the restaurant. How do you retain the execution at a excessive degree? This can be a nice technique to keep on high of every little thing, expertise it as a visitor, and run by means of something we will enhance on.
We had a brand new “mozzarella di bufala with pomodorini in tre modi,” traditional gnocco fritto (can’t miss), and a salad with fennel and stone fruit. Pastas have been the grandma, pisarei with braised duck ragù, and tagliolini with ragù Modenese; and secondi introduced cotoletta “modo Bolognese” with Parmigiano and prosciutto, cipollini onions, and the final of the asparagus with “spungole” or morels. Our govt pastry chef, Dominique Canvin, despatched out a bunch of recent desserts to attempt together with the nice and cozy olive-oil cake.
Friday, June 26
Two a.m. mokas however no run as a result of I sleep in. It takes me longer to get better after an evening out lately. I used to have the ability to keep out till 4 within the morning and get to work on the road at eight. It was so punishing, however after ingesting 4 espressos and like eight quarts of water, you’d sweat every little thing out on the road and be advantageous by the tip of service. Not anymore.
No breakfast as a result of I make a farmers’ market run for the eating places. Have one other espresso at Rezdôra round lunch lineup after which get to do one thing particular within the afternoon. We’re large Knicks followers, and the championship trophy was on show at Tiffany’s. We did a phase with Josh Hart as soon as for our socials, and we nonetheless commute over our mutual love of wine. The man actually is aware of his shit, which isn’t the case with each athlete wine drinker. The trophy is fairly unbelievable up shut.
Raphaëlle Bergeon is the top chef at Tiffany’s and runs the area as a part of Daniel Boulud’s group. We’ve “tea time” on the café. I’ve jasmine and my spouse, Lauren, has an English Breakfast. Our boys have sizzling chocolate, and the meals simply retains coming. An egg with caviar, raviolini full of Swiss chard and black truffle, tea sandwiches, macarons, petit-fours, a lot. It’s a nice afternoon — many due to Daniel and the wonderful Raphaëlle. Merci, merci, merci.
Saturday, June 27
Sleep in once more earlier than getting the youngsters prepared for the farmers’ market. It’s a practice for us to go collectively as a household on Saturday mornings. We make all the same old stops: Eckerton Hill Farm, which has the very best tomatoes in the course of the summer time season; Lani’s; and Norwich Meadows, amongst them. I seize the Apé out of the storage to choose up the entire produce for the eating places and the youngsters bounce in again. They find it irresistible.
Breakfast is samples of smoked duck, berries, a croissant from Dominique Ansel Workshop (nobody does it higher) and one other espresso. Brunch is a brand new “focaccia di mais” tasting at Rezdôra, after which brunch service.
Lauren and I’ve been attempting to do at the least one date evening a month. We’re engaged on making that extra frequent. Tonight we go to Lex Yard: I hadn’t tried it but, and we don’t head up above twenty third Avenue that always. However Mike Anthony is serving a very nice burger there. We’ve a lobster roll as nicely, and he hundreds us up with desserts earlier than we head over to Carnegie Corridor for a live performance.
Sunday, June 28
Two a.m. Mokas and no breakfast.
It’s my time off, however I’ve been going to Massara as a result of the pizza dough is a beast. You actually can’t miss a day. We’ve an 18-hour ferment, then we roll out the pizza and let it ferment some extra. I reside shut sufficient to the restaurant that I can go over and do it shortly and attempt to give our cooks slightly little bit of break day on a Sunday.
I attempt to take Sunday off, interval, however I’m nonetheless cooking all day. I acquired residence and began some pomodoro sauce with a soffrito of carrots, onions, and celery. It’s Northern Italian pomodoro. Then it’s grilled cheese for the squad. Bear in mind, I’ve youngsters so I’m not including any further bullshit like caramelized onions to my grilled cheese. I discovered the way in which to make an actual crowdpleaser is to make use of two cheeses: Hhavarti, not aged however a younger havarti, and tons of yellow cheddar. I toast it on thick-sliced potato bread in a mix of brown butter and olive oil and take the highest of my tea kettle to push the sandwich down on high so I get this stunning crisp outdoors whereas it’s comfortable within the center. I do know I’m actually in enterprise when my youngsters ask for seconds and thirds and I’m like, Fellas, we’ve acquired to eat dinner tonight, too.
I’m beginning to prepare for the marathon and get my miles up, so now we have a much bigger dinner than regular: spaghetti with the slow-cooked pomodoro and Parmigiano, cod grilled with flat beans from the farmers’ market, and a glass of Damonte-Secchi Barolo from Piemonte. My son’s godfather is making Barolo so I style it after dinner.
Our Sunday custom is Caffè Panna after dinner. Our passeggiata, or stroll, is a should. Generally the road is loopy, although — Hayley has constructed one thing particular.
Monday, June 29
Up at 4:30 for an a.m. moka and a future; blueberries, banana, and yogurt for breakfast; and an early lunch of pasta pomodoro with a salad of avocado, Little Gem from Campo Rosso, and canned sardines. I really like tinned seafood. Certainly one of my guys fires it for me. We often have the pomodoro simmering for six or seven hours by the point I get there for lunch. They’d simply puréed it and infused all of the basil, so I’m like, I’ve acquired to have it. It’s so good.
Dinner is household meal at Rezdôra. One of many cooks makes pasta with cimi di rapa e salsiccia, or broccoli rabe and sausage. And I’ve to say it’s truly not dangerous — I could be a little crucial after we make pasta.
EAT LIKE THE EXPERTS.
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