On entering Rezdôra, which lies slightly below street level, one first encounters a narrow dining room with brick walls, timbered ceilings, and bare wood tables. The mood is unassuming yet welcoming. A leather banquette and a line of small tables line one wall, the other occupied by a marble bar with plush stools for casual diners. At the end of this room is a set of steps that take one down to the kitchen or up towards a small, raised dining area. The greenery visible through the high windows here adds to the homely atmosphere. Dishes are served on blue-accented plates decorated in a style that instantly says Modena to anyone familiar with the area, another detail aimed at helping transport diners to Northern Italy before they have even raised fork to mouth.
Secchi was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, where his parents ran a restaurant. His Italian father, who was the only one of eight brothers to have emigrated, would take the family back to the Bel Paese for several months each year. It was here that Secchi developed his love for Italian cooking and particularly the fresh, homemade pasta dishes of the Emilia Romagna region. Having decided he wanted to be a chef, he enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America, returning to Italy after graduating to train in some of the country’s finest restaurants, under some of its best chefs. In Piedmont he worked for Davide Pallude at the Michelin-starred All’Enoteca in Canale. And in Modena he was mentored first by Laura Morandi at Hosteria Giusti and later by no less a figure than Massimo Bottura at his legendary, three-Michelin-starred restaurant, Osteria Francescana. On his return to the US, Secchi ran the kitchens of his parents’ two restaurants in Dallas, before moving to New York to open Rezdôra, his homage to Northern Italy and his way of bringing authentic Emilian cuisine to New Yorkers.
Soon after opening in 2019, Rezdôra received a three-star review from Pete Wells in The New York Times. A Michelin star followed in 2021, and after that the stream of accolades only grew. By 2024, Rezdôra had risen to seventh place in 50 Top Italy’s list of the Best Italian Restaurants in the World and received a Made in Italy award. The same year, its wine list earned Two Glasses (Best Award of Excellence) from Wine Spectator.
