NYCReview
photo credit: Teddy Wolff
Rezdôra
Included In
If you’ve ever thought about extruding your own rigatoni, or explained the literal meaning of “al dente” to a stranger at a Knicks game, you are, most likely, susceptible to the lore of Rezdôra.
From a Dallas-born chef of Sardinian heritage, the narrow, brick-lined Flatiron restaurant serves obsessively handmade tortelli, tagliolini, strozzapreti, and more. Since we first reviewed the place, shortly after it opened 2019, the hype has remained steady, and this has led to some very loud chatter (which is generally what happens when you're hot enough to be considered overrated). But Rezdôra is still a pasta nerd’s dream, and a stereotypically charming date spot—even if everything outside the primi category continues to feel like an afterthought.
Up front, a single row of tables and a walk-in-only bar.photo credit: Teddy Wolff
A little more elbow room in the back.
A big part of Rezdôra’s mystique stems from its regional focus. As you'd expect from a chef who trained at Modena’s abundantly-awarded Osteria Francescana, the menu is inspired by Emilia-Romagna, and it revolves around nine or so modestly-portioned pastas that look a lot daintier than they taste. A bowl of gramigna with a drizzle of ragu “in bianco,” might seem tame, or maybe even boring, but the flavor runs deep. Another sneaky highlight—and signature dish—the cappelletti come stuffed with an ultra-concentrated dose of leeks, with pools of butter lounging on their brims.
photo credit: Teddy Wolff
photo credit: Teddy Wolff
For anyone who doesn’t doesn’t obsess over militantly al dente cappelletti or the nuance of Italian regional cuisine, there’s significantly less to love. Whether it’s a plate of oversalted scallops or a halved lump of un-marbled sirloin, Rezdôra’s mains aren’t afraid to disappoint. If it weren’t for the featherweight gnocco fritto, you could almost accuse this place of being a one-trick pony.
It would, admittedly, be a very good trick. Come with a decent appetite, and you can easily consume two bowls of pasta—around $30 each—by yourself. We’ve seen people do it, and we’ve dabbled ourselves. If that doesn’t sound like your kind of night, maybe sit this one out. If it does, you’re not alone. Rezdôra’s focus is narrow, but it’s not exactly niche.
Food Rundown
photo credit: Teddy Wolff
Gnocco Fritto
These balloons of fried dough come three to an order, each one topped with a different cured meat: prosciutto, pancetta, and mortadella. Immediately after you take a bite, your gnocco fritto will collapse, losing 90% of its volume, and none of its deliciousness. Everyone at your table deserves at least one, if not an entire order.
Cheeses
The various cheese options—burrata, stracciatella, and mozzarella—are all made better by a $7 side of bread. That’ll put you at around $30 just for bread and cheese, and considering the barely shareable portion sizes, you can skip this part of the menu.
Cacio e Pepe Salad
The lettuce is basically just a delivery mechanism to get cheese, black pepper, and thick pecorino dressing to your mouth. Fortunately, those things are delicious.
Spaghettoni
Take a bite of this spaghettoni without looking at it, and you’ll assume it was transported to your plate on one of those open-ocean rafts that Wilson swam away from in Cast Away. So you’ll be understandably confused when you see that it only has three clams and some breadcrumbs on top. But those breadcrumbs are covering up a briny clam sauce packed with chopped clams. This is one of the best pastas here.
Anolini
Microwaving frozen Kraft noodles would make for can’t-miss pasta if it were served in this rich parmigiano cream sauce. The anolini are firm on the bottom with a soft, thin shell covering the perfect amount of ground beef, prosciutto, and pork sausage. Get this.
Grandma Walking Through The Forest In Emilia
This is the weakest pasta at Rezdora, and while that’s kind of like being a benchwarmer for an all-star team, it still means you don’t need to order it. The spinach pasta is filled with braised leeks, but the majority of the flavor comes from the heavy dose of peas and the pleasant, but not particularly memorable mushroom puree underneath.
Uovo Raviolo Di Nino Bergese
At any other restaurant, this raviolo would be a standout. Here, it feels like a mainstay that’s managed to stick around due its obvious visual appeal. (Truffles! Egg yolk! $35 for a single raviolo!) You’re paying for the truffle, and a very good, one-note round of stuffed pasta.
Maccheroni
Both the maccheroni and the tagliolini soak up their ragus like one of those magic mops in infomercials, but if you’re only going to order one, then it should be the maccheroni al pettine. The thin tubes of pasta have ridges that help absorb all of the juices, and the ragu has so much flavor that even the bites without any meat taste like forkfuls of juicy, salty, shredded duck.
Veal Cheek
The veal cheek is so soft that we’re pretty sure it’d fall apart on its own if you stared at it hard enough, which might sound appealing, but it’s off-putting to eat.
Cow Grazing In Emilia Romagna
If you want steak, go to a steakhouse. This is heartfelt advice, and you should take it.
Olive Oil Cake
The cake itself is like dense cornbread, and it’s fine for a couple bites, but when you scoop into the gelato hoping to get some sweetness to balance it out, you basically just get a mouthful of olive oil. Skip this and either just drink your dessert, or order another pasta if you’re still hungry.