I was able to get a reservation when I did this. Granted 5:30 was my only option for a Monday night. We ate there a couple weeks ago and it was one of my all time favorite meals. I thought the wine list was amazing. But the older I get the more I’m gravitating towards easy to drink naturals.
1 Like
My wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary last night at Rezdora, and we loved it. First impression, however, was not great, as there were a few steps down to the door, and then a small landing area where the hostess stand was completely overwhelmed by people waiting to be seated, a coat check person, people putting on their coats, different people trying to leave, and by now, more people behind us waiting to get in the door. It was crowded and unpleasant. While standing there in the throng, I noticed small tables very close to each other opposite a long bar, a low ceiling, and a noise level that made me say, uh oh. Luckily, we were led through that first room, up a few stairs to a back landing where the tables were more spread out, the ceiling was much higher and the sound level was more agreeable.
The food was excellent. We started with a radicchio and blood orange salad that was outstanding. We moved on to three different pasta dishes. All were great. I had read reviews online that the pastas dishes were small and expensive. But I found the pastas to be worthy of the pricing because they were extraordinary and complex. The braised beef shank and halibut entrees were good, but the pastas shined. While some might argue that the pasta prices were high, the entrée pricing in the mid-$30s was very reasonable. Olive oil cake for dessert was excellent.
The wine list was quite long, but there were some prices that were stupid expensive (e.g., 2018 Sassetti Pertimali Brunello – not a great vintage – at $485, nine or ten times retail), that I closed the list and ordered a cocktail and a glass of amaro. Corkage at $95/bottle, in my view, is another reason to stick to cocktails.
Service was really excellent. I also loved the background music, which included the Stones, Hendrix, Zeppelin and the Menahan Street Band.
We would go back for sure. And we would give serious consideration to the pasta tasting menu.
Highly recommended.
5 Likes
I hear Menahan Street Band on so many playlists!
1 Like
Robert, it’s still so funny that you and I were at the same Menahan show in Brooklyn during the pandemic and didn’t see each other. And that I noticed the sax guy drinking wine and it was your wine.
1 Like
I think that venue (MADE Brooklyn) has closed. I will be doing a big Rieslingstudy event with Leon in April in Kingston.
3 Likes
Asher, I think the way you did it is the way to go rather than ordering the pasta tasting. You can try more stuff. My favorite thing there is the gnocco fritto. And I love that single table on the mezzanine level away from everyone else.
1 Like
Great, thanks! Early dinner actually works for me that day so I’ll head over there around 4 and hang around.
@Mikko_Tuomi other options for solo dining in the Village/West Village would be Le Chene & Bartolo. Hell, I’ve even gotten a seat at Via Carota as a walk-in.
1 Like
I had a great experience at Rezdora when I was in NY last spring. It was kind of a last minute trip so the only reservation I could find online was for lunch. It didn’t mention the pasta tasting which I wanted to do so I emailed them through the “contact us” form on the website to ask if they still offered the tasting menu. Someone got back to me right away and said they do offer it but only for dinner service. I thanked them and said I understood and since I was just one person I would probably just come early for dinner and hope for a seat at the bar. They got back to me right away again and asked when I wanted to have dinner and they would set me up with a reservation.
When having the pasta tasting menu I opted for the wine pairing. The wines were generally quite interesting and the somm was very interactive about presenting each of the wines. One of the wines had a touch of brettanomyces on it, not horribly out of line for what one finds in the market, but I mentioned it to the somm simply by way of information indicating it wasn’t my favorite for that reason. When the bill came much later the somm had comped the entire price of the wine pairing! I asked my server about it and by then the somm had gone home and had told the server to comp me because I “didn’t like one of the wines”. Totally above and beyond and very much not required or expected. So I over-tipped to keep my restaurant karma intact.
I would like to try some of their other menu items sometime.
3 Likes
Jeff, thank you for the report. That’s exactly the sort of conduct that makes me want to support this restaurant and return again and again.
And you just have to love a place that under their FAQs for the question: “Do you have a dress code?” Their answer is “As long as you are wearing clothes you are welcome to join us.”
1 Like
Long shot but picking some brains here - any decent breakfast tacos in NYC these days? I’ve heard king David’s tacos at outposts are pretty sad.
Interesting question.. lots of good/ great breakfast burritos but not a taco comes to mind
Come down to Philly, stay the night, and hit South Philly Barbacoa in the AM - they open at 6 on weekends.
Sorry, useless response. 
Ha no worries. I got a friend coming into town and we are spending the weekend in the City. I am sure one morning we’ll grab some bagels, the second morning I just have a craving for breakfast tacos. Cannot find them here in the burbs of NJ so I thought maybe they have trickled into NYC.
Another useless response lol, but you can come to Philly twice and also eat at Taco Heart - Austin style breakfast tacos on homemade flour tortillas. On Friday’s they do a burnt ends taco that is unreal. NYC has to have this also I’m sure
well my last employer was based in philly and I went down there like a dozen times. no longer with them so these philly posts would have been useful a few months ago :-). I do have friends in philly so next time I go visit Ill look these places up
1 Like
If you are looking for a spot on the weekends and Brunch would work Yellow Rose has a nice assortment of breakfast tacos:
If you are not set on tacos Win Son is a good option in the East Village or Brooklyn:
Or the Japanese breakfast at Rule of Thirds:
1 Like
Thanks Robert - my friend is a big fan of Japan (Travels there a few times a year) so he may dig Rule of Thirds. I can sacrifice my tacos for his trip into the City. But I’ll keep Yellow Rose in mind too
If it were me I would do Japanese Breakfast (with some Sake) at Rule of Thirds followed by Tacos Ramirez followed by Chrissy Pizza! Get a true NYC experience. Of course BYOB at all!
2 Likes