Chef Stefano Secchi has debuted his second Italian venture: Massara, a warm homage to his heritage. Located in Manhattan’s Flatiron district, it’s just blocks away from his celebrated first restaurant, Rezdôra. Spanning two levels and covering 600 square feet (around 56 square meters), Massara was thoughtfully brought to life by New York-based Sarah Carpenter Studio. Known for its tailored approach to hospitality, the firm avoids formulaic design, crafting spaces that feel intentional, yet effortless.
The result is a 105-seat space that radiates relaxed charm. There’s no curated trendiness or overworked aesthetic. Instead, the restaurant’s easygoing atmosphere is underscored by design choices that reveal a quiet precision on closer look.
The true centerpiece here is the cuisine of Campania, a sun-drenched region in southern Italy. In the lofty four-meter atrium, light pours onto a rugged stone pizza oven, a long slab of Carrara marble, and a communal table fashioned from early 1900s reclaimed wood.
Still, Massara is not a pizzeria, Secchi insists. “At Rezdôra, it’s about lardo, Parmesan, dairy. But Campania is vegetables, olive oil, seafood, and fire,” he says. It’s a regional shift in flavor and philosophy.
The interiors nod to Italian farmhouses, with bronze and brass lighting, vintage Murano pendants, and walls adorned with antique prints and aged books sourced in Italy. The charm lies in its cultivated irregularity—nothing matches too perfectly.
Though born in Dallas, Secchi’s culinary foundation runs deep. He trained in his father’s restaurant, Ferrari’s, under chef Dino Borrello. Borrello’s Campanian wild-yeast starter still fuels the dough at Massara today, a living link to Italy’s traditions.
Back in 2019, with restaurateur David Switzer, Secchi opened Rezdôra, a love letter to Emilia-Romagna’s cuisine. It quickly earned a Michelin star, with diners lining up not for hype, but for genuinely extraordinary food—especially the pasta.
The name Rezdôra refers to the household matriarch, typically a grandmother hand-rolling pasta daily. Massara is the Campanian dialect for the same wise, formidable figure—a matron of flavor, care, and legacy. A fitting title for a restaurant steeped in memory and meaning.
