When Stefano Secchi set out to open his debut restaurant in New York City, Rezdôra, in 2019, he sought to embody the rustic charm of an intimate osteria in Emilia Romagna. The American-born Italian chef comes from a strong culinary pedigree, having worked under the legendary Massimo Bottura in Modena, one of the region’s food capitals. Five years and one Michelin star later, he’s made a name for himself with a menu of stunning pasta creations including one especially sought-after dish, playfully dubbed “Grandma Walking Through the Forest.” Building on Rezdôra’s success, Secchi recently opened a second spot, Massara, just around the corner, this time inspired by the Campania region. To impart the space with a distinctly Italian flair, he turned to Brooklyn-based Sarah Carpenter & Studio, who is no stranger to the hospitality industry (her work includes such establishments as Postcard Bakery and Talea Brewery).

“Chef Secchi gave us a clear and specific directive to make the space ‘classic and above all, super Italian.’ Our studio really thought about what that means in a New York context and how we can evoke the sense of Campania region without falling into the trap of trying to replicate the irreplicable,” says Carpenter. To that end, Secchi travelled to the region during the design process to gather inspiration. He returned with reference images that were simple in materiality and form: stone, plaster, dark wood and classic Carrara marble.

The challenge came in translating this inspiration into a cohesive and functional space within the long and narrow footprint of a heritage building in the Flatiron district. “Restaurant layouts in existing, historic buildings can be very tricky, especially in New York where every inch is incredibly valuable. It’s always a balance between providing enough space for the kitchen to function while creating ample seating for the business to work,” Carpenter explains. “Most important is creating a space that feels great experientially. It’s like one big jigsaw puzzle, with various pieces all fighting for attention.” The existing staircases needed to be maintained to satisfy code requirements, but to make the space accessible, a 4.5-metre-long ramp was added at the entrance.

Once inside, guests walk past the first-floor bar which sets the tone with raw limestone walls, travertine flagstone flooring and vintage Murano glass pendants, all sourced from Italy. From here, diners enter what Carpenter has dubbed the “pizza chapel”: a three-storey skylit atrium adjacent to the open kitchen, where the chefs churn out pizzette along an expansive marble prep counter; the bespoke wood-burning pizza oven, clad in glossy deep green tiles (per Secchi’s request), takes centre stage.

According to Carpenter, the central communal dining table offers the best seat in the house. “It’s all about light and form, and most importantly, the food; the material palette is intentionally discreet to allow the food to remain the focal point,” she says. “The opening in the ceiling is small so you don’t necessarily notice until you sit down, which makes it feel like a surprise just for you.” Leather and fumed oak banquettes framed by built-ins teeming with Italian antiques surround the space to create cozy dining nooks tucked away from the action.

But Secchi didn’t want those seated upstairs to feel left out. “It was very important to Stefano that we create a connection between the two levels. We solved this by designing a sliver of an opening between the first and second floors,” says Carpenter. “This opening frames the pizza prep area perfectly and you can smell the wood from the pizza oven wafting upstairs; it’s a small, but mighty sensory connection.”

The second-floor dining area, designed to evoke the feeling of a home dinner party, takes on a different character with olive green walls, wood flooring and furnishings. A Column pendant by A-N-D and a clementine tree create a focal point under the glow of the skylight. With textural plastered walls and ceiling, the upstairs bar feels lighter and brighter than the moody dining area, with green accents throughout that create visual cohesion.

The 600-square-metre Massara boasts nearly double the seating than that of its counterpart Rezdôra. Yet by dividing the restaurant into four distinct zones, Carpenter has created an interior that retains the same sense of intimacy. What’s more, guests can return over and over to enjoy a new spatial — and culinary — experience.