Rockefeller Center is looking little more like a charming European piazza, thanks to Lodi, an all-day restaurant, bakery, and bar inspired by Italian caffè culture now open at 1 Rockefeller Plaza.
Chef Ignacio Mattos, of Manhattan favorites estela and Altro Paradiso, is behind the new spot, which is part of a revitalization of Rockefeller Center, breathing some twenty-first century life into the historic, tourist-frequented location. That is, you're likely to see the pastries and stylized pastries on your FYP.
“Lodi is a reminder of how much restaurants, caffès, and bakeries bring to our communities,” says Mattos. “As we enter this new stage in New York City, we’re returning to our roots with an appreciation for the most essential crafts, such as milling, baking, and distilling. Lodi is a celebration of what we love to do.”
Head Baker and Pastry Chef Louis Volle, who cut his teeth at Dean & Deluca (RIP), Blue Hill Stone Barns and Tartine, created an bread and pastry program celebrating the craft of milling and baking. A large stone mill, the first of its kind in Manhattan, will freshly grind single variety grains into flours for the specialty baked goods, which will rotate through Lodi's ovens all day long.
Mornings feature a selection of Pasticcini (small pastries) such as cornetto, cioccolato, maritozzo and bombolone. Prima Colazione (breakfast) includes soft eggs with smoked salmon and oats with fruit and honey. The Pane (bread menu) showcases natural fermentation and highlights include focaccia, pane di riso (rice bread) and mezza segale (rye).
The all-day menu, designed by Chef de Cuisine Maxime Pradié, of Flora Bar, emphasizes antipasti. Season dishes include house ricotta, caprese, and several panini like porchetta with pepper marmalade and arugula. Secondi, larger plates, include roast chicken with broccolini, vitello tonnato, and more.
Italian sweets round out the menu, with dolci like babà al rum, biscotti, and freshly spun gelato. Espresso, latte, cappuccino, macchiato and more will be offered with Counter Culture beans.