Fedora Is a West Village Restaurant That’s Anything But Basic | Eater NY

"The restaurant's name comes from its former owner's first name; originally run for decades as a red‑sauce joint, it was reimagined in 2010 by restaurateur Gabriel Stulman and later closed during the pandemic. The 4 Charles team under the Hogsalt umbrella sought out the 239 West Fourth Street address but the deal fell through, and as of last month it has reopened, transformed by the owners of St. Jardim — Dete and Christa Alexander — and their wine director there, Basile Al Mileik. Under former Le Rock chef Monty Forrest’s direction, the menu resists the area's obvious trappings in a neighborhood that has become a playground for sorority girls looking to live out a certain Sex and the City fantasy. "We didn’t want to be a copy of another copy," says Forrest. "We’re trying to be genuine and true," he says; he wanted to make food he liked with some "refreshing" spins that "still make sense to the neighborhood." The space is set below street level — dark and cavernous with flattering lighting — and about half the seating is at a bar whose seats have backs, making it comfortable to linger; it reads as a very New York, atmospheric basement restaurant best suited for reservations after sunset or when you want to cozy up indoors. The menu is rooted in European cooking that doesn't stick to tradition: asparagus tempura ($15) sits alongside a chicken Cordon bleu (which uses Black Forest ham from uptown institution Schaller and Weber, instead of jambon de Paris), $40, and a $50 black bass is the highest-priced item listed. There are also pierogies treated as ravioli — which Forrest credits to his sous chef and "pierogi wizard," Kevin Rubis, who first made a version for their family meal at Le Rock — and on the visit they were served with spring alliums and peas and "managed to stay light." "I mean, it’s a ton of labor to make them, but we’re really happy with it. And if we find the right set [for summer], then we’ll keep the pierogi train rolling," says Forrest. A $24 grilled date salad with Mad River Blue cheese is recommended alongside them. There’s no pastry chef; Forrest and his team oversee the sweets, keeping the menu concise and unpretentious: the heartier $14 carrot cake has "banana bread vibes" (more a dense loaf than a traditional slice) — he reduces carrot juice and folds that into a "pretty traditional cream cheese frosting," which "resembles Cheez-Whiz (complimentary) with Parm-like shavings of walnut" — and there's a coconut rice pudding with a chocolate shell made using bomba rice you’d find in paella. The overall takeaway is that the pull here isn’t flashiness or awards chasing but simple, craveable cooking and a comfortable, date‑friendly atmosphere — qualities that feel more likely to help it stick around in a high‑rent West Village than a trendier, more disposable approach." - Emma Orlow