Tomer Blechman’s Wood-Fired Cooking Makes Theodora the Hottest Spot in Brooklyn | Eater

"Open fire is at the heart of this one-year-old Brooklyn restaurant, where the showmanship of cooking over live flame and smoke-infused Mediterranean flavors draws diners who often wait in line to sample owner and executive chef Tomer Blechman’s menu. The offerings are organized into crudo, breads from sister bakery Thea, wood-fired vegetables, and mains showcasing grilled and high-heat-oven–cooked proteins, with a particular focus on dry-aged fish and a standout spatchcocked chicken marinated for three days in lemons, olive oil, Serrano peppers, thyme, and rosemary. Chefs slow-cook lima beans overnight with two burning logs and finish them with chicken broth as the perfect companion to the grilled chicken, while sourdough from the bakery becomes the base for a popular brown butter toast with whipped ricotta. Dry-aged fish appears as crispy roasted branzino and a red snapper ceviche with grilled pineapple, basil, and lime vinaigrette, and the kitchen uses the whole fish—rendering gelatin from heads into a creamy sauce and combining dried bones with seaweed to make a long-simmered dashi. A Moroccan-style fish stew spiked with gochujang is finished with a quickly seared tilefish, slow-cooked vegetables, and toasted cassava flour; other mains include butterflied trout with harissa and chermoula, bone-in branzino dry-aged four days with rosemary, and slow-roasted chicken tossed with charred carrots in an anchovy sauce. The overall aim is a convivial, flavor-forward experience that encourages guests to enjoy each other’s company while exploring bold, caramelized, umami-rich dishes." - Emily Venezky