Tredici Social, a Bronxville staple for nearly seven years, has been rebranded to Tredici Steak. Following a four-day transformation, the redesigned restaurant, with a lighter look that blends funky details with mid-century modern components, officially debuts Oct. 16.
Diners can expect lots of white Calacatta marble (on both the bar top and tabletops), new lighting, cozy olive loveseats, cane-backed chairs, edgy antler-styled chandeliers, geometric blue-green and gold wallpaper, a mirrored border in the dining room, and a nod to the eatery's focus on meat with a mural of a bull near the front entrance. (There's also a mural near the bathrooms honoring Tredici's history of the brand, which started in 2002.)
With the changes, the room feels more
intimate and sexy, with definite date night vibes.
The reason behind the revamp
According to executive chef Giuseppe Fanelli, what started as a conversation about doing a little facelift evolved into an entire revamp. The reason for the change, he said, was to keep the place fresh and current.
"We felt that with the community evolving we had to evolve with it," he said. With diners being more protein-forward, it also made sense to concentrate on steak.
This being a Fanelli restaurant — he's been with the group since its inception in Chelsea 25 years ago — meat is not the only centerpiece. There's also raw bar options with a selection of oysters, clams, a shrimp cocktail and lobster. Other dishes include steamed mussels, fried calamari, crab cakes, free range chicken, Berkshire pork chop, whole fish and an assortment of steaks including Steak Frites, New York Strip, filet mignon and rib-eye.
Diners will find some of Fanelli's well-known dishes such as his "Inside Out" Meatballs, beef, pork and veal meatballs stuffed with fresh mozzarella, ricotta and fontina cheese, panko breaded and fried, topped with homemade crushed plum tomato sauce, as well as creative pastas like Wagyu Beef Ravioli (with caramelized onions, black truffle and fontina di valdosta in browned butter and thyme, finished with natural reduction) and Lobster Aribiata (with spicy tomato sauce and shaved Calabrian chili).
Also worth mentioning: the Baked Macaroni Bolognese, homemade rigatoni, oven baked with San Marzano crushed plum tomato sauce, slow roasted ground beef, pork and veal, ricotta, parmagiano and fontina cheese topped with basil oil.
Specials are a focus
Anyone who has dined at a restaurant helmed by Fanelli — the group had Tredici North in Purchase for 10 years along with two places in Manhattan for many years — knows to look for the chef's specials, a lineup often as extensive as the regular menu.
In keeping with a tradition he had at the original West 26th Street Tredici Steak, he's offering limited quantities of a 40-ounce Tomahawk rib chop, engraved with the restaurant's name (or another request), as well as the Veal Chop Valdostana, aka Costoletta alla Valdostana, a large veal dish dipped in egg batter with prosciutto di Palma, fontina cheese and Sicilian marsala.
With both, you need to order at least three days in advance as there are limited quantities.
For Fanelli, the new concept is a chance to bring the past into the present. “We’re reliving old menus, old dishes, dishes we were known for in the City, dishes we’re known for out here, and putting it all together,” he said. “It’s nostalgic and exciting.”
Changing it up, he said, was a discussion they'd been contemplating for a while, especially as they approached their 25th year. "We wanted to showcase some of our classics, from the décor to the food, and bring it all together."
He's also thrilled to focus on the protein aspect. For the "Chopped" champion (he was a winner on a "Meatball Madness" episode years ago), there's nothing better than putting out products the way they're meant to be. "The food is simple, quality ingredients, prepared well, with great steaks from my friend Pat La Frieda, great seafood and a great atmosphere," he said.
"And that equals to a great dining experience."
If you go
Address: 104 Kraft Ave., Bronxville, 914-793-1313, tredicisocial.com
Hours: 4:30 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday to Thursday; to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday; from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday.
Prices: Appetizers range from $17 to $24 with entrées $27 to $65, with the steaks $38-plus.
Good to know: Interested in the 40-ounce Tomahawk rib chop, engraved with the restaurant's name, or the Veal Chop Valdostana? Call and order at least three days in advance as there are limited quantities. PS You can also request "happy anniversary" or "happy birthday" or your name on the rib chop.
Fun fact: The owners at Tredici Steak also own neighboring Cafe Nelo, which opened in February (see lohud story HERE). The contemporary restaurant features an eclectic mix of cuisine with French, Italian and Asian flair.
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Jeanne Muchnick covers food and dining. Click here for her most recent articles and follow her latest dining adventures on Instagram @jeannemuchnick or via the lohudfood newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: Bronxville restaurant rebrands with steak focus, new look | Exclusive
