The One Who Keeps the Book New York
How to Get Into Theodora
Ever since Theodora opened in Fort Greene this February, it’s been an extremely challenging Resy to get. That’s probably because the city is enamored with its eclectic, woodfired, and seafood-leaning menu that draws from many different influences. Theodora’s cuisine is a little Middle Eastern and a little Brazilian, with Mexican influences peppered throughout, but also with hints of Japanese and Mediterranean.
Theodora is the second restaurant from chef Tomer Blechman, who is also behind Fort Greene institution, Miss Ada. Although both restaurants share the same warm and welcoming service and atmosphere — and hummus recipes — they are distinctly different.
And while it’s only been open for half a year, the restaurant already has a faithful group of regulars, says co-owner Gerardo Estevez. “We’ve already created a community of regulars. People have been back five to 10 times, some from the neighborhood, but also people from Manhattan,” he says. Estevez has worked with Blechman for about four years, first starting as a line cook at Miss Ada and working his way up to a partner at Theodora.
We sat down with Estevez to find out how to get into Theodora, and make your way toward achieving regular status.
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Resy: When do reservations drop?
Gerardo Estevez: 30 days in advance at 9 a.m.
And how quickly do seats usually get booked?
In a matter of hours, but prime time, like 7 p.m. and 8 p.m. go within the first 30 minutes. The 5, 5:30 and 9:30 p.m. reservations take a little longer.
Well there’s a tip right there: Come early or late, right?
They do get booked though, it just takes longer. The 5:30 p.m. reservations go faster than the 9:30s as well.
How many seats are there at Theodora?
There are 76 seats. Fourteen of them are bar seats where we do full service. We have 10 chef’s counter seats and a high-top alcove table. It’s the same menu at all of them.
What’s the busiest time of day and the busiest day of the week?
Definitely the weekends, on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. We were actually surprised about how busy we are on Sundays. The middle seating is always the one that’s the busiest, from 7 to 8 p.m. We are lucky to be busy almost every single day.
What You Need to Know
Theodora
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Plan Ahead
Reservations open 30 days in advance at 9 a.m. -
The Layout
The restaurant has 76 seats, spread throughout a dining room, bar, an alcove high-top table, and a chef’s counter. Your seat type will be noted on your reservation. -
Walk On In
The earlier the better to get to the top of the waitlist, and chances are you’ll snag a seat at the bar. They save 14 seats for walk-ins every evening, but you should know the line that starts forming before doors open can often stretch down the block.
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What to Order
A little bit of everything to share: The branzino; hiramasa crudo; monkfish liver hummus; and za’atar kubaneh with a trio of dips. -
Pro Tip
Set an alarm at 9 a.m. to snag a Resy, or show up right before doors open to get on the waitlist for the walk-ins.
What’s the best piece of advice you have for someone who might be hoping to get a table?
Walk in as early as possible. Either 5 p.m. on the weekends, or 5:30 pm on the weekdays. We leave space at the bar for walk-ins. We also have some tables available, but it’s mostly the bar where you can get in as a walk-in. We save 14 seats every night for walk-ins.
What’s the best time to snag a walk-in seat?
Before service, either just before 5 or 5:30 p.m. We normally have a line form. If you’re at the front of it, you’ll get a seat.
How many covers do you typically have in a dinner service?
Anywhere between 180 to 220.
Do you utilize the Resy Notify feature?
We do, but as soon as service starts, we don’t. We take a manual waitlist that can sometimes be two hours. We don’t like telling people it’s a two-hour plus wait, but at peak times, that’s the reality. We try to accommodate as many people as possible and if you’re here early, we will do our best to get you seated.
You’ve been lucky to be busy pretty much as soon as you opened. Have you cultivated a community of regulars already?
We have!
Would you say that being a regular would help you to get a table?
Not really; we want to give everyone the same chance, whether it’s their first time or their 10th time. It’s nice for everybody to get the same opportunity.
What’s your favorite time to dine here? Set the perfect setting for you to enjoy Theodora.
The middle seating, from 7 to 8 p.m. There’s so much going on. The energy in the space is contagious. We have the music to create a bit of a party vibe. That’s also the time where the kitchen is [going] non-stop and you smell and feel the smokiness from the grill. It’s the full experience. It’s the time of the night when we also start dimming the lights. When you come,it’s bright and the sun might be out, but when you leave it’s dim and dark. I love the transition.
Tell me about the playlist.
We have a playlist that’s totally, totally different. It has a little of everything. Middle Eastern dance music, 80’s, but not the common 80’s music that we’re all used to. It’s got a bit of global influence. Later in the evening, we tend to turn it up and it can get to be a bit of a party.
What’s your order if you want to have the best of the best of Theodora?
Start with the crudos, maybe a Hiramasa and/or salmon. Then move into the breads, with monkfish liver hummus. It’s one of the best dishes on the menu. People don’t really order it; maybe they’re intimidated? It’s rich, a little bit spicy, and balanced. Then get the seeded laffa, with the eggplant. With the eggplant puree, you really get the whole concept of the restaurant, which is the smokiness. The woodfired greens and falafel are both amazing dishes and they also represent what we’re doing. For seafood, the black cod: It’s smoky and comes with a French-inspired shallot beurre blanc that’s different from everything else on the menu. Oh, and the woodfired prawns, since they have the complete opposite spicy, sweet flavor with honey habanero, and pineapple pico de gallo. If you’re with a group, get the branzino.
And to drink?
The tomato water martini; it’s new and perfect for summer.
How long is your dinner service?
The last reservation is until 9:30 or 10 p.m. The kitchen closes at 10:30 p.m., and we’re usually gone by midnight or so.
How would you describe the food at Theodora? It seems unclassifiable.
It’s a hard question. There’s a little bit of all of us and our backgrounds in it. I’m Mexican, chef Tomer is from Tel Aviv, and our other chef is Brazilian. We don’t classify it, but it’s important for us to use high-quality ingredients to take advantage of our woodfired oven and to highlight the dry aging we do in house, since we dry age some of our fish here. It’s smoky, it’s fresh, it’s global. Those might not be the right words, but that’s what we’re about.
What’s the one thing we have to order?
Tough question, but the branzino.
I see some large-format items on the menu, is it best to come in with a group?
I think it is. You get to try a little bit of everything since our food is meant to be shared.
What’s the largest group you can book through Resy?
Six, but we can seat up to 14 with advanced notice. Just reach out to us directly at info@theodoranyc.com.
The design is not to be missed, who was behind it? What were you trying to achieve?
Home Studios designed the space and we wanted to create something in between Mexico and Tel Aviv. We also wanted something really different for Brooklyn. We wanted to transport people. I don’t know exactly the place, but a different place, a place that was also lived in. That’s why we did the textured walls. In the end it ended up feeling like somewhere in maybe either Mexico or Colombia to me.
Any additional tips?
Set an alarm, but if you forget to do that, come early. We’ll do our best to find you a seat.
Theodora is open daily for dinner.
Kyle Beechey is a New York-based freelance writer and dinner party enthusiast who lives on the Lower East Side. Follow her on Instagram.
