When the Cyrus Hotel opened its flagship restaurant The Weather Room in 2019, it quickly established itself as a must-see in downtown Topeka.
The Weather Room’s modern vibe and mid-century served as the backdrop to the familiar and unique dishes served to guests.
The hotel announced in May that it would rename the restaurant Fedeli’s, an Italian and steak restaurant, with the aim of adding a new dining option for Topekans while keeping the restaurant’s atmosphere intact.
At its head, Peter Tinson, the new chef of the restaurant.
Fedeli officially opened to the public on Tuesday and will celebrate a ribbon cut on August 19.
The restaurant is open from 6.30 am to 10.30 am for breakfast. The bar opens at 3:00 p.m. and dinner service is from 5:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily.
Customers can expect the restaurant to offer an ever-changing menu based on what customers eat and the season.
The menu offers a variety of steak, fish and pasta options to meet the appetite of any guest.
What’s on Fedeli’s menu?
The menu includes a Delmonico steak, tenderloin, KC strip and salmon.
Pasta options include linguine carbonara, spaghetti bolognese, and penne arrabbiata.
An evening gnocchi special is a new addition to the menu.
Earlier in the week, Tinson made gnocchi with homemade smoked duck breast, fresh spinach leaves, grilled Italian vegetables in a creamy white wine tomato sauce.
The menu will evolve and most likely change dramatically, Tinson said.
Charcuterie board, squid, meatball appetizer and grilled asparagus will be the essentials on the menu.
Tinson said he plans to add tuna to the menu once he can get hold of the fish.
âIt’s very appropriate for Italian cuisine to have tuna there,â Tinson said.
Fedeli also offers a breakfast service.
âI’ve already started to develop our new breakfast menu, and it’s going to have an Italian touch,â Tinson said.
Italians eat a simple breakfast. Tinson hopes to incorporate this into Fedeli’s breakfast menu.
âThey don’t do a lot of very fancy stuff, but I’m going to make adjustments on normal stuff,â Tinson said. “The fruit salad – I want to make some fresh mint and prosecco in it to give it a little spice, a little tribute to Italian cuisine.”
The drinks menu offers a mix of cocktails and red and white wines that can be paired with menu items.
Fedeli’s offers an accessible dining option
Fedeli’s is a restaurant for everyone, Tinson said.
âWe tried to keep (the prices) very much in line with what The Weather Room was because we really wanted everyone to be able to have our experience here,â Tinson said. “Someone on a first date might feel comfortable coming here and not having to expect to lose $ 200.”
Tinson said Fedeli’s offers good, healthy, affordable, homemade Italian food.
âWe make our own meatballs from scratch. We make our lasagna from scratch,â Tinson said.
Peter Tinson brings worldly experience to Topeka
Tinson has been around the world.
Born in Vancouver, Canada, Tinson has lived in Beirut, England, Greece and Thailand.
He graduated in cooking after returning to Canada.
âAfter that it was a mix,â Tinson said. âI went to Japan and worked there for a while. I went to Australia twice.â
Tinson settled in Springfield, Missouri for several years and opened his own restaurant, Gallery Bistro.
While in Missouri, Tinson helped open an Italian restaurant, worked in a gourmet pub, and helped develop and open an upscale breakfast restaurant.
He was planning to take time off and move to England when asked to become a chef at a convention center and restaurant in Springfield.
His most recent chef position was at the Vandivort Hotel, a boutique hotel in downtown Springfield.
It was there that Tinson met Zackary Oxley, the new manager of the Cyrus Hotel.
âJokingly, before he left I was like, ‘Take me with you,’â Tinson said. âThen he called a month and a half later. “
Tinson has a diverse eating style that crosses several cuisines.
âI’m very comfortable with the Italian food scene, but I like to spread my wings a little more,â Tinson said. “I do a lot with Asian people and one of my first loves is French cuisine. You can use all the skills you have learned by learning all of these things and apply them to any (cooking).”