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Trendy but not bourgeois.
That’s how the staffers at The Plate sum up the look, feel and concept behind the brand new Italian-American restaurant and bar in Islip.
“We like to deliver a Manhattan-style feel with local pizzeria prices,” said Plate manager George Dourmas. “It’s upscale and trendy but you don’t need a suit and tie.”
The Plate opened up May 12 at 526 Main Street, in the former Medley’s space.
Dourmas said the restaurant has received a great reception from locals who either stopped in after seeing the place being built or had heard about The Plate through word of mouth.
The most popular dish thus far, he said, has been the Pasta Rustica, which is a chicken and spinach plate with melted mozzarella in a rich pink sauce.
Another dish that’s moving well is the Chicken Bianco, which also features chicken and mozzarella, but with the addition of scallops and shrimp in a white sauce over pasta or rice.
fell menu below
The Plate also has a high-tech feel to it, with servers taking orders from iPads and diners using the computers to peruse the informative wine, beer and dessert lists.
As for the name, Dourmas said that owner Gaetano Carbone had a dream when he was 19 years old that one day in his future life he’d be the owner of a restaurant named The Plate.
“When he started talking about this place he immediately flashed back to that time, and demanded we call it The Plate,” he said. “So there was no getting around that.
“It actually fit the concept,” he added, “because the serving sizes are tremendous.”
