About The Plaza Cafe
Doug Gulija and his wife Andi opened The Plaza Café in 1997 with the goal of creating a casual, New American Restaurant that focused on fresh, sustainable seafood creations. ‘We opened in the dead of winter to get the kinks out’ and by the summer of 1998 The Plaza Café had garnered an ‘Excellent’ Three Star Review from the New York Times and an ‘Excellent’ Three Star Review from Long Island Newsday as well as being listed in the Zagat Survey’s Top Restaurants in America.
The menu not only changes with the seasons but may change a little bit each day in order to take advantage of the freshest seafood available both locally and in the markets. Sustainability is a very key factor in the daily selections. The presentations are fresh and simple and supported by seasonal produce with the star of the plate being the fish. Rarely is a dish comprised of more than three complementing flavor profiles and the vegetable accompaniments always make for an interesting vegetarian option on their own. There are always at least a few ‘land’ alternatives and they are always either grass fed, organic and/or free range
The wine list is eclectic with most of the list being devoted to small production wineries. ‘I am not a sommelier in any way shape or form, but I look for balanced wines that speak of a time and place.’ And almost every wine on the list has a ‘story’ as to why it was selected, be it because it was from one of the local wineries that The Plaza Café has supported from the outset or because of a Vintner Dinner that was hosted with a particular winery, or just because a friendship was made during a casual tasting.
The service is ‘fine dining’ but not pretentious and the dining room is airy with a beachy feel. The service credo is to provide guests with what they need before they have to ask for it. ‘We want our guests to be relaxed, forget their problems and enjoy their dining experience with us without even realizing they are being served.’
As The Plaza Café enters twenty plus years, it has come full circle in many ways.
After the passing of his wife in 2010, Doug took a hard look as to what he thought Andi would have wanted him to do, and he came to the conclusion that she would want him to continue what they started, but maybe with a more casual approach, just as they had originally planned.
Today The Plaza Café is ‘recharged’ and was quoted as being ‘the best Seafood House on Long Island’ in Mr. Peter Gianotti’s follow up three and half star review. The decision to take a lighter approach seems to have paid off. “With the loss of my wife I have a totally new outlook on life and I am now really focused on what is truly important. I guess you can say it is kind of a Return to Cooking in a way where all that matters is taking care of my guests, my team and my purveyors….everything else is secondary and will take care of itself . ‘When you come to The Plaza Café,
"You are coming to my Home and you are a guest at my Table where I hope to not only provide you with a memorable dining experience but allow you to forget all your worries if even for just a few hours. Zivili!”