Dining Out In Southampton

Just think if diners had the opportunity to ask the chef what to order every time they went out to eat.

Though it’s not always possible to visit the chef in the kitchen, Arts & Living has taken on the task so you don’t have to. This week, we visited The Plaza Cafe in Southampton to find out which dish is a constant palate pleaser, which is the star of the menu and which the chef prefers, directly from the chef himself.

The Plaza Cafe

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plazacafe.us

Most Popular: Seared Sea Scallops; entrée; $34.

Signature: Grilled Swordfish; entrée; $34.

Chef’s Favorite: Bar Menu Items: Tuna Slider; $19, Grilled Pizza; $12, Spicy Rock Shrimp Tempura; $12.

At The Plaza Cafe, chef Douglas Gulija feels very strongly about using as many local ingredients as possible. And that is why he said the Seared Sea Scallops are his most popular dish.

The local scallops are served with sweet corn polenta, sea beans, shiitake mushrooms and basil oil.

“Everything in the dish is local,” Mr. Gulija said at the restaurant last Thursday. “When I use local ingredients I don’t dictate what I’m cooking, nature dictates it. I think there is more passion in it that way.”

The chef said the signature menu item is the Grilled Swordfish because he is so glad to be able to serve swordfish again.

“Swordfish was endangered for a while, so we weren’t serving it,” Mr. Gulija reported. “But now it is back strong.”

The swordfish dish is served with Italian sausage, pea leaves, fresh peas and an organic carrot chive broth.

According to the chef, throwing in the sausage is what makes the dish unique.

“Because the swordfish has a tougher texture, the sausage blends in really well,” he said. “Combine that with the sweetness of the chive broth and you have an incredible dish.”

In an effort to bring a more casual feel to the restaurant, Mr. Gulija implemented a bar menu this summer.

“The bar menu items are in between an appetizer and an entrée, kind of my version of tapas,” he said. “They have kind of taken on a life of their own, people really enjoy them.”

The chef enjoys them too, especially the Tuna Slider made with a soy-ginger glaze, wasabi aioli and wakame salad; the Grilled Pizza, made with figs, prosciutto, baby arugula and balsamic syrup; and the Spicy Rock Shrimp Tempura, served with edamame purée and yuzu beurre blanc, an Asian citrus and white wine sauce.

“They were originally intended just for the bar, but people want to order them at the table now,” Mr. Gulija said. “I’m excited about that.”