Gulija Is Still Tending to Fires for Final Months at Plaza Cafe Before Moving On to New Venture on Jobs Lane

After nearly three decades working as the owner-chef at the Plaza Cafe, the fine dining gem in the heart of Southampton Village, Doug Gulija is entering the homestretch there.

But for fans of the restaurant and his cooking, there’s still plenty of time to enjoy his particular brand of culinary excellence.

After taking a short winter break, the Plaza Cafe opened again last month and is currently serving dinner on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights. Gulija’s short-term lease on the space he has occupied for 28 years, on the Southampton Inn property off Hill Street, will expire in September.

Gulija said earlier this week that while he can technically operate the restaurant in that space until then, he is in a state of flux when it comes to how the next few months of his long career in the restaurant industry will play out.

He said he will continue to keep the Plaza Cafe open for the next few months, and will be in the kitchen, cooking, as he always has been.

But at a certain point, he will begin to turn his attention to his new venture: recreating the restaurant space at the Jobs Lane building that was formerly home, for many years, to Le Chef, which was operated by Frank Lenahan.

In January 2024, Emil “Skip” Norsic, a third-generation Southampton resident, and a cousin of Gulija, bought the building from Frank and Amy Lenahan for $2.3 million, to create a partnership with Gulija to keep the restaurant tradition alive in the space.

Norsic said he decided to purchase the building because he admires Gulija and his culinary talents and figured it was a good opportunity to make something happen in a location with a long and rich history.

Le Chef was a popular French bistro that earned a devoted following during its 40 years in business in the village. It closed on December 30, right before the start of the new year.

Frank Lenihan opened the restaurant in the village in 1980 and moved it into its current location, at 75 Jobs Lane, across from Agawam Park, in 1987.

Gulija said that plans to open a new restaurant in the Le Chef space have been moving along well, but that necessary work to bring the building up to current code has taken a bit longer than expected. He believes it is close, however, to having all the proper permitting in place, at which time specific plans for the new dining venture will be announced.

“We have a definite plan for what will happen there,” he said. “From the name to concept to design. It’s just a time factor.”

The original building, which is more than 100 years old, needed some serious TLC, Gulija said, adding that two subsequent additions in different time periods made bringing it all together a bit challenging.

While he moves forward with those plans, however, Gulija said he is still devoted to creating a great menu and a great experience for those who come to the Plaza Cafe in the next few months. He just created a new spring menu and added that the Plaza Cafe food truck will be back in action soon, available for lunch and private events.

Gulija takes a lot of pride in being one of the last chef-owners in the area, and said he will still be tending the flames in the kitchen at the Plaza Cafe for the time being. If and when he needs to step away from the stove and turn his attention to his new venture, Gulija said he would be sure to let his guests know that.

He said he has been training another young chef at the Plaza Cafe, but would let guests know if someone new assumed the lead role in the kitchen.

“If I step back from cooking behind my own stove, I would really broadcast that,” he said. “Because I think people associate the Plaza with having a chef-owner.”

While he still needed to remain mum on the details of his new venture, Gulija is clearly very excited about the impending new chapter in his long career as a fine dining chef with a solid reputation on the East End.

He said all credit is due to his cousin, Norsic. Without him the new venture would not have been possible. He praised Norsic for devoting himself to many important ventures in Southampton Village since his retirement from operating a successful business, Emil Norsic & Son, in Southampton for decades.

Norsic has been his support behind other community ventures, like the construction of the windmill and the effort to restore the World War I monument in Agawam Park.

“He really deserves the focus,” Gulija said.