Plori replaces Cafe Formaggio in Carle Place

From the ashes of Cafe Formaggio has risen Plori. The Greek seafood palace replaces the popular Italian restaurant that had a run in Carle Place from 2006 to 2020. 

General manager Dino Philippou said the name, Plori, is Greek for “prow.”

“In a Greek fishing village, the people wait on the shore for the fishing boats to return,” he said. “When they see the front of the boat — the plori — they know the daily catch is coming. We want to take you to that little Greek village.” 

To reinforce this theme, the bi-level restaurant space is replete with nautical touches such as a light fixture fashioned from vintage brass chronometers and a room divider made with maritime ropes and pulleys. 

Philippou operated Astoria’s well-known Greek restaurant-nightclub Cavo for almost two decades. He’s joined at Plori by sommelier Tony Bouara and executive chef Pete Dalitsouris.  (The restaurant is owned by Buffy and Spiro Dimas who operate the Old Westbury Diner and the Williston Townhouse Diner in Williston Park). 

The general outlines of Plori’s menu will be familiar to frequenters of Kyma or Limani in Roslyn, though prices are a few dollars less and, especially among the starters, preparations tend to be more elaborate. To wit: A fat-bodied squid is stuffed with braised leeks and feta before being grilled and plated alongside tomato concasse; fried calamari is served with tomato confit, pesto and a tartar sauce made with crème frâiche; and grilled octopus comes with smoked fava beans, Greek florina peppers and balsamic reduction. Also to start: Lobster souvlaki; smoked salmon and caramalized onions with grilled flatbread; tuna tartar with apple, pine nuts and carp roe; and pan-roasted sweetbreads with wilted microgreens and manouri cheese. Most starter prices range from $18 to $20.

For mains, grilled whole Mediterranean fish include lavraki (loup de mer), barbounia (red mullet) and tsipoura (dorade). From our own Atlantic shores come red snapper and black sea bass. Whole fish range between $36 and $38 per pound. For now, these treasures are hidden in the restaurant’s walk-in refrigerator, but will soon be reclining on a bed of ice just outside the open kitchen. 

Not in the mood to dismember a fish? There’s grilled salmon, kakavia (Greek shellfish stew), blackened sea scallops with saffron risotto, lamb chops and pork chops. Entree prices start at $32 for moussaka and chicken breast and top out at $58 for grilled jumbo shrimp. 

Plori is at 307 Old Country Rd., Carle Place, 516-279-4762, ploriny.com.