From Chef Nick Reisini, of Honest Plate:

You Gotta Have Hearth

When it comes to the other side of dining, I really love going to Leon on Shelter Island. It's all wood fire, kind of like what Lulu's is doing in Sag Harbor, but this restaurant is built around the hearth. You walk in and the first thing you see looks like the whole back wall is on fire.

The kitchen is right there - they got the chickens, they got the steaks going. You walk in, it smells like wood, it feels like live fire cooking. You could sit at a table and the kitchen is right there, so you're watching the guys cook. When it's your plate, they turn around and go, That's for you.

Perfect Location for Sourcing

You can tell that they really care about sourcing and really work with local folks. What's great for them - and I don't know this for a fact, but as a chef I would say - Shelter Island's probably a great place to be because there's great farms right on Shelter Island. If you need anything or there's something special, you can go to the North Fork easy, you can go South Fork easy. You're right in the middle of all those amazing things.

Inside Tip 🪄

Their burger is really good. There's a steak for two that they do that's just blow-your-mind delicious. They cook super seasonally over there, so the whole menu is probably different by now from when I went in February or March.

They had a lemon meringue tart that was just beautifully executed. All the stuff there is like that - you can see the care and technique in everything.

Contacts 

🌐 Leon 1909

🌐 Honest Plate

About 

Chef Nick Reisini discovered his culinary calling at an early age and worked his way from deli worker to prep cook to head chef at acclaimed Hamptons restaurants such as Tutto il Giorno and Dopo La Spiaggia.

In 2020, he founded Honest Plate, a café and meal delivery service serving the entire East End. Based in Hampton Bays, Chef Nick combines his restaurant expertise with a commitment to zero-waste practices, creating clean, locally-sourced cuisine for individual clients and corporate catering.

Lead-in Image

@leonshelterisland / Instagram