When Plates opened 11 years ago, it was more formal. Since then, Chef and Co-Owner Matthew Karp has adapted the concept. Today, the menu is almost a 50-50 mix of fancy and casual, with lower- and higher-end price points. In the luxe camp, you’ll find foie gras terrine with bitter chocolate, orange and fennel compote, and homemade challah, as well as smoked Berkshire pork chop with bok choy, prune, and apple cheddar risotto. Sunday to Thursday, customers can opt for a five-course tasting menu for $65 or a seven-course version for $80.
For a more down-to-earth experience, choose the bacon sliders, tacos, buttermilk fried chicken, donuts, and Giant Ring Ding (which has been on the menu since day one). On Sunday nights, the restaurant serves an all-you-can-eat barbecue for $28 (Plates has a giant smoker from Louisiana). On Sunday mornings, it offers its BBQ Roadhouse Brunch with fried chicken and waffles, pork belly sliders, and house-smoked brisket. Festive and fun, brunch also includes a kids’ menu and plenty of cocktails. From Sunday to Thursday (from 5 to 6:30 pm), a $30 two-course prix fixe menu is available (come on Thursday nights in the summer for live music, weather permitting).
Uniting all the dishes, whether casual or formal, is an attention to detail. Even the burgers are grass-fed and local, and some include special touches, such as a wild-ramp topping. “We put the right amount of culinary attention to keep the restaurant casual but different,” says Karp. The smoked salmon, duck liver mousse, fettuccini, pastrami, and country bread are all made in-house.
The restaurant, in a small white building with a striped awning and black shutters, is like a light-flooded jewel box with white walls, black chairs, and white tablecloths. On the walls, a collection of plates reflects Chef Karp’s culinary travels and inspirations.
Susan and George Matelich of Larchmont, who’ve been customers since the restaurant’s inception, love Chris, the “guitar-tender,” or bartender who sometimes plays music for guests. They praise the fried-egg-topped burger, duck, scallops, seasonal salads, and chocolate caramel pie with sea salt.
Veera Hiranandani, a Hastings-on-Hudson resident who has been visiting Plates since it opened, praises the restaurant for combining “classic with modern cuisine so well…Where else can you get fried chicken and foie gras in the same meal?” She also calls out the pasta, short ribs, fish, burgers, and Giant Ring Ding as favorites. “You can see the Southern, French, and Italian influences in the menu, but Chef Karp puts his own creative spin on everything while keeping the food very approachable.”
Dr. Stephen Blau of Larchmont, who has been coming once a week since the restaurant opened, appreciates that “Matthew Karp strives to obtain the best, most flavorful produce in the market, from local farms if possible, and cooks it to perfection.”
121 Myrtle Blvd
Larchmont
(914) 834-1244
www.platesonthepark.com
