Food
you at the door is just as genuinely
passionate about customer service as
Conte is about his menu.
Born in Brooklyn, Coco has been
working in New York restaurants his
whole life. He spent his youth learn-ing
the ropes and absorbing a love of
food from his family. Then he dove into
ownership at 18 and never looked back.
“I love entertaining people. I love
food,” he said. “People say you work
too much but I’m not really working. If
you call this working, speaking to my
customers, having a great time – is
that work?”
No stranger to the kitchen, Coco is
involved in the creation of the menu
and isn’t afraid to hop in and get his
hands dirty. He brought Conte on as
his chef a few weeks ago and together
they have finalized their winter menu,
which offers a range of items to cater
to all tastes.
Though this isn’t his only restau-rant,
in Piatto, he has been able to
adopt a new approach to really shape
his restaurant around the neighbor-hood.
Opening in late October 2017, the
interim has been spent listening to locals,
crafting and fine tuning the menu and
adding dishes that the neighborhood
loves, culminating in a more personal
experience.
Piatto is a passion project for Coco
featuring Italian staples and seasonal
fare that will rotate throughout the year.
Some of his personal favorites are clas-sics
like homemade lasagna, Margarita
Pies and the creamy and tart spinach
artichoke pizza.
The care they take is evident, striv-ing
to use ingredients made in house
whenever possible.
“With simple ingredients you need to
do a great job,” Conte said. “If you make
28 FEBRUARY 2018 I LIC COURIER I www.qns.com
your own sauce, your own food, it’s the
love inside the recipes that counts.”
While he spoke, I sampled their
homemade Burrata mozzarella in the
Burratina salad where the firm exterior
gave way to a runny center and the
creaminess perfectly balanced with
the tart acidity of the gently roasted
cherry tomatoes.
The crew at Piatto really feels like a
team, and the passion and commitment
of his staff is a testament to Coco’s care
and attention to his guests. He hosts a
Family Night on Mondays and Tuesdays
where kids eat free.
Coco screens movies aiming to
supply the neighborhood with a place
where families can gather, couples
can cozy up for a romantic evening or
neighbors can just unwind after work
and relax.
You can come in early for happy hour
from 6 to 8 p.m. or for a late night bite.
The bar is open until 1 a.m. on Friday
and Saturday.
Enjoy a take on a classic like Piatto
Negroni or the very popular, ‘Piatto’ with
tequila, mulled beet, agave, orange zest
and cilantro.
Piatto also serves a rotating cast of
seasonal cocktails, have a full bar and
wine list and coffee service.
Soon, they will be offering catering
for off-site events. Piatto is currently
catering private parties on-site and
the views make it a great spot for
photo-ops.
Piatto delivers through Grub Hub,
Seamless and Uber Eats and staff are
often seen running food up to their
neighbors. They are easily accessible via
subway or the ferry from 34th Street in
Manhattan. If you are driving, they offer
valet on the weekends.
For a full menu and to view their
operating hours, visit piattolic.com.
