Publicans in Manhasset closes
Roast chicken over polenta at Publicans in Manhasset, which has closed. Credit: Newsday/Erica Marcus
Publicans, the storied Manhasset bar that was immortalized in J.R. Moehringer’s 2005 memoir, "The Tender Bar," (and George Clooney's 2021 film adaptation), closed on Sunday. The new owners plan to turn it into Angie’s, a family-friendly restaurant with an "American Coastal vibe." A gut renovation is underway and partner Joe Ragonese said they hope to open in December.
Ragonese, who was director of operations for Kyma from 2013 to 2023, joins Tom Tsiplakos and Stefanos Vouvoudakis, of For Five Coffee, the Queens-based roaster-retailer-cafe that operates three shops on Long Island (Manhasset, Garden City and Port Washington) plus 14 more in New York, Massachusetts and the Washington, D.C. area.
A rendering of Angie's in Manhasset, the family-style restaurant that will replace Publicans. Credit: Origin Architecture P.C.
Ragonese first teamed up with Tsiplakos and Vouvoudakis in 2023 when they opened Balos, an upscale Greek restaurant in Washington. The three men had been looking for something they could do together on Long Island and had had their eye on Publicans (the rare Plandome Road property with a parking lot). "It’s good to be getting our feet back on Long Island," he said.
"With Angie’s, we set out to create more than a restaurant — we wanted a true community gathering place," Vouvoudakis said .
The layout of Angie’s will be the same but, Ragonese said, "we don’t want it to feel like a bar — we want to get more light in there. You can watch the game, but it’s also a place for a celebratory event."
Alex Oradei, culinary director of The Angie Group has drafted a crowd-pleasing menu of tweaked comfort classics: tacos (shrimp and blackened mahi mahi), quesadillas (steak, lobster and portobello mushrooms), burrata with tomatoes, Wagyu pigs in blankets, steak or lobster frites, Chicken Milanese, pork chop Martini, Greek-style lamb chops, smashburgers, French dips and flatbreads. Most starters will be $18 to $24, most mains $29 to $39.
Although it was the most famous, Publicans was not the first establishment to occupy 550 Plandome Rd. It opened in 1948 as Dickens, only becoming Publicans in 1977. In 1999, Publicans was succeeded by Edison's Ale House but, in 2017, new owners brought back the Publicans name even though they expunged all traces of the watering hole, transforming it into a sleek gastropub with reclaimed wood, exposed brick, subway tiles and a menu featuring quinoa and kale. In 2020, it changed hands again.
