Patchogue Restaurants Serving $5 Plates

Several local restaurants in Patchogue are serving reduced portions of their food at the cost of $5 as part of Mather Hospital’s event on Tuesday.

The event was organized by Gemma Saylor, a dietitian and the director of the hospital’s healthy heart program.

Saylor ran a similar program across Long Island on February 28, which also included several Patchogue restaurants. Saylor said that over 900 reduced portioned meals were ordered as part of the promotion.

“We are trying to get restaurants to have smaller portions all the time,” Saylor said at a preview event held recently held at the restaurant in Patchogue.

Patrons at the event were given a plate consisting of a chicken breast, beans, rice and avocado salad of approximately 500 calories. Several of the patrons that attended said they came to see what a normal portion of food looks like.

“This time we are trying to cater it to a town, trying to make Patchogue a bit of a pioneer,” Saylor said.

Restaurants that are participating are receiving a subsidy from the hospital to incentivize offering a lower cost option for the day.

David Bustamente, co-owner of Gallo, has continued to offer the reduced portions on the menu after first offering it at the February event. Bustamente said that while there was a big turnout on the day of the event, that the items have not sold as well as expected since.

“It’s really not as big as we thought they would be,” Bustamente said.

Gallo is among 15 restaurants participating in the hospital’s program Tuesday. Options available include breakfast, lunch and dinner combos, sandwiches, quesadillas, gyros and various other plates from to.

A full list of restaurants and menu options can be found at