Restaurant X is one of Port Washington’s newest and most mysterious restaurants that opened in Oct. 2021. The establishment  is located at 170 Main St. and is open for lunch, dinner, or on weekends, brunch.  In order to dine at Restaurant X, you will first need to make a reservation. After you reserve, prepare for a meal unlike any in town.  One of the owners, Gabriel Moro, also owns popular local restaurants Cipollini, Toku Modern Asian, and Hendrick’s Tavern.  This restaurant offers private events, so this may be a good spot if you are looking for a place to host a dinner or party.  Every two weeks, they feature a new chef and their ideas.

 “Something awesome about Restaurant X is that they switch up their menu every two weeks, so you will never get bored of coming here and will always have something new to try,” said sophomore Stefani Castillo.  

According to Buck, another one of the owners, Port Washington was the perfect place for Restaurant X.  He is a true lover of Port, although originally from Queens, and he thinks that Port Washington is beautiful and filled with friendly people.  He worked in Manhasset and always dreamed of opening a business in Port someday. 

“Port Washington offers connections to different communities which are all down to earth and diverse” said Buck.  

Because of the change of the chefs bi-monthly, the menu changes often, making the restaurant not have a strict cuisine.  This establishes an element of uniqueness in their courses, and even the drinks such as the wine change.  Also, regardless of the menu of the week, Restaurant X always offers vegetarian options. Creativity is expressed through their food, and the solid team of chefs exhibit the ideas of other guest chefs through their cooking.  

“While cooking, it is all about looking at things from different angles,” said Buck.  

All of Restaurant X’s profits go to St. Mary’s Kids, which is a program with St. Mary’s hospital that aims to help children with special needs.  Inside the restaurant, there is a magnetic wall with stones that the restaurant uses to help this initiative.  Under the stones, customers can donate money with a message to the children.  In only a month the donations on this wall have helped feed 15 families and fund 15 gift cards for the St. Mary’s healthcare system.  Another thing Restaurant X supported was the Fall Fundraiser for the ALS and MS foundation at the Heritage Club at Bethpage.  

¨The fundamental concept of Restaurant X is contribution,” said Buck, an owner of Restaurant X. 

Restaurant X’s main goal is to inspire others in many different ways.  The restaurant was planned to open in 2020, but faced some setbacks due to Covid-19.  Despite these delays the owners of the restaurant still managed to meet their goals.  Opening a restaurant with the objective of being charitable was an existing goal for them, but Covid-19 just encouraged the idea even more as many hospitals were struggling due to the pandemic. 

 “It is really inspiring to see something so generous and creative here in town. Restaurant X is both a delicious place to eat and a great way to give back to the community,” said freshman Ashley Cruz. 

The particular Port Washington location is also being used as an experiment, as it is a model for other restaurants thinking of contributing to charities in the future.  As indoor dining begins to return, new restaurants with unique concepts are emerging. 

“I have never heard of a restaurant that donates their profits to local places, and I hope more places in Port start doing this,” said sophomore Mateo Leiva.