Shelter Island’s kitchen table gets new management: The Islander still knows how you like your eggs

In 1998, Pat and Steve Lenox opened a diner on Shelter Island, that was welcomed by local people with open arms.

Good food, fair prices, and a family vibe were a winning combination. A few years later, when their primary line-cook suddenly went AWOL, Manuel Lopez stepped up.

Now, Manuel and his business partner, Hugo Montoya, run The Islander, still Shelter Island’s one and only diner, where the ambiance is kitchen table, and the cuisine is comfort. 

Twenty-six years of burgers and omelets, tacos and Cobb salads have brought new owners, renovations, and spruce-ups, but two things have been consistent: Manuel Lopez at the grill, and local customers in the booths.

Manuel came to Greenport from Guatemala via Los Angeles more than 20 years ago. In L.A., the employment options were tough, such as working at a car wash in temperatures that got as high as 150 degrees.

In Greenport, he worked in restaurants and did construction, which was hard, but not life-threatening.

His brother, José Lopez, worked at The Islander back when it was still called Pat and Steve’s, and he helped Manuel get his foot in the door. After the first chef left, Manuel took his place at the right side of the grill (hamburgers, fries) while Pat Lenox worked the left (pancakes and eggs.)

When the Lenoxes sold the business to Chris Chobor and Ashley Knight, they left strict instructions to hold on to Manuel, who had become a skilled chef.

Last year, Chobor and Knight decided to pass the torch to Manuel and his partner Hugo, and on Oct. 1, 2023, they became co-managers, with Manuel as chef.

“Manuel is here every day,” said Hugo. “I come in on weekends and do whatever needs doing. Sometimes it’s washing dishes.”

Manuel grew up on a small, diverse farm in Guatemala. The crops and animals they raised fed his family — truly farm-to-table. “We had everything,” he said. “We ate it and we sold it.”

Manuel now lives on Shelter Island. Asked what he likes to cook at home, he gave the classic chef’s response. “Honestly, I don’t cook at home. I am here all the time. I start at 6:30 in the morning. Eight or nine I get home. On my day off, I might go shopping.”

Hugo was born in Mexico City and came to Greenport 23 years ago. At the time, the Spanish-speaking community in Greenport was only about 100 people.

“Everyone knew everyone. Now there are many more Spanish-speaking people, from Salvador, and Nicaragua. Before it was only Guatemalans and Mexicans.”

He started Montoya Flooring, a floor-sanding business, and married Islander Bethany Clark. They have a daughter named Kenzie.

Montoya Flooring is now an established business, and if you’re wondering about their work, check out the gleaming wood floors at The Islander.

They were refinished as part of a five-day, marathon renovation that closed the diner just long enough for customers to miss the place, and reopened with new floors, new paint, and the newly painted booths back in the same spots they have occupied since 1998.

“Chris Chobor and Ashley Knight gave me the opportunity to lease this place,” Manuel said. “We are not going to change anything. It’s for the local people. We are open all winter, and made it through our first winter, thanks to the locals.”

Manuel and Hugo have made a good life for themselves, and their community. “All the Islanders gave us their support this winter,” said Hugo. “Local people are who make this restaurant.”

Their skills complement each other. Hugo has years of experience running a successful local business, and Manuel has been right here, cooking three square meals of fresh and homey food, helping create a very special place on a very special island.

Lightning Round — Manuel Lopez and Hugo Montoya

What do you always have with you?

Hugo: I have my rosario [rosary] on my wrist. I never take it off. When it is too old,  I get a new one.

Manuel: My cross.

Favorite place on Shelter Island?

Hugo: The Tuck Shop.

Manuel: The Islander. I never get to go  anywhere else!

Favorite sports/teams?

Manuel: Barcelona. The World Cup is here next year, in Canada and Mexico and New York.

Favorite food?

Hugo: Camarones [shrimp]

Manuel: Steak 

Favorite movie?

Hugo: Gladiator

Manuel: When I was a boy, Fast & Furious