For all of its worship of novelty and new faces, New York has an echelon of veteran chefs who have quietly persevered for decades, admired and continually achieving but not making any new headlines. In October, though, several will step back into the spotlight.

Top among them is Alfred Portale, who was the chef and a partner at the esteemed Gotham Bar and Grill for nearly 35 years. He left in May, when his priority became the opening of Portale, in Chelsea, offering his personal take on Italian food — something he has been itching to do after years of new-American cooking. “I’m an Italian-American, and I love Italy,” he said.

Mr. Portale, 65, plans to make pastas in-house and dress them with seasonal ingredients for what he is calling modern Italian. At Gotham, he was known for his flair for presentation, and expects to keep at it. He is turning the two-room space, which formerly housed Rouge Tomate, into something easygoing with exposed brick and the same à la carte menu in both rooms.