Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Late Night at Ditch Plains I

When my boyfriend and I found ourselves wandering around at midnight, famished per usual having missed the dinner hour due to a 4:30pm lunch, we were in heaven when we rode a wave right into Ditch Plains. I’d been to this restaurant when it first opened a little over two years ago, but I’d immediately written it off. Originally, the place had been teaming with frat boys and Carrie Bradshaws, and I didn’t want to inflict that kind cacophony on my guest of the moment. Also, previously, this location had been Yumcha, the beloved Chinese restaurant Quentin Dante so lovingly opened only to have it closed shortly after due to horrible complications beyond his control. So, it’s fair to say that I’d been avoiding this place as a late night epicurean option—for which we consistently need—for fair and honest reasons.

However, after all my other efforts had been thwarted on a recent Saturday, I gave in to my restaurant rolodex of a mind, which kept landing on the mildly surf-themed Ditch Plains, named after the Hamptons sweet spot for catching waves.

When we opened the front door, I was surprised and relieved that the diners I’d associated with the fancy fish shack in the past had either gone home to bed or found another place to play drinking games. The place was perfect—quiet yet lively, with a few tables of people finishing up and a few just getting started. It wasn’t so crowded that we missed the hard wood and steel and glass interior design, which explains so much about the restaurant: Ditch Plains isn’t trying to be a New England seafood pit stop; it claims itself by Manhattan aesthetic. And with rockin’ music streaming at a reasonable level, this place fully creates the ideal vibe of a late night refueling point.

Moreover, never in Manhattan have we experienced such friendly service at a post-midnight meal. Our waitress was beyond pleasant; we loved her. She was witty and sweet, nonchalant and efficient. We gave her wine; she gave us dessert. She offered suggestions in an unhurried manner. The kitchen here is opened until 2am every single night. So, when you cruise up at midnight, there won’t be anyone hassling you that the kitchen closes in ten minutes—major bonus for the late night dining set. Our sweet waitress was used to folks like us. (Cont. top article)

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