Ditch Plains
Carebear knew I was going out of town for my birthday so she suggested doing a birthday dinner the week before. Leaving town on your actual birthday is the best thing for anyone who's a birthday nut. It gives you the opportunity to endlessly prolong the birthday festivities. I was partying the week before my birthday, during my birthday week, and the week after, before I finally said enough's enough.
Carebear chose Ditch Plains for dinner. It's the latest from Marc Murphy, of Landmarc fame. The funny thing is Carebear took me to Landmarc for my birthday last year. Mr. Murphy better get his act together and open up another restaurant by the time I turn 28, so eating at his restaurants can become my birthday tradition.
I was curious where the name Ditch Plains came from and KAdler enlightened us all. She said Ditch Plains is a surfing beach in Long Island. That explains the TVs behind the bar playing black and white surfing videos, similar to a Jack Johnson concert I went to in Aspen.
You walk in to Ditch Plains and there are tall, sleek wooden booths along the right side and a bar on your left. The dining room was not cramped but it wasn't enormous either. Judging by the amount of people milling around the bar counter, you best make a reservation at DP before you go, unless you don't mind being hypnotized by the soothing surfing videos at the bar.
Somehow I had half a day to get ready for dinner, but I still managed to be late. What is wrong with me? Maybe I should think about starting a support group for this problem of mine. I'll call it ALA "Always Late Anonymous." I got out of work at around three o'clock, which is early compared to everyone else in the city, yet I ended up being nearly 25 minutes late to my own dinner. And it's not that I take forever to get ready. I wear little to no makeup, I don't curl my hair, I don't tease, and I don't do my nails. I sit around, watching TV, reading, cleaning up and then all the sudden I'm left with a half an hour to get dressed.
When I finally stormed in to Ditch Plains heaving and sweating with stress, I found Carebear, KAdler, and FoxyLady sitting at a table all smiles, waiting patiently for me. A pang of guilt and embarrassment came over me, but after a sweet wine birthday toast, it went away. Ditch Plains has a very relaxing, dark, but cool atmosphere. I was looking at the menu and was slightly confused to see breakfast fare, but I quickly learned Ditch Plains opens at 7 a.m. and serves a full menu from then on. This should be a treat for all you breakfast-any-time-of-the-day people.
For an appetizer we tried the crab dip with toasts. The bread was freshly toasted, crispy, and heavily buttered. I could have eaten the slices plain. They were that good. The dip was extra thick and had the perfect consistency : equal cheese and mayo to equal crab, rather than skimpy on the crab. And I liked how it was easy to score a big dollop of it onto your toast and it would stay put without sliding back into the bowl where it came from. The table started eating faster as the bottom of the dip bowl started to appear. If you go, definitely try the crab dip.
FoxyLady and I ordered the mussels for our entrees and we split a side of fries. My mussels came with rosemary and bacon and FoxyLady's were with chorizo and red onion. KAdler and Carebear both ordered the special that evening which was grilled cod resting on mixed greens with a sherry shallot vinaigrette. The mussels I had at Ditch Plains were the biggest mussels I've ever had. I'm not even a huge fan of mussels, at least I wasn't, until this dinner. Now I'm the mussel maniac ordering them wherever I go. The best thing about the mussels besides their size was the broth it came in. I had thick pieces of chewy (but not fatty) bacon to nibble on in between bites of mussels. The broth would have tasted great with bread but was also yummy with the fries. The fries were probably the best I'd had in the city- better than Pastis and better than Markt. Not too thin and not too thick, they were cooked to the perfect shade of golden brown and lightly salted. I tried a bite of the cod and liked it a lot. The fish was warm and tender and blended really well with the sweet vinaigrette.
I am craving another meal, specifically the one I already had, at Ditch Plains. DP had it going on from the atmosphere, to the food, to the excellent service (they could give a lesson or two to the place we ate at this weekend Big John-stay tuned for that pre-Halloween nightmare on Orchard Street). Our waiter saw us take a sip of wine and out he came from behind the bar with our chilled bottle to refill our cups. Splendid.
Who's birthday is up next?
29 Bedford St., at Downing St.
212-633-0202
Carebear chose Ditch Plains for dinner. It's the latest from Marc Murphy, of Landmarc fame. The funny thing is Carebear took me to Landmarc for my birthday last year. Mr. Murphy better get his act together and open up another restaurant by the time I turn 28, so eating at his restaurants can become my birthday tradition.
I was curious where the name Ditch Plains came from and KAdler enlightened us all. She said Ditch Plains is a surfing beach in Long Island. That explains the TVs behind the bar playing black and white surfing videos, similar to a Jack Johnson concert I went to in Aspen.
You walk in to Ditch Plains and there are tall, sleek wooden booths along the right side and a bar on your left. The dining room was not cramped but it wasn't enormous either. Judging by the amount of people milling around the bar counter, you best make a reservation at DP before you go, unless you don't mind being hypnotized by the soothing surfing videos at the bar.
Somehow I had half a day to get ready for dinner, but I still managed to be late. What is wrong with me? Maybe I should think about starting a support group for this problem of mine. I'll call it ALA "Always Late Anonymous." I got out of work at around three o'clock, which is early compared to everyone else in the city, yet I ended up being nearly 25 minutes late to my own dinner. And it's not that I take forever to get ready. I wear little to no makeup, I don't curl my hair, I don't tease, and I don't do my nails. I sit around, watching TV, reading, cleaning up and then all the sudden I'm left with a half an hour to get dressed.
When I finally stormed in to Ditch Plains heaving and sweating with stress, I found Carebear, KAdler, and FoxyLady sitting at a table all smiles, waiting patiently for me. A pang of guilt and embarrassment came over me, but after a sweet wine birthday toast, it went away. Ditch Plains has a very relaxing, dark, but cool atmosphere. I was looking at the menu and was slightly confused to see breakfast fare, but I quickly learned Ditch Plains opens at 7 a.m. and serves a full menu from then on. This should be a treat for all you breakfast-any-time-of-the-day people.
For an appetizer we tried the crab dip with toasts. The bread was freshly toasted, crispy, and heavily buttered. I could have eaten the slices plain. They were that good. The dip was extra thick and had the perfect consistency : equal cheese and mayo to equal crab, rather than skimpy on the crab. And I liked how it was easy to score a big dollop of it onto your toast and it would stay put without sliding back into the bowl where it came from. The table started eating faster as the bottom of the dip bowl started to appear. If you go, definitely try the crab dip.
FoxyLady and I ordered the mussels for our entrees and we split a side of fries. My mussels came with rosemary and bacon and FoxyLady's were with chorizo and red onion. KAdler and Carebear both ordered the special that evening which was grilled cod resting on mixed greens with a sherry shallot vinaigrette. The mussels I had at Ditch Plains were the biggest mussels I've ever had. I'm not even a huge fan of mussels, at least I wasn't, until this dinner. Now I'm the mussel maniac ordering them wherever I go. The best thing about the mussels besides their size was the broth it came in. I had thick pieces of chewy (but not fatty) bacon to nibble on in between bites of mussels. The broth would have tasted great with bread but was also yummy with the fries. The fries were probably the best I'd had in the city- better than Pastis and better than Markt. Not too thin and not too thick, they were cooked to the perfect shade of golden brown and lightly salted. I tried a bite of the cod and liked it a lot. The fish was warm and tender and blended really well with the sweet vinaigrette.
I am craving another meal, specifically the one I already had, at Ditch Plains. DP had it going on from the atmosphere, to the food, to the excellent service (they could give a lesson or two to the place we ate at this weekend Big John-stay tuned for that pre-Halloween nightmare on Orchard Street). Our waiter saw us take a sip of wine and out he came from behind the bar with our chilled bottle to refill our cups. Splendid.
Who's birthday is up next?
29 Bedford St., at Downing St.
212-633-0202
posted by Mona at 4:14 PM
9 Comments:
Haha, my birthday is on Friday- when's yours? Happy belated birthday! Also, you might be interested to know that there are plans to open Watermarc in the Time Warner Center or in the area, another Marc Murphy joint, so it's very possible for this to become a birthday tradition. ;) You could cycle through them! I'm glad to read such a positive review of Ditch Plains- I may just have to hurry along the notion of going.
Your bday is Friday!? Yowsas, that's exciting. Happy early Birthday Yvo. That's great news, about Watermarc. I'm going to read up on that pronto. I like this new tradition I've started!! Yes, you should definitely go to Ditch Plains. It's the kind of place I want to become a regular at.
It's also Cream Puff's birthday. She posted her birthday cake and invited us all over for a slice. No excuses Mona ;-)
HAPPY belated BIRTHDAY!
Mmm, I'll have to go visit. I haven't been to her site in a long long time. And it's a shame because her site is beautiful. How are you doing Naz ?
You seem to favor places in lower manhattan. Is that where it's now all happening in NY? Just curious.
Avery
Ave, yah, that's pretty much where it's always happening. There are some good restaurants uptown but nothing I feel that compares to downtown :) How are you doing?
I thought it was all happening in Brooklyn. Then again, what do I know, I live in Queens.
I'm cooking barbecue this weekend Mona...send me your order.
First of all happy birthday!!Then a question...Surfing in Long Island ya kidding me??
Ha, Brooklyn, Queens, you know, pick your borough. I'm sure there's lots happening in both, if BC is anywhere in the vicinity. Serious? BBQ order? Whatcha makin'?
Greg, it's no Mavericks or Half Moon Bay or Stinson, but yes, Long Island has surfing beaches. And at the very tip the surfing 's actually quite good. You a surfer?
Post a Comment
<< Home