Date Night – The Castello Plan

If you’re looking for a fancy, candlelit place for a cookie-cutter first date, The Castello Plan definitely isn’t it.  But there are so many other things to worry about when wining and dining that special someone, why stress over which fork to use or if you really can afford that Market Priced lobster?  This intimate Ditmas Park wine bar will put you both at ease, with over 110 bottles (both absolutely affordable and well, non, depending on what you’re comfortable with), 16 Belgian beers, and a menu that goes well beyond cheese, crostini, and mixed olives.  We love the Plum and Manchego Salad with arugula and toasted sunflower seeds, Butternut Squash Gnocchi with oyster mushrooms, sage and truffle oil, and Black Bass with roasted heirloom carrots, bacon-sauteed sucreine lettuce, fried shallots, and roasted poblano peppers.  We also totally advocate oyster happy hours for fail-safe first dates, and The Castello Plan has a great one – the inexpensive aphrodisiacs go for $1 each from 2-8pm on Saturdays.