Restaurateurs see new opportunities

Nocturnal Bostonians craving a late meal after a night out are no longer limited to pizza or Chinese food.

Late-night dining is exploding in the Hub restaurant scene after years of most kitchens closing by 10 p.m., sparking a foodie frenzy.

“We’re trying to grow our late-night business,” said Ky Nguyen, owner of Kingston Station in the Financial District. “People were going to Chinatown for late night, and we thought we’d give it a shot.”

“Boston is not the same Beantown for dining where we started in 1982,” says BiNA Osteria owner Babak Bina, who has introduced a late-night menu on the weekends. “Whether they’re early or late, we will serve customers with the same hospitality and full-service menu.”

For years, patrons longing for higher-end fare in the wee hours of the morning were limited to a string of restaurants in the South End such as Stella and Franklin Cafe. However, as the late-night trend has emerged, more neighborhood restaurants are giving it a try.

The Back Bay crowd can now devour artisan sandwiches and charcuterie offerings alongside a long beer list well into the night at new hotspot the Salty Pig. In Kenmore Square, people have flocked to Eastern Standard for dining room service until last call. They now have sister restaurant Island Creek Oyster Bar down the block to go to for a full-service slider bar and raw oysters.

“The challenge with late night is that if you commit, you have to bring it,” said Eastern Standard and Island Creek owner Garrett Harker. “I credit management a lot to be able to sustain that level. I’m waiting for my peers to do the same.”

By Cameron Sperance, Re-posted from Boston Herald.com

Photo by Stuart Cahill