The Drop has a new chef and part owner: Hope Dillon
When the Drop — a combination saloon and bruschetta bistro — opened in late 2006, at 409 East 31st Street, the creative team behind the venue was Ernesto Peralta, Eddie Crane and Josh Eans. None of those men is connected with the Drop today, though. It’s now operated by restaurateur Chris Ridler (Sol Cantina, Zócalo Mexican Cuisine). And now there’s a new, but very familiar, chef in charge of the kitchen.
Eight weeks ago, Hope Dillon — whose resume includes stints at Blue Bird Bistro, Vivilore and Poco’s Latin American Grill — took over. She says she was offered an ownership stake in the eight-year-old restaurant, which serves lunch, dinner, and Saturday and Sunday brunch to the Martini Corner faithful.
“I wanted to do a café and market in the Union Hill neighborhood,” Dillon says, “so I wrote a business plan and took it to Chris Ridler to talk about possible locations. And that’s when the deal for the Drop started.”
Dillon immediately started working on the menus.
“When I came in, they were doing a little bit of everything,” she tells me. “I scaled it down, keeping some of the bistro dishes and adding more bruschetta choices. The bruschetta is very popular here. I’ve added a few things to all of the menus. We’re now offering a classic breakfast with three eggs, sweet and red potatoes, bacon and a biscuit, on the brunch menu. And a salmon-cake Benedict.”
The staff has changed, too, with former Los Angeles-based actress Ari Tinnen-Tynson joining the waitstaff.
“I was in a few horror films when I lived in Los Angeles,” Tinnen-Tynson says. “You’ve probably never heard of them. The Mailman. And Asylum.”
Tinnen-Tynson is a very good waitress, by the way. She says she left Hollywood with a broken heart, moved back to Kansas City, and promptly met the man of her dreams and got married.
Dillon says she has trimmed back the bar hours at the Drop (the kitchen still closes at 10 p.m.) and wants to start promoting the intimate venue as a space for private parties and catering.
