Ditas opens its first US location in Sausalito
Dining destination Ditas — an edge-of-the-bay dining room, lounge, bar and deck above iconic restaurant the Trident — officially opened and unveiled its sweeping Sausalito waterfront views on May 1.
The Southern Marin city was selected by India-based investors as the ideal spot for its United States expansion, adding to the Ditas brand's first two locations in New Delhi and Mumbai.
Ditas America chief executive officer Nikita Khandheria, a 20-year-old undergraduate student at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland who grew up in India but was born in Marin and returned to Tiburon four years ago, has ambitiously spearheaded the enterprising launch. She describes Ditas as an escape but one with consistency.
“You can secure the same table and have continuity, but there's variety in what guests are eating,” says Khandheria about the seasonally rotating dishes. “We want familiarity, hominess and comfort balanced with updated menus.”
San Francisco-based Winder Gibson Architects was commissioned to reimagine the landmark structure's upper level occupied by Ondine until early 2020. The firm's founder and partner Geoff Gibson comments that with its positioning over the water and panoramic views of the bay, the team sought to step back and not overwhelm the fundamental joy of being there.
“You can secure the same table and have continuity, but there's variety in what guests are eating. We want familiarity, hominess and comfort balanced with updated menus.”
— Nikita Khandheria, Ditas America chief executive officer
“We set a tone of calm and beauty with gentle lighting and subtle level changes to define spaces within the open room for bar, lounge, dining and private dining, allowing your focus to rest on the exquisite food, the impeccable service and the stunning view.”
The contemporary interior redesign was handled in collaboration with Maureen Kelsey of Maureen Kelsey Designs in Petaluma.
“My focus was to create a sexy space that felt sophisticated yet comfortable,” Kelsey says. “By layering neutral tones, warm woods, lush fabrics and lots of gold accents, (it) feels lux but not over the top.”
Chef Aiki Terashima (Morimoto Napa, Roka Akor San Francisco, Reel Fish House & Grill) was at the helm of the original kitchen lineup, but the restaurant shifted direction prior to opening and hired chef Cody Buchholz, who was most recently the executive chef at BMW North America and has made notable stops along his professional journey as station chef at both Meadowood and the French Laundry.