Best 3 A.M. Meal

MAS (FARMHOUSE)
39 Downing St.
212-255-1790

Once upon a time, late-night dining was a sad, dark affair, limited to ironbellies, yahoos, and people too drunk to notice whether their warmed-over stripsteak was done medium or rare. Not anymore. At Mas (farmhouse), in the WestVillage, it’s possible to stumble into the diminutive, beautifully appointeddining room at 3 a.m. and find yourself face-to-face with a little fleet ofKumamoto oysters (decked with paddlefish caviar and a splash of rose champagne),or braised beef short ribs (with sauce bordelaise), or a perfectly articulatedpotato tart, strewn with bits of applewood-smoked bacon and Gruyère cheese.There are artisanal cheeses, of course, and a full complement of raw-bargoodies, and if you’re weary of the rotgut you’ve been drinking all night, dowhat we do and wash it all down with a glass or two of the house cocktail, madewith orange bitters, pomegranates, and premier cru Pierre Gimonnet champagne.

Best 3 A.M. Meal