03/22/09

we should have gone to counter

by brooklynkitties

I was very excited about the concepts behind Dirt Candy for months and genuinely anticipating our visit all week. I am a life-long vegetarian, and, although I have lived in NY for a while, I am used to being catered to on the West Coast and I fully support more vegan/vegetarian option in NY, especially options that emphasize seasonal vegetables rather than fake meat, which I think is lacking in general in NY.

As soon as we walked into the restaurant I was disappointed. The decor is basically the same as Pink Berry, completely sterile with fluorescent lighting.

The service was awkward and not what would be expected for a place that charges $16-$18 for an entree. The server only really talked to us when she wanted to interrupt our conversation to force us to hear a 5 minute oration of the description on the menu of each item as she brought it out. They also rushed us, bringing out our bread with the appetizer and the salad out before we had even started eating the appetizer.

The food was, overall, not creative, and where it was creative, the result was not appetizing. We had the hushpuppies, which were good, but they placed no emphasis on vegetables, just on being deep fried and coming with sweet, fatty maple syrup dip. The mixed green salad was boring, nothing really stood out, except that it came with candied grapefruit. The grapefruit was presented awkwardly on skewers, impossible to eat without it disintegrating, and far too sweet, once again with no emphasis on bring out the natural flavors of fruits and vegetables.

The entrees were probably some of the most unpalatable entrees I have ever been brought out at any restaurant. The carrot risotto tasted like dimensionless nothing. I felt like I was eating glue and could only eat half of it. My boyfriend got the crispy tofu. I tried some of the coconut sauce and it was so unbalanced it felt like I was drinking coconut milk straight from a can.

We tried to see if the restaurant could redeem itself in some way so we ordered dessert. We got a dry chocolate cake with sweet potato sorbet. The sorbet was by far the most unpalatable item on the menu, and I couldn't eat more than 1 bite.

Overall, I would consider this place to be an embarrassment to the vegetarian/vegan community in NY. I think that you can have a menu that emphasizes natural, seasonal ingredients that is also healthy and tastes wonderful. I think Dirt Candy enforces stereotypes about vegan/vegetarian food tasting completely inferior to nonvegetarian food and obviously I will never go here again.

• Pros: Example: best croissants in town
• Cons: food, atmosphere, service

02/09/09

Delicious & Decadent

by RaisinToast

I've been a vegetarian for ten years, and I too am tired of "faux meats." There's nothing like that at Dirt Candy, and despite chef Cohen being from Pure Food & Wine (healthy, chic raw food), she has decided to make intentionally "unhealthy" cuisine; that is butter-drenched, deep-fried, veggie decadence!

Definitely get the hush puppies with maple butter, they are crunchy, spicy and sweet. We also liked the portobello mousse, grits with tempura egg, and the crispy tofu - the ragout of greens beneath the tofu was perfectly balanced and wonderfully flavored. There was Peak Organic Ale available as well, and it was superb.

I'm excited to see what Chef Cohen can do when the City finally turns on her gas, everything on the small menu is made with electric appliances.

As noted by other patrons, it is tiny inside, so be sure to get a reservation - I had to wait a month to get in, but it was worth it!

• Pros: Buttery, sinful, but still eco-aware veggie fare. Excellent service!
• Cons: Tiny place, tough to get a table

01/24/09

Loved it!

by pinkberrygirl

The service was great, food was tasty and the environment quaint and comfortable. Cant wait to go back.

• Pros: Menu, service, inventive choices, intimate
• Cons: Small, not a lot of tables.

12/15/08

AMAZING MEAL!!!

by eap13

This was an amazing meal from start to finish. The space is beautiful--very clean, simple lines, with an attention to detail. We started with the hush puppies, the mousse and a grapefruit pop salad. Everything is so gorgeously arranged and colorful, you just marvel at the presentation. I wasn't crazy about the salad, but the hush puppies and mousse were amazing. My friend had the grits, which were fabulous, and I had the crispy tofu, also incredibly.

Seriously, after leaving my friend and I felt amazing. It's one of the best dining experiences I have had in the city in a long time that didn't cost an arm and a leg.

The service is great too. Attentive but not over-bearing. And Amanda the chef comes by each table to check in.

12/11/08

Extraordinarily inventive!

by hollygo

This is the most innovative vegetarian food I have ever had, but beyond mere innovation the meal was delicious! The portobello mousse combined the luscious savory and sweet flavors of a fois gras (obviously vegetarian) with pear. The carrot risotto, well, it has to be tasted to be believed because the description of carrot dumplings with carrot rice with carrot crisps sounds like overkill but it is an unexpected delight. The popcorn pudding was a sour note; actually it was sweet, terribly, terribly sweet. Alas not every experiment is a success but overall I was greatly impressed with Dirt Candy. One warning, if you book the early seating, be prepared to vacate after two hours, promptly. The restaurant is tiny and there is simply no room, literally, for waiting or lingering.

• Pros: Wonderfully inventive vegetarian cuisine
• Cons: Tiny spot with strict time limits

Chef Amanda Cohen from Pure Food & Wine serves up gourmet vegetarian cuisine at this East Village restuarant.

by Josh Ozersky

In Short
Dirt Candy, while technically a vegetarian restaurant, seeks to distance itself from the horrors available at some of the other vegetarian restaurants in the East Village. Chef/owner Cohen has a strong culinary background and spares nothing by way of butter, cream, and technique to this clean, modern-looking restaurant, which attracts a more upscale crowd than most East Village haunts. Dishes like the portobello mousse, mixed greens with grilled cheese croutons, or crispy tofu with green ragout and kaffir lime beurre blanc may even please an off-duty carnivore.