430 E. 9th Street
New York, NY
212.228.7732
www.dirtcandynyc.com
Dirt Candy fills a tiny space in the East Village. The restaurant is not much bigger than my hallway, but what is it they say about good things and small packages?
Amanda Cohen, chef and owner of Dirt Candy, has worked in just about every vegetarian restaurant in Manhattan. She opened Dirt Candy last fall do one thing - cook vegetables (candy from the dirt) and cook them well.
She's honest when she says in her blog, "I don't care about your health." That's apparent by her use of the deep fryer. The house specialty is jalapeno hush puppies with maple butter served as a snack for $6. They didn't do much for me, tasting rather bland, though the maple butter was nice. Soups were more flavorful.
Other dishes were more satisfying. The crispy tofu in kaffir lime buerre blanc (below) was worth the $17.
Any dish at Dirt Candy can be made vegan. The wine list is short, reasonably priced (most bottles from $20-$40), and somewhat interesting.There are certainly better vegetarian restaurants in New York, but when you need a change from Candle 79 or Pure Food and Wine, Dirt Candy's not a bad choice.
