Foo.Review: Dirt Candy

The menu: short, easy to choose. Everything can be made vegan, just ask.

No complicated names here. Do you want to have carrot or cauliflower?

The Starters. On the left is warm bread with olive oil and to the right - Jalapeno Hush Puppies served with maple butter

Alright, so those hush puppies were the most amazing fried snack I've had in recent years. They reminded me of "pulibongaralu" from Telugu cuisine.

K's appetizer - Pepper. Smoky red pepper mousse, yellow pepper soup and jalapeno chips

In K's words: has the perfect amount of crunchy, smoky and creamy. I tasted it and it was like pepper fireworks on your palate. Very nice!

The pepper soup comes in a separate beaker. You pour it in yourself.

Almost there...

Now, it's ready to eat.

My appetizer: Carrot. The buns to the right are steamed carrot buns and each is made of puree from a different type of carrot and yes, you can easily distinguish the three types. To the left is a cucumber and sesame ginger salad.

K's entree: Chard; Again, a great combination of flavors and textures. Each bite had a minimum of three textures and you could distinctly taste each ingredient that went into it. Yumm!

My entree: Cauliflower. I could easily taste each and every ingredient on the plate. I like! I also discovered that horse radish and arugula make an awesome combo.

Dessert. You'll have to excuse me for not presenting you with a picture of the dessert. After eating all those above dishes we were so blown over that we were waiting like hungry kids for the dessert and when it was served, it did not even occur to me to take a picture (I had been telling myself that I should take a pic before digging in). Anywhoo, we ordered Chocolate Beet Cake. The chocolate was warm and when we cut into it, warm oozy beet/pear lather oozed out and the combo was unbelievably awesome. Home run!

Overall,

• Simple vegetarian/vegan food with focus on the veggies. No extra frills and pretentious dishes
• Subtle ambiance
• The place gets very full, reserve in advance
• The place is lively with conversation
• Perfect for dates/smaller groups
• Good service; friendly and smiling wait staff

Chef & owner: Amanda Cohen

Must try? YES

http://www.dirtcandynyc.com/