Down and dirty at Dirt Candy

Chef Amanda Cohen isn't afraid to get dirty. An alumna of Pure Food & Wine and Heirloom among others, she has made it her personal mission to throw dirt at the carnivore-dominated establishment and prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that eating vegetarian (or vegan) can be as satisfying, filling, and rich of an experience as eating even the best meat. She doesn't care about your health, she doesn't care about your dogmatic food convictions, she cares that her vegetarian fare is damn good. And it is.

Down a few steps in a basement storefront on East 9th Street lies Dirt Candy. Meat eaters and vegetarians alike are invited to experience vegetables in a different light (literally the space glows with an orange hue). But order literally anything off the menu and it too will arrive with a slight halo; each dish is a perfect little piece of art. And while you're not always 100% sure what you're eating when it arrives, you can be sure it'll be meat-free and delicious.

Each dish we ordered had one focus ingredient that played the star of that show and was surrounded by supporting veggies which worked to elevate and compliment the primary flavor. We started our herbivore adventure with pillow-like Jalapeno Hush Puppies with maple butter. Each bite burst with a small kick from the jalapeno and was perfectly complimented by the sweet maple confection. We sampled the Yellow Pepper soup with smoky pepper mouse and jalapeno chips. We indulged in the Carrot barbecue steamed buns balanced by the crunchy and crisp cucumber and sesame-carrot halvah. We continued with an order of Chard Gnocchi surrounded by pungent goat cheese and topped with sweet fig jam, many flavors and textures that all worked to create an incredible bite. Then onto the coconut poached tofu with spicy guacamole, fancifully fried pickles and cucumber salsa - this dish was very good however the main ingredient (Cucumber) felt and tasted like more of a secondary player than the focus. We capped it all off with the the sweet pea, mint and chocolate Ice Cream bar and bid adieu to our vegetarian adventure.

Overall, our evening down in the dirt was excellent. And I would proudly bring even the staunchest meat eaters to Dirt Candy in hopes that a taste of Chef Cohen's treats would broaden their views of what a truly satisfying dinner can be. Meat or no meat, everyone can enjoy getting a little dirty at Dirt Candy.

Dirt Candy
430 East 9th Street