Dirt Candy

Nearing 17 years in business as a New York City restaurant is an achievement in itself. Doing so powered solely by vegetables is a triumph all its own.

Dirt Candy's vegetable-only ethos was unique when it opened in 2008. Owner Amanda Cohen firmly set herself apart from the hippie and health-conscious restaurants around her, creating a space where vegetables were sought after, admired, and, most importantly, craveable. Her bestselling cookbook (Dirt Candy: A Cookbook: Flavor-Forward Food from the Upstart New York City Vegetarian Restaurant), James Beard Award and Michelin Star reaffirmed that plant-based foods aren’t just for vegetarians or vegans, but rather for those who simply enjoy eating well.

Dinner consists of a seasonal, five-course tasting menu, featuring an equal mix of hits and misses. The first course—a fluffy bread similar to a scallion pancake, oozing with a sweet celery crème fraiche and oodles of seaweed caviar—made me believe in the power of plants. The Brussels sprouts were in a category all their own, coated in a sauce that could snag first place at a barbecue competition. Full stalks are halved, charred and served whole to nibble and gnaw like succulent ribs—soft “marrow” and all. It’s messy but worth it for the tongue-tingling Sichuan peppercorn sauce. 

But not everything blew me away. The miso carrot consommé lacked depth, and the squash soup—with only a whisper of Thai curry—should’ve yelled as loudly as the Brussels before it with bolder Asian flavors. The drinks, however, helped pick up the slack, with celery-infused Corpse Revivers and deep red beet-and-lemonade slushies that drink healthy—until the haze of vodka hits you.