Vegan day 102: DIRT CANDY, NYC
DIRT CANDY.. that’s all I have been hearing about! Try to get a reservation and it’s a serious wait. Well, now i know why- besides the fact that it’s very tiny-the food is deliciously handcrafted and the service very personable! New Yorker’s seem to get used to small venues, calling it cozy. I guess you can get over this quickly because the food and experience is very detailed down to the precision and placement of even a droplet of chocolate on the dessert plate. 
Waiting for a reservation does amp up ones expectations- I’m not quite sure that is a good thing sometimes. I am more interested in healthy vegan than just vegan although both do help save the animals which is a common goal. Also, it’s important for our non-vegan friends to know they can go out and enjoy vegan food too. I do however, try to avoid fried foods, white breads, sugar and sodium.
Dirt Candy website includes their menu, information and blogposts.
“What is dirt candy? Vegetables, of course. When you eat a vegetable you’re eating little more than dirt that’s been transformed by plenty of sunshine and rain into something that’s full of flavor: ” Dirt Candy is famous for their jalapeño hush puppies but we decided to pass on those.
My friend and I ordered the mushroom and cabbage appetizers: one was portobello mousse with truffled toast and a pear and fennel compote and the other was chinese kohlrabi salad with purple cabbage wontons and sichuan walnuts. She loved the portobello mousse- I wasn’t wild for the consistency but then again, maybe if the toast was whole wheat I would have enjoyed that combination. The mushrooms on the side were delicious and flavorful. The cabbage dish was excellent and healthy! 
Our entrees included stone ground grits with corn cream and pickled shitakes— and a coconut poached tofu with a shiso galangal sauce and hearts of palm.
I might add here that everything can be made vegan and they do ask you right up front if you are vegan or even if you have specific food considerations – but technically then I guess one can say that it’s vegetarian not vegan. Not that there is anything wrong with that lol. I found the corn dish to be interesting- something I would like to recreate in a slightly different manner because I feel corn can definitely have it’s place being that it is an alkaline food. However, we cannot forget that corn and soy are the two most genetically engineered foods in the country. I think it’s important for vegetarian and vegan restaurants to consider buying these ingredients organic. The waiter couldn’t straight up answer if it was organic or not. I do have to say, the waiter was incredible– you really couldn’t ask for more in the service industry. She was a host, she managed the dining area well, she took the orders and answered questions, she introduced each food item delivered to the table with detail and asked each time how we liked the food. You can really tell that the people who work here really care about every detail of the food and one’s dining experience. This is one of the reasons for sure why this place is often voted as one’s favorite vegetarian restaurant. It’s my goal to eat at every vegan restaurant in NYC this year. If you ask me, the competition is tight- I’ll let you know by year’s end how I feel.
Back to the tofu dish that I ordered for a second- besides the fact that it may have been made from GMO soy- maybe not too (idk)- it was the best poached tofu I have ever had and the presentation was perfect. 
Dessert- hmm? I almost passed but who am I kidding- lol. We order the ice cream nanaimp bar- sweet pea, mint and chocolate– I asked.. yes it was vegan! It was delicious but a bit difficult to break into. I was afraid I was going to have that pretty woman moment where the escargot goes flying across the room– at least if the ice cream hit someone- it would be vegan!
Disclaimer: The information given here is for educational purposes only. You should not use this to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.
[Wednesday April 11th 2012 blog]
