Dirt Candy
Dirt Candy was the first vegetable-focused restaurant in New York City when it opened in 2008 on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Chef Amanda Cohen, who is the James Beard-nominated chef and owner of Dirt Candy, is also one of the Iron Chefs on Iron Chef Canada alongside Susur Lee, Lynn Crawford, Rob Feenie, and Hugh Acheson, and she is a board member and treasurer of Women Chefs and Restaurateurs. Her restaurant Dirt Candy was the first vegetarian restaurant in 17 years to receive two stars from the New York Times, was recognized by the Michelin Guide five years in a row, and won awards from Gourmet Magazine, the Village Voice, and many others.
Dirt Candy´s new location opened in 2015 and was the first restaurant in the city to eliminate tipping and share profits with its employees. Amanda was the first vegetarian chef to compete on Iron Chef: America and her comic book cookbook, Dirt Candy: A Cookbook, is the first graphic novel cookbook to be published in North America. It's currently in its seventh printing. At Dirt Candy you´ll find vegetables in all their glory, prepared in a surprising way and bursting with flavor. It is definitely not your average vegetarian restaurant as Cohen invented her own style of vegetable cuisine without having to use any kind of faux-meat.
Cohen puts a lot of effort in trying to be as sustainable as possible: all the equipment is LEED-Certified. They use a green laundry company and their pest services are green. In the kitchen there is an induction stove as they let off so much less heat and they’re faster, easier to clean, and less expensive than a regular stove.
Due to the pandemic and the lockdown in the spring of this year, Cohen was forced to lay off her entire staff, over thirty people. But thankfully Dirt Candy was able to open again and is back with a new menu. In the evenings there is a set menu, but if you prefer à la carte, you can sit at the bar. Dirt Candy counts with a full bar, counter seating and a wine list curated by wine director, Ben Eyring. Some of the dishes that are on the menu now are Red Onion Tartare with Portobello Mousse, Tempura Beet-Stained Egg and Roasted sunchokes.
Location: 86 Allen Street, NYC, NY 10002, USA
Opening hours: Tuesday-Saturday 12 PM-9 PM
Phone: +1 212-228-7732
Email: info@dirtcandynyc.com
Website: https://www.dirtcandynyc.com
Instagram: @dirtcandynyc
Main picture: Opentable
