“Anyone can cook a hamburger, leave the vegetables to the professionals": this is the motto of Dirt Candy. a vegetarian restaurant located on the Lower East Side where Chef and owner Amanda Cohen serves an original menu where vegetables are the master pieces and not just a side. We went there after a long time blog follower read my review of Elisabeth’s Gone Raw in DC and recommended Dirt Candy for brunch.

So here we are, in their dining room with their open kitchen, curious to see what this place has to offer. And it offered a small menu but full of flavor. Here is what we tried:

As a cocktail, I tried their Poolside Breeze, a refreshing drink made with Prosecco Spritzer (I guess it had a bit of Aperol in it, but I did not really taste it), cucumber and cilantro, the latter giving a beautiful green color to a very refreshing drink where the cucumber shined.

We then shared their Korean Fried Broccoli. Broccoli is definitely not a vegetable you will find often in my diet, except maybe in Asian restaurants, when smothered in a thick sauce, but this was incredibly good, Jodi surprised to see me saying “wow” for a broccoli dish…It was delightfully crispy, flavorful with the sauce made with garlic and sesame, as well as, probably, gochujang that had a slight kick.

Korean fried broccoli at Dirt Candy in NYC, NY

Then was the zucchini pancakes served with blossom butter and maple syrup: a bit small, it was superb and a great way to have kids eat vegetables. You still get the taste of pancakes, but with pieces of zucchini.

Last was the creamy corn grits, that were sitting on collard greens, and topped with a smoked tomato sauce and two tempura poached eggs. This was a great egg dish, creamy, with a nice texture given by the tempura poached eggs that were, however, slightly over.

Overall, the brunch at Dirt Candy was very good and surprising. Egg dishes are a safe bet if you are not that adventurous when it comes to creative vegetarian cuisine, but I recommend stepping outside of your comfort zone. Know that Dirt Candy is a non-tipping restaurant, so the prices you see are what you pay plus tax. I recommend it whether you are vegetarian or not and will certainly go back for dinner this time: their menu looks very interesting.

Dirt Candy - 86 Allen Street, New York, NY 10002

Brunch at Dirt Candy

I Just Want To Eat!