ALL VEGGIES DIE AND GO TO HEAVEN.

So everyone has probably heard the myth that a little dirt is good for you and aids in the development of a stronger immune system. That is just one more reason to dine at Amanda Cohen's new (ish) restaurant Dirt Candy.

I have been inadvertently following Amanda Cohen over my past few NYC foodie years. As a vegetarian (that eats fish), I am a big fan of trying vegetarian-friendly restaurants. You feel a special vibe when you are dining in a vegetarian restaurant - I love that earthy, healthy, alternative, granola sentiment. You almost feel as if you've contributed to the planet by eating a vegetarian meal. Unfortunately it is not always easy to convince non-vegetarian friends to dine with you in establishments that don't serve hardcore protein. But I have somehow made my way through most of NYC's veggie havens via force, bribery, or withholding information.


But back to the chef. Cohen used to be a chef's teaching assistant at Angelica's Kitchen (I love Angelica's Kitchen!!! Warm, hearty food. Comforting, cozy environment), was the first chef at Teany (I love Teany!! Yum teanychino), line chef at Pure Food and Wine (I love Pure Food and Wine!! Will still not forget my first dining experience there - I asked the waiter why my soup was cold and was about to send it back, until he informed me that I was presently dining at a RAW restaurant that did not expose their dishes to any heat!!), and consulted at Blossom (I love Blossom - where my peanut butter smoothie addiction began!!!!!!). I had no idea that Cohen was a common link between all of these restaurants! Thus, it comes as no surprise that Dirt Candy was just my kinda restaurant.

From her restaurant website homepage, Cohen seems rather intimidating and authoritative. Like "I'm gonna make you some damn vegetables, and you're gonna fucking love them" kinda intimidating and authoritative. But maybe I read her the wrong way, because she was the sweetest, most humble (not to mention youngest) chef I have ever encountered in my life (or at least seen on reality television)!! I'm not saying that the Anthony Bourdain's of the food industry are a fabricated delusion, but Cohen would make it seem as if chefs were peaceful creatures by nature!! On the Wednesday evening that K and I dined at Dirt Candy, Cohen was actually being photographed for some "upcoming/rising chef" award or nomination or something. And I think that she deserves it!! Not only was she busy working in the kitchen, she was also nice enough to be serving food and clearing plates!!


We began with the Spinach Soup. The soup was clearly chock full of healthy chlorophyll and defied your senses by sight because its' appearance, at first, is quite startling! But in fact, it tasted familiar and wonderful! This was most likely aided by the three sweet smoked tofu dumplings topped with a lemon confit. The smoky flavor from the dumplings mixed with the crystalized sweetness of the lemon were a perfect addition to the salty broth. Very Asian-inspired.


The Carrot Risotto was a perfect example of the way that Cohen plays with her food. You see those big carrot chip slices in the dish??? They were actually DUMPLINGS!!!! How inventive. The actual risotto was not a risotto by my definition (you all know how picky I am about risotto), but the flavorings from the fried carrot shavings definitely masked the blandness of the rice. And I didn't mind having to eat the components together in every bite. I think that was the point.


This was my favorite, favorite dish. I actually didn't notice it on the menu the first few times I glanced at it online and in the restaurant. The Stone Ground Grits. The girts were creamy, thick, and mixed with kernels of corn. And sitting atop the mound of wonderful carbs was a tempura poached egg!! I really appreciated all the different textures in the dish. The dish even seemed a bit playful. You break the egg apart and out oozes the yolk so you can mix it into the grits - this concept reminded me of Korean bi bim bop or Japanese nabeyaki udon.


And finally, the dessert. A little mound of sesame cake topped with sorbet, grapefruit, and strawberries. I love anything that has to do with sesame, and I love a grapefruit dessert (always so refreshing and cleansing), so this was the perfect way to end my meal. If I were to be picky, I would say the cake was a bit dry. But I won't be picky, because in reality I didn't really mind.

Dirt Candy, I'm hoping you are one of those restaurants that changes their menu seasonally. Because I want to continue being delighted by your surprises!!