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Writer's pictureEating Well with Rochelle

Restaurant Review: Dirt Candy


Lettuce Wraps/Tacos

Dirt Candy

86 Allen St

New York, NY 10002

Rating: G+


Dirt Candy is a vegetarian restaurant, and they can accommodate any and all allergies with notice. Located on the Lower East Side in Manhattan, this restaurant almost feels like a hole in the wall. It is in an area of the city that is an interesting blend of historic, "typical" NYC and new, "hipster" NYC. When COVID-19 isn't busy changing the landscape of dining, Dirt Candy offers tasting menus rather than a la carte options. At the time that I visited last (Spring 2018), there were two price points for the tasting menus which were all inclusive of everything except drink/alcohol purchases, so no additional tipping was necessary.


Lettuce wraps prior to construction

Soup

When I ate at Dirt Candy, it was my mom and me celebrating my college graduation, and the restaurant wowed us far beyond expectations. I knew it was a popular restaurant, so I made reservations a couple months in advance and let them know at that time what my allergies were (gluten, dairy, eggs, shellfish, white rice, corn, mushrooms, and spinach). I was assured that they would be able to accommodate the allergies I had listed.


Tower of deliciousness

Upon arrival, all my allergies were confirmed, and my mom let them know she also had allergies to sulfites and spinach. Then, the food started coming out. Every course was amazing. I took as many pictures as I could remember (because some of the food was so good you just forgot) as most of the food was beautiful in addition to delicious. There were 1 or 2 courses where my mom and I got completely separate dishes, but for the most part, the chef worked to adapt the typical courses so that they would be safe for me. They even were willing to adapt during the meal when they accidentally brought a dish with spinach for my mom, switching so that we had the same dish that course.



Banana's foster adaptation

The best course was the vegan cheese plate (an adaptation from the typical course for anyone who requests a vegan meal). My mom and I still bring up that cheese plate in conversation, and I dream about when I will get to eat it again. The dessert was also awesome as it was an adaptation of banana's foster, and they set it on FIRE!!



Beet dish

Overall, the meal was fantastic! I highly recommend Dirt Candy for a special dinner. If you know ahead of time that you are going, make sure to save plenty of room because tasting menus fill you up quickly, and you won't want to skip any course.

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