Dirt Candy (430 e. 9th St., NYC - East Village)

What a cute little  place (and I mean tiny, actually)!  It's so small that I did walk right by it initially.  It's down a few steps, too from street level, so it's easy to miss.  The ambience is nice -- very contemporary with lots of blue glass tile on the walls matching the tables with bamboo and red accents.   Maybe there are ten tables here, tops. Reservations are a must.    

The menu has just a few vegetarian selections for each course and most everything could be made vegan upon request.  That was fine since there was something for everyone, and I do mean everyone, even my picky non-vegetarian sister.   I tasted the jalepeno hush puppies (made with cornmeal) with maple butter for dipping, which were good even though they are not typically my thing (my sister and her friend ordered them).  The maple butter was fantastic and I ate it on its own and with ciabatta bread.   I ordered the crispy (pan-fried) tofu with green ragout and kaffir lime buerre blanc for $17.  I don't even know what that is but it was good!   Another option was pinot grigio pappardelle roasted cauliflower with pine nuts, which my sister ordered and loved ($18).  

All the food was artfully presented.  The wine list was short but offered some good, quality wines by the bottle, glass and even half glasses for $5, a good deal.  The service was exceptional and very personalized.

For dessert, I had chile chocolate ice cream with a small chocolate cake and sweet potato sorbet (very different, but good, I was surprised).   I really enjoyed that ice cream, which was not vegan, by the way.  The waitress pointed that out to me because I mentioned in the beginning of the meal that I do prefer vegan.   Good service, yes.  

My sister got the popcorn pudding with hazelnut carmel corn that almost broke my teeth (which would have made my dentist happy).   She enjoyed the pudding but did not try the popcorn.   Probably a wise move.  Desserts were $10 a pop.

I would go back to this place for the excellent food, service and atmosphere.  Only negative really is the location is not too convenient for me (a bit too far from the office using mass transit).  Oh well, that's OK, even though we had to take the bus one leg of the trip.

212.228.7732

www.dirtcandynyc.com