Candle 79 is considered to be one of the best vegan restaurants in NYC and so it's been on my "must visit" list for some time now. I finally dined here last Saturday with my friend Jessica and it did not disappoint my high expectations. The ambience is elegant and formal where we dined upstairs, with red and plum accents and a velvet ceiling and a contemporary-look bar scene downstairs. We had a nice window seat upstairs though on a lovely night, the prime tables in the house would be downstairs near the open double doors. The restaurant was bustling at 6 p.m. on Saturday with a nice hum of comfortable energy, and not too loud.
As I explored the menu, my mouth began to water. It reminded my of when I dined at Candle 79's sister restaurant, Candle Cafe (see 9/25/08 post) because there were just so many interesting and tempting choices, making it difficult to decide. The ingredients were healthful and unique with a creative flair. This was a no-guilt dining experience, which even contained some raw food options.
As I perused the menu, several of the salads piqued my interest, like the avocado salad for $16 and seaweed salad for $14, but we ultimately decided to skip that course to save room for dessert. It's possible to add tofu or tempeh on to salads for $4. Good to know for next time. First, we were served complementary edamame with sea salt, which was a nice surprise. Then, we shared an appetizer, the live avocado cucumber tartare for $15, which was impossibly creamy with delicious homemade flax chips for dipping. For the entree, I had the Moroccan spiced chickpea cake for $19 and Jessica had Caribbean jerk grilled seitan with plantains and mango for $23. We both absolutely loved our dishes to the very last bite. For dessert, we each had our own Mexican chocolate cake with crystallized ginger ice cream for $12. The ginger complemented the chocolate so perfectly; this dessert was positively dreamy. We were still raving about it days later.
As for the drink menu, the impressive wine list was mostly organic or biodynamic. I had a glass of sangria made with both organic wine and fruit for $12. Though I tried, I was unsuccessful in finishing my sangria because of the large size, which was fine. I certainly had plenty and it was a bit strong for me, so better that I did not finish it all.
Really, the only unpleasant surprise, though it should not have been considering I knew the individual item's prices, was the bill. As you can see from the prices above, it adds up quickly to a very large number and my jaw did actually drop. Quality ingredients and loving preparation come at a price, I suppose.
Our waitress, also named Jessica, was wonderful and extremely pleasant and knowledgeable about the dishes. Service was great, attentive from start to finish.
Vegetarians, vegans and even carnivores alike can and will appreciate the inspired food and gourmet experience at Candle 79. I recommend dining there on special occasions on and the occasional splurge.
Candle 79
154 E. 79th St. (between Lex and 3rd, near Lex)
212-537-7179
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment