Candy from the Dirt

CandyPenny and I finally got around to hitting Dirt Candy in Manhattan’s East Village.  With tough weekends under our belt, we needed some delectable eats during our debrief. Unfortunately we didn’t realize that the ambiance of this tiny, loud, upscale restaurant off East 9th street would have us yelling across the table… and dodging air from the bathroom we were seated next to given our reservation-less arrival.

But first, a cupcake from Terri. This was my first appetizer as I killed some time before our dinner. I must go on about the chocolate frosting and how rich it was. Tasted like nostalgic Duncan Hines atop a yellow cake. You go, Terri!

And onward to Dirt Candy. What gorgeous  food you have! As we waited and sipped our $9 half-glasses of wine, we drooled over what was coming out of the kitchen. It was kind of difficult not to as our table was practically in the kitchen, in every clank of the dishes.. Sound filled the tiny space aggressively. But the food was innovative and tasty. Here is the run-down:For my appetizer: CARROT—steamed barbecue carrot buns, cucumber & sesame ginger salad. These gorgeous little buns were dyed with carrot coloring. The innards, barbecue carrot shreds, were very yummy.

And my entree: CUCUMBER—coconut poached tofu, shiso galangal sauce, salsify & hearts of palm. Ain’t she gorgeous? With food this beautiful, it’s a shame, the lighting is orange and dim. In the enhanced light of photoshop (here), I see so much more lovely detail I wasn’t aware of eating!

It was a beautiful entree. But the presentation was slightly better than the taste. Cucumber, by definition, is very watery and light. The sauce and salad needed to deliver a bit more than it did.

And for my dessert BEET—Chocoloate Beet Cake: roasted pear sorbet, beet & pear leather. Although the color of beet drizzled the plate, it didn’t compliment the cake. Oddly, the chocolate cake was kind of in the way since the sorbet and beet sauce tasted nice together.

It was a nice dinner, but unless I was renting out the entire space, I’ll likely not volunteer to be within the conversations of its patrons again.