Small, cozy, and clean

andymarhol from 10027 | Posted on 4/15/09

I've been to a few vegetarian restaurants, all of which have been fairly excellent (Angelica Kitchen, Blossom, Red Bamboo), and Dirt Candy definitely sits amongst my top favorites. The selection is meager (only one snack and a handful of firsts, seconds, and desserts), but each dish has clearly been cooked with care. I would definitely recommend the spinach soup as a first and the tofu as a second, with popcorn pudding as a finisher. Also, this place was a runner-up to Blossom for best vegetarian in Time Out NY, but I would suggest that Dirt Candy is a lot cozier than the latter. It's bright and clean, with white-aproned servers and sunflower embellishments in the bathroom, whereas Blossom sticks with dark atmosphere and dim candles. The only drawbacks: limited food options; a severely tiny space (only about eight tables, and you have to move the table in order to get to the bathroom); a minimal coat rack in which you're bound to lose some outerwear (it took my boyfriend five minutes to finally find his); occasional slowness due to limited service staff.