Long before plant-based was a buzzword, Amanda Cohen was serving vegetables for dinner. Her all-veggie restaurant, Dirt Candy, made waves when it opened in New York’s East Village in October 2015. High end cuisine that used no animal products was a rogue yet appealing concept, and Cohen filled seats with veggie lovers and omnivorous skeptics alike.
“l will never get over the fact that people used to come to Dirt Candy and be like, ‘I’ve never had some vegetables for dinner. I’ve never eaten a vegetarian meal,’” Cohen laughs. “I’d be like, ‘I think you probably had cheese pizza once or twice.’”
Sixteen years later, Cohen is celebrating her success with a Michelin star and a larger space on the Lower East Side, plus ever-full reservation books, just like day one.
“Having more plant-based restaurants has opened up people to the concept of eating only vegetables for dinner,” Cohen says. “And, and sort of, we sort of, you know, left all that behind as our population has changed. There’s a real outpouring of creativity from the chef community. Meat gets boring after a while. People want to explore different things.”
While vegetarian and vegan dining is nearly ubiquitous across New York City — Eleven Madison Park maintained its three Michelin stars after transforming to a plant-based menu in 2022 — Dirt Candy stands out for its longevity and unique tasting menu encompassing flavors from the United States, Southeast Asia, the Middle East and beyond in a cohesive, delicious way. The $110, five-course tasting menu changes seasonally, with favorites including spring peas grilled tableside, autumnal Kentucky fried butternut squash ribs, wintery flourless chocolate cake with turnip and many more sweet and savory dishes infusing veggies into every bite.
In honor of sixteen years, Cohen is reprising some of the dishes that put Dirt Candy on the map, adding a hint of nostalgia to the anniversary.
“We have been very fortunate that a lot of our customers from 16 years ago are still eating with us,” Cohen says. “I think that’s pretty unusual, especially because we’re not just a corner restaurant. We are a destination. “
Cohen notes that restaurants can be touch and go, but her stubbornness (some may call it dedication) has been key to her success. She’s insistent on serving very good veggies, paying her team fare wages (Dirt Candy is one of few restaurants to instill and maintain a no-tipping policy), and sticking it out day after day, even despite the challenges of a pandemic and everything else that plagues a small business operating on thin margins on one of the most expensive and competitive cities in the world.
Still, Cohen remains hopeful that with her loyal customer base, strong kitchen staff (her dishwasher has been on the team for over a decade, which is essential unheard of), and the popularity of plant-based dining, for health and environmental reasons, Dirt Candy will remain a fixture in New york.
“Vegetables are here to stay, it’s not scary,” Cohen says.
To celebrate Dirt Candy’s sixteen years, the restaurant will host a plethora of events including Way Back Wednesday on Wednesday, October 30 reprising the restaurant’s first menu with dishes like hush puppies with maple butter, candied grapefruit on a stick, and popcorn pudding with caramel popcorn for $125. A Sweet Sixteen Birthday Bash on Thursday, October 31 will be open to the public to enjoy broccoli hot dogs, brussels sprout tacos, and carrot sliders. Friday, November 1 brings The Great Canadian Beer Hall with poutine, Bloody Caesars, and Canadian beer, plus some “Degrassi” nostalgia. The week wraps up with The Unbeatable Brunch on Saturday, November with an a la carte menus full of Dirt Candy’s take on favorite brunch dishes including Spinach Croque Monsieur, Squash Biscuits, Yellow Beet Reuben, and Egg on Egg Sandwich. All reservations are bookable via Resy.
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