Dirt Candy — Restaurant in New York

Nestled on Allen Street in NYC, Dirt Candy offers a truly unique and innovative dining experience that showcases the artistry of vegetables. During my visit this freezing winter evening, I had the pleasure of indulging in their winter prix fixe menu, and it was nothing short of extraordinary. Every dish was a feast for the eyes and a comforting delight for the palate, proving once again why this restaurant holds a coveted Michelin star.

The meal began with potato pierogies, a dish that was as comforting as it was complex. The pierogies, made from potatoes and filled with a velvety potato puree, sat atop a bed of caramelized onions that added a sweet depth to each bite. The addition of seaweed caviar was a brilliant touch, infusing a burst of umami and elevating the dish to an entirely new level.

Just when I thought the evening couldn’t get any better, I was presented with an off-the-menu surprise: an onion macaron with a scallion filling and a roasted onion on the side. This dish must become a staple on their menu—it was absolutely phenomenal. The macaron’s crisp shell melted in my mouth, revealing a beautifully balanced garlic-onion sweetness that left me wanting more.

The next dish was a celery-forward creation that highlighted the often-overlooked vegetable in a truly elegant way. A dumpling-like filling made with soft, subtle celery flavors worked in harmony with a delicate celery miso soup, bringing warmth and depth to the dish.

Following that was a kale “soup”, which showcased kale rice cakes, ninja radish, and lollipop kale kimchi. The dish had just the right amount of heat and spice, making it the perfect antidote to the cold winter evening.

Another off-menu delight soon followed: a creative take on cordon bleu featuring a sweet yellow beet with a lusciously creamy interior. While I couldn’t quite pinpoint the puree accompanying it, it was rich and unforgettable, leaving a lasting impression as one of the night’s best dishes.

The journey continued with a pickled cabbage dish, stuffed with Yuba over an avocado puree. The dish had a refreshing balance of brightness and spice, with a hint of cumin adding an extra layer of warmth and complexity.

For dessert, I was served a winter squash gelato paired with French toast and a spiced coffee that tied everything together beautifully. The warm, aromatic flavors of the coffee uplifted the dish, making for the perfect seasonal finale.

Beyond the remarkable flavors, what stood out was the precision, creativity, and sheer passion displayed by the head chef and sous chefs. Every dish was not only meticulously crafted but also presented with a level of elegance that showcased masterful technique and innovation.

Dirt Candy has rightfully earned its Michelin star, and after experiencing this exceptional meal, I wouldn’t be surprised if it earns a second in the near future. If you’re looking for a dining experience that is both comforting and avant-garde, this is the place to be—especially during the coldest nights...

Spring 2025 was one of the best menus I’ve had from Dirt Candy! Everything felt balanced in terms of salt, fat, and acid, with strong appetizing aromas that differed across the dishes. And, I’m not sure if it was intentional, but the common theme was a contrast between creamy and crunchy textures. Absolutely loved it.

The meal started with a fennel panna cotta that was more creamy than bouncy (as they can’t use gelatin), almost like a dressing for the crunchy shaved fennel and seaweed caviar. The anise-like and dill flavors were restrained in the background, never overpowering.

The cucumber avocado aguachile… if you close your eyes, you won’t know which pearl will crunch and which will turn into paste. Fun stuff. I do wish the aguachile had a bit more heat, but it’s understandable in a fine dining setting.

The spring peas came with creamy mango custard and green curry encased in light flaky puff pastry. The lime zest added so much aroma! And the peas themselves were so firm and vegetal. This is an excellent workaround for one of Dirt Candy’s biggest weaknesses: room temp bread course. Because of the way the kitchen is set up, they can’t warm up bread. Serving it cold solves it.

Carrot falafel pita was a fun nod to NYC, like the mini chopped cheese a while back. Bright and engaging with the crunch of fried food and vegetables.

The artichoke ravioli had an explosive smell from the garlic and cheese. Again, a lot of textural contrasts from the soft pasta and tender artichoke leaves to the crispy craggy breadcrumbs.

The broccoli course felt like a DIY fish taco. Super crunchy, aromatic, and herby with a creamy mash.

The caesar salad dessert was really creative, the type of dessert I love the most from Dirt Candy: turns familiar savory appetizers into a dessert. Here, the dominant flavor was lemon in the limoncello cream, which went really well with the parmesan and black pepper. The vanilla croutons were an essential touch. After all, everyone’s favorite part about eating a Caesar salad is the crouton!

As this was such an excellent menu, I don’t have any real feedback except to mention that the fried broccoli tasted a bit burnt. I suspect some aromatics mixed into the batter couldn’t handle the high temperatures. I enjoyed the bitterness, but I suspect others might not. Also, I wished there were more shredded romaine lettuce in the dessert but I’m being weird. The version served is the correct choice to make sure it’s delicious...

Dirt Candy has been on my list of "must-try" restaurants for a while now, so I was thrilled to be surprised with a dinner reservation for here. Creatively presented dishes, superbly friendly service and a cheery atmosphere really made me a happy lil camper. Spoilers ahead.

First Course: Lettuce. My personal favorite, I could eat this all day every day and will attempt a recreation at home when I can. The pickling reminded me of Chinese pickles, puffed rice gives a fun poppy texture and the labneh surrounding was a creamy delight.

Second Course: Tomato. Wonderfully puffy lil donut, sweet tomato jam, fresh cherry tomatoes on top. Super fun, and I'm not a huge tomato lover so I was quite surprised!

Third Course: Corn. My husbands favorite by far. This was a very nice pasta course, great chew from the orecchiette and I really appreciated how the vegetables were cut for texture and presentation. Very pretty, loved the broth.

Fourth Course: Eggplant. SO CUTE. A gosh darned corndog. But my least favorite flavor-wise, sadly. Hands down the most creative of the bunch, though, it just seemed like a bit too much going on? The mint was quite powerful and the broth didn't quite seem to mesh for me.

Fifth Course: Onion. Gosh, I love me a savory-esque dessert. The sandwich part of the ice cream sandwich was fantastic with the creamy onion ice cream enclosed.

Extras: Three little kitchen extras with the meal, a little savory ice-cream cone with creme fraiche, radish noodles with a FABULOUS texture that I also want to recreate (I love how the sesame seeds stick to the noodle, giving a fun bite indeed), and little zucchini cheese cake bites at the end (very light zucchini flavor, but it was there! adorably tasty).

Drinks: Veggie Slushie - Cucumber/Serrano, strong and spicy (says my husband)., and I ordered a non-alcoholic beet juice drink that I cannot recall the name of - tasty and a great companion to the meal.

5/5 Place for me, it was the most fun I've had with dining for a while. Even if I didn't love everything, the presentation and care of each dish made me smile. The hard work really shows and I do indeed appreciate the effort that goes into it all. The meal took a little under 2 hours for us, was enough to feel pleasantly full but not stuffed, and left me with a wonderful birthday memory. Hope to come back...