Since Sam entered his vegetarian stage over a half a year ago, I thought it would be nice to try one of NYC's top veggie dining spots this time around, so we headed to the Upper East Side and CANDLE 79 (154 E 79th St. www.candle79.com). It was nice to escape the holiday masses in midtown after our spectacular matinee of Hello Dolly starring Bette Midler and head uptown with a friend and client to the oh so quieter East Side.
It had become windy and bitter cold, so we were thankful for the cozy warm feeling we encountered as we entered. There are two floors and our table was near the street window so we could see the passersby while keeping toasty warm. A long bar (where folks can dine as well without reservations) was along the side of the room and there were cozy booths on the other. Upon entering my first remark was, "well how bad can vegan food be if they still have wine and booze?" Some of the nearby guests laughed and we settled in for a super fun evening.
I do have to say I like it when a restaurant offers a choice of white or black linen napkins so folks don't have lint all over their laps when they leave. Our guest asked for a black napkin, as so many folks do where black in NYC, but alas white was the only option; I too had on black pants--just a thought. We ordered some super fun cocktails (see FB fotos for them and all the food):
Mar "Tea"-Ni was EG Earl Grey Tea & Sage Vodka with lemon, chamomile agave & lavender bitters and was slightly earthy and tasty but I adored my super spiced
Mar "Tea"-Ni was EG Earl Grey Tea & Sage Vodka with lemon, chamomile agave & lavender bitters and was slightly earthy and tasty but I adored my super spiced
SPICY SENORITA (I called it a spicy senor) with Jalapeno Infused IXA Silver Tequila, Agave, Combier, Carrot Juice & Lime with a slice of jalapeno on the rim....just in case.
Samuel had the organic Q Cola which reminded me more of Ginger Beer than cola and we all agreed was super tasty.
A nice, but unamusing amuse arrived in the form of a cucumber slice with a dab of almond "cheese" which to me was more like a thick nut cream (think thinner and lighter than almond butter).
The menu wasn't huge, but it was very hard to decide. We all chose some starters and agreed to enjoy those and then see what mains we might or might not want:
Fried Artichokes came atop a stew-like composition of chickpeas, and zucchini in a tomato-cashew sauce and while delicious, I had thought all the veggies were fried, so wanted some more crunch.
The Housemade Live Cheese Plate has a truly interesting name not only because cheese is not vegan, but live seems an odd choice. The name is used a lot here and simply means "raw." We had already tasted the almond cheese on the amuse, but here the plate was loaded with various items and flavors:
Pepper-Macadamia Cheese was more like a paste and loaded with flavor, while the Almond Cheese tasted very different here almost the consistency of goat cheese with a similar flavor and requiring spreading on the tasty Brown Rice-Kale-Chia crackers. The Herb-Cashew cheese was also delish. Dates and Apples adorned the plate in a beautiful presentation.
Fried Dumplings are made from seitan, which our server explained was a wheat derivative, with a Sesame-Ginger Soy broth and crunchy broccoli. They tasted quite meaty inside, but we weren't totally fooled.
Empanadas were two huge pastries with Chili-grilled Seitan, Oyster Mushrooms, Zucchini, Escarole, Tomatillo Sauce, Guacamole and Almond Cheese (they like this stuff) and were bursting with flavors from all the various ingredients and definitely made a hit. The Mezze Platter was also a good choice for variety with Smoked Hummus, Eggplant Caponata (I never found this), Olives, Slivered Almonds, Almond Tzatziki, Babaganoush, Grilled Paratha Bread(we needed more for all the tasty spreads), roasted garlic cloves and red pepper oil.
The star starter was the Guacamole Timbale simply made of guac layered over with Chipotle Black Beans packing just enough spice, Pico de Gallo and layered with huge fried thick Plantain Chips for dipping and covered with a kicky Ranchero Sauce.
A bottle of Querciabella Super Tuscan 2013 was the perfect red wine on a freezing night to have with all the earthy and slightly spicy foods.
Our biggest complaint was the table size was not being large enough to hold all the various plates and at some times when three starters arrived we had to play musical plates a lot.
Our guest was polishing off the mezze, so the three of us ordered a bit more with Sam having a starter portion of the Wild Mushroom-Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sauteed Spinach, Tomato-Cashew Cream and Truffle Oil which was a hit with him while Will chose the Herb Grilled Cauliflower with Wild Mushroom Squash Risotto, Cashew Cream, Kale-Pine Nut Pesto and Frizzled Leeks. The cauliflower was quite al dente and a bit hard to cut, but it was a tasty, rich and filling dish largely due to the risotto that was intense and heavy. I think the winning main was our waiter's choice and I went for the Wild Mushroom Crepe with Seasonal Veggies, Sauteed Wild Mushrooms, Tempeh, Spinach, Garlic Truffle Aioli and a side Arugula & Beet Salad. The salad was nice but won no prize, but I was indeed worried about a rich heavy crepe and I was so wrong as our server said it wasn't heavy. The sauces were light and while the crepe itself was thicker than a traditional (think more like buckwheat crepe) it was indeed just right and bursting with flavors. A side dish of Onion Rings with Chipotle Aioli never arrived and we were told it was sent to the wrong table. I was tempted to cancel it, but really wanted to know what vegan aioli was like, and when it arrived we were all impressed with the crispy rings and the superb slightly spicy aioli which indeed had no eggy mayo flavor that aioli always does as it is made with other ingredients; but still works. Although since they came after we finished, we really should not have been charged.
Will ordered a scoop of tasty boysenberry ice cream which was tasty, but I really would have liked a truly dairy gelato :-)).
Many of the dishes can be ordered gluten-free as well, so these folks really aim to please and we were indeed pleased and left there totally full....but will of course, indulge again today. HAPPY THANKSGIVING to all!
