The Sit-Down      11/03/2008  

Dirt Candy Understands Why You Hate Vegetarian Restaurants

Amanda Cohen is the chef-proprietor of the newly opened Dirt Candy, a vegetarian restaurant in the East Village. Mutual friends assure me that Dirt Candy is not the usual vegetarian East Village restaurant, in which there is more flavor from hippie body odors than from what could loosely be called the food. What follows is my conversation with Amanda, as she explains why Dirt Candy deserves a chance.

Amanda, what’s the deal with Dirt Candy? What’s the difference between it and other vegetarian restaurants? Is there one?

Here’s the thing: these are real dishes in a real restaurant. I’m not trying to convince anybody not to eat meat. I want normal diners to come in say, you know what? I’m not missing the meat. I’m using plenty of butter, using plenty of cream. So maybe one night someone can eat without meat; it’s actually very traditional.

The thing is, though, that vegetarian restaurants are always terrible.

Always! They’re horrible.  Horrible! And you know why? Because they don’t have real cooks. The people who cook there have no culinary background; with this kind of food, you really have to know how to cook. If you don’t, it’s going to be awful. And it is.

They’re more ideologues than cooks, the same way the people who eat there have philosophical baggage instead of wholesome appetites. So what’s the point? Is it a health thing at Dirt Candy?

No! Look, there are lots of vegetarians who don’t care about their health. Look at India. It’s partially religious, but mainly, it’s how they grew up. I’m not Indian, but it’s how I like to eat. I just enjoy eating it, and that’s how I cook.

So what kind of stuff are you making here? What’s a representative Dirt Candy dish?

Well, how about my portobello mousse? It’s sort of my idea of a foie gras.  It’s creamy and luxurious and made with cream and butter. So what’s not to like about that? It’s a compact cube of mushrooms bursting in your mouth. There’s a grilled truffle crostini with it, a balsamic reduction, and a fennel pear compote. There are layers. It’s plated beautifully. It’s just good food, ok?

That does sound good! What else am I going to eat when I come in?

How about grits with tempura eggs. Inside we have pickled shitakes and watercress in the grits, and then we deep fry the egg so it’s a lot of creamy yumminess in the dish.

That doesn’t sound so bad! So it’s not only weirdos who come in to eat there?

Unfortunate I get a lot of weirdos. But we’re not a weird restaurant. Nobody wants to write about us.  We got one line from the Times.  They praised Rouge Tomate for having some recycled materials. Wait, our whole restaurant is recycled! I mean, we have crunchy fried food, lots of butter…we just want people to try something a little different. It isn’t like sushi  in 1960.  It’s no mystery. You know what vegetables are like. So many restaurants are exactly the same in New York now. We’re just doing something a little different.

Comments

14 Responses to “Dirt Candy Understands Why You Hate Vegetarian Restaurants”

  1. Obama, A Burger, A Portobello Mousse, and Bourbon | The Feedbag on November 5th, 2008 9:24 am

    [...] Related: Dirt Candy Understands Why You Hate Vegetarian Restaurants [...]

  2. Eye Candy From Dirty Candy | The Feedbag on December 5th, 2008 12:50 pm

    [...] Off the Broiler: Dirt Candy Earlier: Dirt Candy Understands Why You Hate Vegetarian Restaurants [...]

  3. a on December 12th, 2008 4:24 pm

    This chick is a joke! It sounds more like she’s trying to turn people, vegetarian and omnivorous, away from her restaurant. Some marketing skills need to be developed before her next interview.

  4. jordanpattern on December 12th, 2008 6:14 pm

    After reading this article I understand why I hate Amanda Cohen, anyway…

  5. Desdemona on December 18th, 2008 8:03 am

    Wow–brilliant marketing strategy: insult the people who might actually have visited your overpriced, pretentiously named restaurant by calling them weirdoes, then chase pathetically after a clientele (”normal” people) who would still rather have their butter-and-cream-soaked potatoes at a steakhouse. I have a feeling Ms. Cohen won’t have to worry about too many of those “unfortunate” vegetarians lining her wallet for much longer!

  6. Elaine Vigneault on December 18th, 2008 4:05 pm

    Personally, I’m more offended by the interviewer. I don’t have “philosophical baggage” instead of a “wholesome appetite.” It’s really simple:

    1) I think torturing and killing animals needlessly is wrong. Meat IS murder, yes.
    2) I like tasty food.
    Conclusion: I eat tasty vegan food. DUH.

    And for the record, it’s not just Indians who grew up vegetarian and who happen to like tasty veg food. Hello!? Lots of current American vegans grew up vegetarian. Instead of converting to vegetarianism in college, we went all the way and went vegan.

    We’re a whole new, generation, baby! And we want two things: respect and tasty food.

  7. Wholesome Appetites : Elaine Vigneault on December 18th, 2008 4:07 pm

    [...] Interviewer, commenting on vegan and vegetarian chefs: “They’re more ideologues than cooks, the same way the people who eat there have philosophical baggage instead of wholesome appetites.” [...]

  8. Bea Elliott on December 19th, 2008 9:43 am

    “Respect and tasty food” - absolutely! I’ve been meat-free for 5 years… nothing is lacking my epicurean satisfaction or nutritional needs. A plant based diet is definately stepping into the 21st century - Eating meat is so passe’ - Bad for health, bad for the planet - horrible for the animals. Be Vegan.

  9. Amber A on December 20th, 2008 12:55 am

    YES, that is why my family of hardcore hunting omnivores eat my food… they think it all tastes HORRIBLE! Vegetarian food can taste GREAT. It all depends on how you cook it. Meat can also taste bad and bland if you cook it wrong/don’t season it right. I despise the owner of this restaurant. She is rude! Why would she open a vegetarian restaurant and then insult potential customers???

  10. Amber B on December 20th, 2008 9:57 am

    Wow - if anyone wanted proof that vegetarians are humorless, thin-skinned and just looking for an excuse to cry about how poorly they’re treated…

    I read this interview and then the comments and where on earth are you people getting that she’s insulting her customers? She hates other vegetarian restaurants. She thinks they’re no good. She gets weird customers. How does this equal, “She hates her vegetarian customers.” Reading comprehension tests are mandatory in schools these days, right? Because this is compelling evidence that they’re not doing their job.

    I’ve eaten at a veggie place in the city and it was awful. I have also been a waiter at a carnivore place and most of my customers were weirdos. So what?

  11. Patois Closing…Secret Soup Society in Greenpoint : The Feedbag on January 7th, 2009 9:47 am

    [...] Related: Dirt Candy Understands Why You Hate Vegetarian Restaurants [...]

  12. Amanda Cohen Continues Her Campaign to Make Vegans Hate Her | Vegan Station - Recipies, How to, Guide, Diet on January 9th, 2009 11:18 pm

    [...] when Dirt Candy chef Amanda Cohen made an ass of herself by mocking vegans in an attempt to make herself look cool in the eyes of meat eaters? [...]

  13. ed on January 12th, 2009 11:31 pm

    So Ms. Cohen is the ONLY veg chef in nyc that knows how to cook??? And her secret is to fry everything in butter and smother it in cream sauces? That is so sad, I actually pity this woman. She sounds like a delusional egomaniac! I was actually going to try this place this weekend until I read this interview. Amanda you have hung yourself with your own noose!! The nyc veg scene is boycotting this place for sure!

    best line in interview though.. “I’m not Indian, but it’s how I like to eat.” What an idiot!

  14. .:WorldForum:. - Katie Molinaro: Vegan Living: How Not to Market a Vegetarian Restaurant on February 2nd, 2009 10:53 am

    [...] two recent interviews, Amanda Cohen seems to think she’s going to boost business at her East Village restaurant [...]

Leave a Reply