Last week, some of my Florida girlfriends came for a visit. Instead of taking them to a typical New York steak place, we went to Candle 79, the city's premier vegan eatery.
Why a vegan eatery, you ask? If you follow this blog at all, you know I eat my fair share of red meat, chicken and fish. BUT, I have been expanding my palate, and after speaking with Candle 79's co-owner Joy Pierson, I knew it was a place I just had to try.
To quote Joy, "The power of the food is beautiful, it appeals to everybody's senses. When people come to the restaurant they say it's the best meal they've ever had."
It does, and it is.
Only one of my four friends was a vegetarian at the start of the meal. The three others haven't converted, but they were each equally surprised by how delicious, filling and fresh all of the food was.
To start, we ordered the Saffron-Lobster Mushroom Ravioli with cashew ricotta and truffled tomato sauce, resting on a bed of spinach with shallots and crispy capers. I enjoyed every single bite--especially the fine texture of the lobster mushrooms.
Before we knew it, the table was covered with various appetizers. Steamed broccoli, onion rings and polenta fries may seem like a rather eclectic mix, but we couldn't get enough. The Polenta Fries were my favorite. They tasted just like French fries without the grease or guilt.
Why a vegan eatery, you ask? If you follow this blog at all, you know I eat my fair share of red meat, chicken and fish. BUT, I have been expanding my palate, and after speaking with Candle 79's co-owner Joy Pierson, I knew it was a place I just had to try.
To quote Joy, "The power of the food is beautiful, it appeals to everybody's senses. When people come to the restaurant they say it's the best meal they've ever had."
It does, and it is.
Only one of my four friends was a vegetarian at the start of the meal. The three others haven't converted, but they were each equally surprised by how delicious, filling and fresh all of the food was.
To start, we ordered the Saffron-Lobster Mushroom Ravioli with cashew ricotta and truffled tomato sauce, resting on a bed of spinach with shallots and crispy capers. I enjoyed every single bite--especially the fine texture of the lobster mushrooms.
Before we knew it, the table was covered with various appetizers. Steamed broccoli, onion rings and polenta fries may seem like a rather eclectic mix, but we couldn't get enough. The Polenta Fries were my favorite. They tasted just like French fries without the grease or guilt.
SEITAN PICCATA
After perusing the entree menu, it became apparent that seitan was included in every dish. I must say, I had to look it up. Fondly known as the "vegetarian wheat meat," the texture is nearly the same as meat and it tastes just as good--if not better.
The Seitan Piccata came with creamed spinach, grilled potato cake, oyster mushrooms and a lemon-caper sauce. The dish tasted exactly like chicken piccata with more robust flavors and fresh spinach.
The Seitan Piccata came with creamed spinach, grilled potato cake, oyster mushrooms and a lemon-caper sauce. The dish tasted exactly like chicken piccata with more robust flavors and fresh spinach.
CARIBBEAN JERK GRILLED SEITAN
I thoroughly enjoyed my Caribbean Jerk Grilled Seitan with collard greens, caramelized onions, plantains, black bean-rum sauce, pineapple-mango salsa and habañero-cilantro coulis. All of the flavors were well matched, and I felt like I was at home in Key West enjoying a tropical meal. The plantains were a lovely surprise buried underneath, and they added a nice sweetness that paired well with the pineapple-mango salsa.
SUMMER HARVEST PAELLA
I'm happy vegan food is extremely filling because then I was able to take home my friend's Summer Harvest Paella leftovers. Valencia rice, seasonal vegetables, smoked seitan sausage, grilled nori-herb oyster mushrooms and saffron-red pepper sauce came together in a beautifully presented, bright dish. I've eaten a lot of paella in my day, (I am Cuban after all) and this version really impressed me. It was much lighter than traditional paella without veering from the expected flavor profile.
MEXICAN CHOCOLATE BROWNIE
Dessert was divine. Period. For anyone who says vegan dessert can't taste good, go to Candle 79—immediately. The Mexican Chocolate Brownie with caramelized bananas, vanilla mole ice cream, toasted pecans and chocolate-ancho sauce was extraordinary. So rich and decadent, I almost forgot I wasn't eating a regular 'ol brownie with ice cream.
CHOCOLATE-PEANUT BUTTER BLISS
My favorite dessert by far, however, was the Chocolate-Peanut Butter Bliss. Chocolate mousse, peanut butter mousse, chocolate shell and berry coulis came together in literal chocolate-peanut butter bliss. The outside presentation was stunning and clean, and the inside layers were equally beautiful.
Needless to say, I plan on becoming a frequent Candle 79 customer. Who knows, maybe I'll actually become a vegetarian...
Needless to say, I plan on becoming a frequent Candle 79 customer. Who knows, maybe I'll actually become a vegetarian...
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