One of our absolute favorite restaurants in NYC—vegetarian or otherwise—is the dainty little East Village restaurant Dirt Candy, where bold chef Amanda Cohen is constantly developing innovative and irresistible ways of cooking with vegetables. Her latest creation is a cheeky entree consisting of two "Broccoli Dogs," served with a side of salt and vinegar broccoli rabe chips. No lips or assholes were harmed in the making of these bad boys.
"I've been banging my head against this dish for three months now, and it’s finally getting close to being ready to go on the menu," Cohen writes on her blog. It's currently an off-the-menu item, but Allure magazine contributing editor Meirav Devash and her chef husband Eddie McNamara recently gave it a try. Minds were blown. Here is their report:
While everyone was losing their collective minds over cronuts, Dirt Candy chef and vegetable advocate Amanda Cohen was using kitchen sorcery to create the best “not dog” we’ve ever had. It doesn’t take a rocket surgeon to combine two already-delicious pastries like croissants and donuts. But making something mouthwatering out of broccoli?
At the heart of each dog, there’s the unpretentious green stalk—an umami-bomb in disguise. "We smoked, it grilled it, gave it a quick sauté in broccoli oil," Cohen says. "We did all sorts of stuff to it." Tucked inside a toasty, homemade bun and topped with broccoli kraut, secret mustard-vinegar sauce, and microbroccoli, it's a smoky, sweet, savory, and herby experience that somehow tastes just like an All-American hot dog.
At $21, two dogs are served with a side of broccoli slaw with creamy dill dressing and salt-and-vinegar broccoli rabe chips. Fourth of July is just around the corner; go and get your veggie Kobayashi (or Joey Chestnut) on.
Dirt Candy is located at 430 East 9th Street between First Ave and Ave A in the East Village (212-228-7732). Reservations are HIGHLY encouraged.
