Pure Food and Wine is a splendid, health-conscious restaurant. And it feels like a modern restaurant, worthy of Union Square. Josie’s and Candle Cafe are also excellent choices for healthy food — Candle Cafe for the supreme Vegan experience, Josie’s for its flair, but neither match Pure Food and Wine’s overall experience. Of the three, Candle Cafe was by far my favorite, but it’s a bit more earthy and casual; if you’re dressed up, I recommend Pure Food and Wine.
Josie’s, located in the Murray Hill section of mid-town Manhattan, begins with its sweet potato tahini and dipping breads. I had a juice from the juice bar (apple, carrot and ginger), but the menu of drinks is impressive with organic wines and special house concoctions.
The edamame with sesame and sea salt shake was simple, spicy and different. My mouth had been drooling all day thinking about the ginger-grilled calamari with pineapple appetizer (twice a co-worker had to towel off my chin), and it was as superb as my expectations. Of the three restaurants, Josie’s employed more spices, giving the dishes stronger overall tastes (in their defense, the other two let the key ingredients do all of the talking).
In fact, I liked the constant surprises and the menu, even Josie’s cheated a little on being organic and environmentally conscious. Many of the meats were, in fact, organic. But while the chicken was organic and free range, the beef is corn fed for a year before being fed vitamins and grass. Not all of the produce is organic, and not all of it is local (even though all of it comes from a restaurant-oriented farmers market in the Bronx). These are all admittedly high bars to hurdle, but many diners will want to know these facts before venturing into Josie’s.
I had the seared, coriander-crusted yellowfin tun, with tamari brown rice, and a miso-wasabi sauce. It was as good as it sounds; I had been tempted by the ancho-rubed grilled scottish salmon, with mashed sweet potato . . . maybe next time. The menu even included air-baked belgian fries! The waiter said these were essentially roasted, but in an air-baking oven.
And then — and this was only in the service of readers, mind you — I topped the meal off with a warm, three-berry ginger pie with walnut oat crumb topping and its multi-grain crust and low-fat, soy-milk vanilla ice cream. It tasted far too decadent to be anywhere close to healthy, but indeed it was. I just had to waddle back to Times Square to work it all off.
I am not a Vegan, but I’m not scared of becoming one after eating at
Candle Cafe. This earthy, friendly NYC establishment on the upper east side took me down paths I never knew existed. I picked the “minty melon cooler” (honeydew, cucumber, mint and agave nectar) from its list of Candle cocktails, which include its housemade ginger ale (ginger, agave, sparkling water, lime and mint) and fresh coconut water, not to mention a variety of organic wines and beer.
The soup special was chilled avocado, which was tangy and surprisingly light. I tasted onion and cilantro and lime, and it was doused with the dribblings of chile oil, which gave it some bite. In fact, the singular specialty of Candle Cafe for me was that I could taste all of the ingredients, even in their harmonized form.
The entre menu was filled with choices that had either
seitan (from wheat gluten),
tempah (from soy) or tofu at the base — burgers, grilled sandwiches, and so on. I was tempted by the paradise casserole, with layered sweet potato, black beans and millet over baked greens with country gravy, but instead I had a cajun seitan sandwich, which I expected to be a little spicier, but it was plenty hearty, sitting on focachia, with grilled onion, avocado and arugula. I also asked for the tapioca cheese topping after the waiter/bartender/host offered to let me try it; it had both the taste and consistency of cheddar cheese. It is made from the
Cassava plant. What will mother nature think of next?
For dessert (again, only in the name of research), the friendly waiters debated for me the pleasures of the cheesecake, the banana cake and the fresh fruit pie, but the latter was the overwhelming favorite — a peach, strawberry fruit pie with tofu whipped cream and a berry sauce, dusted with cinnamon and topped with vanilla soy ice cream. All of the sweets are made with unrefined sugar (
Florida crystals) and occasionally (like in icings) with pure maple syrup. I had to squeeze my fattened ass through the bumper-stickered door, and out onto the street, but it was well worth it.
There’s another version of Candle Cafe, called Candle 79, only four blocks away (on Lexington and 79th); I’m told its fare is roughly the same, but the restaurant is a tad more upscale.
One more little tip. I stayed in Times Square at the Intercontinental on 44th. It’s brand-spanking new and exquisite. I’ve stayed in many places in the city, including The Plaza (when it was a hotel), and I’ve never had such an experience. Sure, it’s new and everyone is on their best behavior (so go there now), but I’ve never been treated like such an honored citizen. More to the point, the restaurant, Todd English, was great for breakfast (I’ve heard it’s good for dinner, too, but if you’ve read this far you’ll know that I had no chance to experience it). Oatmeal cooked in Almond Milk? Egg white frittata? Fresh squeezed juices (OK, some of them aren’t available yet, but these rival going to a juice bar)? Even if you’re not staying at the hotel, stop by for breakfast.
Pure Food and Wine is a splendid, health-conscious restaurant. And it feels like a modern restaurant, worthy of Union Square. Josie’s and Candle Cafe are also excellent choices for healthy food — Candle Cafe for the supreme Vegan experience, Josie’s for its flair, but neither match Pure Food and Wine’s overall experience. Of the three, Candle Cafe was by far my favorite, but it’s a bit more earthy and casual; if you’re dressed up, I recommend Pure Food and Wine.
The edamame with sesame and sea salt shake was simple, spicy and different. My mouth had been drooling all day thinking about the ginger-grilled calamari with pineapple appetizer (twice a co-worker had to towel off my chin), and it was as superb as my expectations. Of the three restaurants, Josie’s employed more spices, giving the dishes stronger overall tastes (in their defense, the other two let the key ingredients do all of the talking).
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