Guest guest Posted March 6, 2007 Report Share Posted March 6, 2007 Thirteen years ago, on Friday the 13th, a one-time art dealer named Bart Portenza bought a lotto ticket and ended up winning the $53,000 jackpot. He had written about healthy lifestyles and vegetarianism before, but he knew that he would now be able to take his passion a step further. With the help of nutritionist Joy Pierson, they opened Candle Caf�, a vegan restaurant on the Upper East Side, which has remained in its original location, with some of the same recipes ever since.Pierson said that she wanted to "make healthy food cool and modern," in order to share the joys of healthy eating and natural food with more mainstream eaters. She only purchases pesticide-free fruits and vegetables for her restaurant and, whenever possible, buys from local farmers on the East Coast. Once a summer, she coordinates a trip with her staff to one of the local farms she buys from in order to give the staff a better background on the food they serve. Although some of the staff are not vegan or vegetarian, all of them are conscious of health issues, in terms of food or the environment. One of the most inspiring things Pierson has experienced since opening her business is the response she's gotten from young children who bring their parents to the restaurant. She also recalled an incident where a customer called her while making one of the restaurant's recipes found in their widely successful cookbook just to say that even though he ate meat, it was a fabulous dish. Candle Caf� seems to be inspiring a new generation of eaters with their vision.The atmosphere of the restaurant is a blend of casual dining with a chic, modern flair. There is a bar counter that serves up smoothies, protein shakes and sulfite-free organic wines and beers. For vegans, this is important since certain alcohols are prepared using animal-derived ingredients, and sulfite-free alcohol is hard to come across at many restaurants. The waiters, dressed in solid black, are friendly, knowledgeable and devoted to the restaurant, as many have worked there for several years. My waiter, Brian, was on-point with all of his suggestions and took the time to explain several of the items. started with the Seitan Chimichurri ($8), which is one of the more popular dishes. Seitan (pronounced say-tan) is wheat gluten, which is a high protein, meat alternative. Three skewers of seitan were placed on a small bed of lettuce and dressed in a light citrus dressing. The consistency was similar to meat and was tender and juicy. Next, I tried the barbequed tempeh (a firm, whole soy-based product) and sweet potato sandwich ($13), which was served on multigrain bread with onions, kale, salad and a shallot-sage aioli. The first bite was pure heaven and I can guarantee that even a meat eater would love this sandwich. The combination of kale and sweet potato perfectly complemented the two large pieces of tempeh on the sandwich. Candle Caf� also offers specials that are determined by the season, just like the regular menu. I tasted the Indian Plate ($14), which came with a root vegetable curry, lentil dal, rice and date-raisin chutney. I have never tasted anything like the date-raisin chutney before; it was a delicious complement to the yellow basmati rice with its sweet taste melting in my mouth. I was tempted to ask if they would serve just the chutney to go, as I'm pretty sure I am addicted to it now. Pierson's dessert recommendation is the chocolate mousse pie with mocha swirl soy ice cream. The pie was sinfully chocolately and came with a cookie crust drizzled with chocolate syrup. There was absolutely no way to tell it was vegan, as it was moist just like a dairy-based pie. I would fully encourage both meat eaters and non-meat eaters alike to try Candle Caf�, as it can open your taste buds and your views on the food that you eat. As their mission statement claims, the restaurant "invites you to enjoy the good foods that come fresh from the farm to your table." Trust me, you can and will taste the difference. With constant attention on issues like sustainable agriculture and global warming, it is important to try to limit your geological footprints and missteps on Earth. I'm not saying that giving up meat will solve these problems, but including more vegetarian options in your diet is a great beginning and Candle Caf� might just be the place to get you interested in an alternative lifestyle.Peter H New Mail is the ultimate force in competitive emailing. Find out more at the Mail Championships. Plus: play games and win prizes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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