What I Ate Wednesday: My visits to the Candle 79 Restaurant and the Candle Cafe, NYC!

How lucky is my cousin to live just blocks from their new location?

On a recent trip to NYC with my mother and kids, we decided (of course!) to visit the Candle Cafe West (which opened just weeks ago) for lunch and the beloved Candle 79 for dinner. Note to foodies with children, skip the family restaurants and get kids into real restaurants at a young age. Most kids will sit still knowing a great dessert awaits them! First stop, the Candle Cafe West! As you can see here, I was blissed out and ready to be impressed!

So happy to be there!

Pan-seared seitan, steamed greens, caramelized onions and avocado.
Served on toasted focaccia with ancho chili aioli and coleslaw.
I was craving avocado, so this sandwich was a perfect decision.
 (note to husband: I love our new camera!)

Seen here with their mild slaw. Perfection.

My cousin Patricia, fellow food enthusiast,  chose a beautiful salad...

Haricots verts, beluga lentils, red onions, turnips,
avocado, sunflower seeds, spelt berries, chive vinaigrette.

Hummus, quinoa tabouli, lemon-date chutney, marinated olives, parata bread and zataar.
The lemon-date chutney? One of the best things I've ever had.
This was my Mom's lunch.

Served with miso-tahini spread or drizzled with
 roasted garlic olive oil? YES please. 

That wraps up what we had for lunch at the Candle Cafe. Next stop? The Candle 79...

My kids shared this plate of nachos and gave them a double thumbs up!

Angel's Nachos: corn chips, mozzarella, tomatoes, guacamole, refried pinto beans,
chili-grilled seitan, salsa, tofu sour cream, romaine lettuce

My appetizer blew my mind. They were juicy, spicy and sooooo good. I must find this recipe!!

SEITAN CHIMICHURRI
Citrus herb marinated seitan skewers.

My entree, which was actually so filling I could only eat half. Plant strong eating fills you up!

Grilled Kale Salad: Haricots verts, beluga lentils, red onions, turnips, avocado, sunflower seeds, spelt berries, chive vinaigrette.

My mother enjoyed this lovely little salad...

Stuffed Avocado:  baby greens, quinoa, zucchini, spring peas,
cucumber, radishes, toasted pumpkin seeds, grape tomatoes, chipotle-avocado dressing

What I didn't stop to photograph were our desserts, which consisted of three homemade "icecreams" which were actually a lemon sorbet and two different coconut milk icecreams.

Candle Cafe, you did NOT disappoint! Side note: a little pricey, yes, but totally worth it. What a pleasure!