Dirt Candy (CLOSED)

This shiny, futuristic eatery more closely resembles a Dashing Diva nail salon than a restaurant. Chef-owner Amanda Cohen (Pure Food & Wine) has created an unlikely space to execute her less-likely ambition—to make people crave vegetables. She mostly succeeds: Elaborate dishes include a spicy asparagus paella served with a crisped-rice cake on top, and a pungent portobello mousse accompanied by shiitake mushrooms and fennel-peach compote. Although some dishes miss the mark (the kimchi doughnuts are neither crispy nor spicy), Cohen has created a vegetarian menu suitable for omnivores.