When I heard the story, firsthand, behind Candle 79 and its sister eateries, the Healthy Candle and Candle Cafe, I was surprised that it had not been turned into a movie - yet. In 1984, Bart Potenza purchased Sunny's, a well-known health food store whose previous owner had some interesting traditions. He used to light candles each night to bless and cleanse the shop. When Bart heard this, he changed the name to "The Healthy Candle." A customer named Joy Pierson began frequenting the store in 1987, quickly befriending Bart. He hired her as an in-house nutritionist and then asked her to become his partner. The Healthy Candle continued to grow and the two looked to expand. In 1993, in a moment of serendipity, they won $53,000 in the take-five lottery. The two immediately decided that this was their ticket to open the Candle Cafe on Third Avenue and 75th Street. Though the Healthy Candle closed in 1994, Candle Cafe continued to thrive, expanding in 2003 with Candle 79, an entirely vegan restaurant.
As soon as the Manhattan Sideways team and I sat down, the bartender placed a house made ginger ale and a mango pomegranate fresca with chia seeds in front of us. As befits a restaurant that is dedicated to improving customers' health, the mocktail list is as varied and complex as the cocktail list. This does not mean, however, that the alcohol list is not impressive: Candle 79 is one of the few restaurants in New York to feature an "eco bar," meaning it only stocks completely organic and sustainable liquors. Benay Vynerib, the general manager and catering director, said that the eco bar is also "as local as we can be." She pointed out the Tree Hugger cocktail, made with Veev, an alternative to vodka. For every Tree Hugger cocktail ordered, a meter of rain forest is saved. Two drinks that we watched being made were Spiced Pumpkinhead with Crop Pumpkin vodka, apple, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves, as well as a Spiked Cherry Bomb, a mixture of Purity vodka, ginger, cayenne, and cherry.
I have been a fan of the Candle restaurants for many years, but was eager to have Olivia and Tom, two avid carnivores, sample some of the outstanding dishes. Benay ordered us a plate of pomegranate barbecue seitan skewers to try alongside a sweet potato salad. It was followed by a wild mushroom crepe with a zesty sauce drizzled on top. For dessert, we all tried the Mexican chocolate brownie topped with caramelized bananas, soy coconut ice cream and candied pecans. Benay informed us that not everyone who visits Candle 79 is a vegan or vegetarian. Quite the contrary – eighty percent of visitors are omnivores. Benay was proud to tell us that she has been a vegan since the mid-nineties and was thrilled to join Joy and Bart at Candle Cafe in 2002. It was interesting to learn that many of the employees begin as meat-eaters but eventually shift their preferences to vegetarian food.
It was at this point that we met the chef, Angel, who has been working with Joy and Bart since the late nineties. "My passion is cooking new dishes," Angel told me. Originally from Mexico, he began as a runner in the cafe, but always wanted to be in the kitchen. Bart and Joy recognized his potential and made him a chef. "I like what I'm doing," he said with a smile. Continuing to walk through the rest of the restaurant, Benay pointed out the buddhas and touches of feng shui that Bart has added on both floors, saying "There's pride and care in everything he does."