Over the Summer, I was invited to eat at Candle 79 for a friend’s graduation dinner. The meal was so impressive that I couldn’t imagine going anywhere else for my 21st birthday, a week later. Their menu is extensive so, I feel as though I should go back one more time before giving them a fair and accurate review (ok, you caught me, I will use any excuse to eat at Candle as often as possible). In actuality though, their menu changes with the seasons and I’d like to get an idea of which dishes are permanent and which evolve with the availability of certain produce.
Since Candle 79 is not somewhere one can go weekly, (a full meal with drinks and dessert will run you about 60 dollars a person, but is well worth it) I’m waiting for a special occasion in order to justify my next visit. Let’s face it though, once labor day passes, everyone is so busy that even if there is something to celebrate, it usually involves takeout containers, chopsticks, and wine from CVS. That’s why I was delighted, at first, to find that the creators of Candle have started to make frozen entrees so you can have a little Candle even if all you have is a weak school microwave and 20 minutes between classes.
I have to point out, the packaging is a bit deceptive. The meals are marketed as a product of Candle Cafe (the less expensive, less swanky Candle restaurant) but the photograph on the back is of Candle 79. When I have 10 minutes to spend at Whole Foods before returning to Lit class, (Clearly, my breaks between classes are the only free time I have these days), I’m rushing and pretty much maxed out on reading for the day so I look, grab, and pay. When I got home, I realized that the frozen meal was in fact, a product of the cafe and not the restaurant. This wouldn’t have ultimately deterred me from buying one but I’ve never been to Candle Cafe so I’m not sure of the quality and at upwards of 6 dollars per entree, you want to be assured of quality.
The line has four varieties: Ginger Miso Stir Fry, Tofu Spinach Ravioli, Seitan Piccata with Lemon Caper Sauce, and Macaroni and Vegan Cheese. I chose the last two. I was so excited to try one that I brought the mac & cheese to school that night. It was certainly easy to travel with and prep time was only 5 minutes. As my meal spun slowly on the microwave plate, I flipped the box over to read it. I was impressed with the nutrition facts, (both meals are under 300 calories) until I reached the sodium content which is just under a thousand milligrams for each. I rarely consume this much sodium in one meal but the Daiya cheese had started to melt and as a result, my mouth had started to water. I followed the directions exactly and waited for the steam to subside before taking my first bite. My anticipation peaked as I gathered spiral noodles onto my fork and then promptly plummeted. The meal was like nothing I had ever tasted at Candle 79 and hopefully, nothing like Candle Cafe has ever served. Basically, I tasted pasta and Daiya, which meant it was something that I could easily assemble for myself in a bowl for under a dollar. Sure enough, when I read the ingredients, there wasn’t much else to speak of but those two ingredients and unspecified “spices”. While I wasn’t expecting a gourmet-style meal from a frozen dinner, I did expect more creativity from Candle.
I waited a week for the disappointment to wear off before trying the second dinner I had purchased. When I read the ingredients of the seitan dish, there was definitely more to speak of, including some seasonings and herbs (what a concept)! As a result, this meal definitely appealed more to my taste buds but ironically, with all that sodium, still wasn’t very flavorful. Still, I was impressed with the way this meal cooked up. As opposed to the pasta in the mac and cheese, the rice expanded to the perfect consistency and the seitan actually did taste like something you might get at Candle (their seitan is unbeatable).
While convenient and healthy, (besides the heart-attack-inducing level of sodium) these meals are overpriced and underwhelming. All I can think of now, when I see them at Whole Foods, is the plot-line in Ratatouille in which the villain is trying to make Gusteau frozen meals but the heroes feel it will cheapen the reputation of the restaurant. I sincerely hope that the owners of Candle either severely improve the quality of these frozen dishes or take a tip from the movie and do away with the idea of a frozen line before it jeopardizes their hard-earned, well-deserved fame in the vegan community.
