Winter drags on. Snow puddles into slush on the slippery sidewalks of New York City. The nights are long and the outlook is dreary: cold cuts through the thickest of coats; then there is seasonal grumpiness and ongoing pandemic gloominess. It’s easy for spirits to become low.
Enter Cadence, a quintessential East Village restaurant, offering soul food to warm and comfort our hearts and stomachs – that’s inspiringly, energizingly vegan; very helpful for all those new year good intentions. Cosy and invigorating in equal measure, it really is the dinner we need tonight.
Cadence is executive chef Shenarri Freeman’s first restaurant, and it has the aura of a passion project; deeply personal and committed. The menu focuses on Southern food, rooted in Freeman’s Virginia upbringing as well as in her vegan values. Worried that the smoked grits with mushrooms, tomatoes, rosemary and crispy garlic won’t taste as good without the butter? Set your mind at rest. They absolutely will.
There are plenty of Southern classics on the concise and focused menu; fried okra served with jerk sauce, red potato salad, zingy with pickles and dill, as well as plenty of creative twists; a take on fried chicken made with oyster mushrooms wodged inside a chewy pretzel roll, a “crab” cake of chickpeas and hearts of palm, perfect for dragging through a smoky chipotle aioli slaw.
The narrow dining room, which the New York Times observed was “as wide as a bowling lane,” is smart but not showy. Its diminutive size makes it more of a date night or dinner-with-a-friend destination than a big crowd-gathering spot, although the outdoor tables are perfect for small groups. The vibe is distinctly come-as-you-are. The atmosphere, friendly. Pull up one of only twelve dusky pink stools to the slim marble counter, where candlelight illuminates warm exposed brick, dark paint and copper panels. Order a glass from the wine list drawn from black-owned wineries. Watch greedily as black eyed pea pancake batter swirls in cast iron, and vegan butter melts into corn bread in scented distance from your seat. Remember to save some room for the hot berry cobbler. Forget the winter for tonight.
Reviewed by Katherine Knowles.
