Dirt Candy Chef Launches Veg Eatery at NJ Airport

Chef Amanda Cohen—of New York City eatery Dirt Candy—partnered with airport hospitality group OTG Management to open vegetarian restaurant Thyme at Terminal C at the Newark Liberty International airport in New Jersey. The menu is vegetable-centric and offers many vegan options including Braised Shitaake Mushroom, Purple Yam Fried “Rice” with kimchi, Grilled Orange Carrot, and Sunchoke Ratatouille in addition to imaginative cocktails that utilize organic ingredients, herbs, and spices. Thyme is part of a $120 million renovation project of the airport’s dining options, and Cohen sees it as an opportunity to bring her concepts to a wider audience. “It’s always been my mission to transform the way people think about eating vegetables,” Cohen tells VegNews, “and in an airport, it’s important to offer choices and options for all lifestyles.” The restaurant—which opened its doors on December 23, 2016—is equipped with iPads at each table that feature the day’s menu to make it easy for travelers to place their orders expeditiously. Plant-based options at airports nationwide are growing, and travelers can soon visit a new vegetarian eatery, Floret—construction of which will begin at the Seattle-Tacoma International airport this March.