Gluten Free Dining in New York City
I haven’t been in New York City since I was there as a young-GI on leave. I’m still convinced that everything that a person might be searching for is to be found there. One of the things I am searching for these days are facts that will assist celiacs in living and dining gluten free. Here’s what I learned. Please bear in mind that my comments are based on website reviews, not first hand experience. I’d welcome comments from people who have “been there done that”.
NOTE: AN UPDATED AND EXPANDED VERSION OF THIS ARTICLE EXISTS. CLICK HERE TO MOVE TO THAT ARTICLE.
- Risotteria is the most-often-mentioned gluten free restaurant in New York City. It advertises “Gluten Free Thursdays” featuring pizza and wine and has declared Tuesdays “gluten free pasta and beer days”. Actually, gluten free dining is the emphasis throughout the week.
- The Candle 79 Restaurant, Lumi’s Restaurant, and Sambuca are other restaurants that look great on the internet and offer gluten free menus.
- This article describes one celiac’s visit to New York City. She reports on five different gluten free dining experiences. I could not confirm any of this information on the internet, but this article is certainly food for thought.
- I read several articles raving about Peters’ Gourmet Diner. This link is to the most enthusiastic description and this link will lead you to the only person who supplied the address and phone number. The diner itself apparently does not have a website.
- The Gluten Free Restaurant Awareness Program — a great source of information provided by the Gluten Intolerance Group — lists thirteen restaurants in New York and vicinity. The link will take you to the first restaurant on that list.
The sources that I read to prepare this article recommended Baby Cakes, a bakery that is gluten free, sugar free, and vegan. They also talk about a Pizzeria called Slice where you “build your own pizza”. One of the options is a rice-flour crust that is gluten free. The site says nothing about cross contamination or other possible complications. You’ll need maps, menus, and hours of operation for these establishments. For simplicity’s sake, I only made one link to each site, but the information you need should be somewhere on the site. Please send COMMENTS about your visit to New York. Hopefully, I’ll get back to “the big apple” someday.
PUBLISHED 3/22/07
This is a casual pizzeria in NYC that has the best gluten-free pizza I’ve ever had. They have a 100% spelt crust that is amazing, and you can buy it either by the piece, or a whole pizza.
Spelt is a variety of wheat that some folks on a wheat free diet can tolerate. It is not allowed on the gluten free diet. To avoid confusion, I do not write about foods that are not totally gluten free. Thanks for your interest. Good luck!
Just like to know where is the list of glutenfree restaurants for New York City
This website really helped me find some good restaurants in New York. It is hard to be a ceoliac and it was made easier by this website because i was able to locate the restaurants without going through and trouble at all. Thank you so much to whoever came up witht the idea of doing this sort of thing.
Margo
Hi,
We live in the Upper East Side and we finally found a gluten free restaurant that just opened few months ago. it was a great experience and almost all the menu is gluten free. We red a lot of reviews about this place and the big newspapers and food critics, like Jonh Mariani suggested it. I was just thinking that you should probably update your Dining Map with this jewel. Thank you
Opus restaurant
1574 Second Ave. between East 82nd
and East 83rd streets)
(212) 772-2220
http://www.opusnyc.com
The GF pizza at Slice is mediocre at best. I’ve tried it several times and they should just call it something else because it isn’t really “pizza” in the traditional sense of that word. If you insist on giving it a shot, ask for the crust extra crispy, or well done, or what have you. Or better yet, do downtown because the Risotteria is a million times better.
(sorry for the length of this, I get carried away talking about gf food..)
I just found a restaurant in the lower east side called Pala Pizza. Most of the menu (including pizzas, pastas, and appetizers) can be made gf. They have dedicated pizza ovens and dedicated fryers. The food was delicious, my boyfriend was able to eat “normal” food, and I was able to eat pizza (I’m sold on any restaurant that GOOD gf pizza and gf fried food). It was easy to get to – take the F downtown and get off at 2nd Ave. If you go out the exit for 1st st it’s right there across the street.
There are good gf restaurants and bad ones. I don’t know about everyone else, I’m on the hunt for any restaurant that will allow me to eat like I used to, which doesn’t just mean the type of food (although I do appreciate a restaurant with gf mozzarella sticks!), but the experience as well. I am constantly searching for restaurants that already have an existing menu, so I can order without explaining to the waitress what celiacs is, avoid playing “telephone” with her and the chef to figure out which ingredients in which menu item I can eat, and eat without fear that each bite will lead to a stomachache (I know you all have gone through this experience). Any restaurant that allows me to forget about my food allergy while still adhering to my diet gets an A in my book. Mama’s on LI is number one by far (see below), PF Changs and Pala Pizza are close seconds, and although many chain restaurants have a small gf menu or can provide you with their “allegen” sheet, those sheets are usually great at REMINDING me of my allergy by telling my that I can have.. a baked potato. or the burger without the bun. or veggies without the seasoning.. whew, thanks for the effort there guys.
This seems like a primarily NYC website, but I think it is worth noting that Mama’s, which in out on Long Island in Oakdale (so quite a bit east for any settled NYer), has one of the BEST gf menus I have EVER seen. It is a classic Italian restaurant for the rest of the world, but they have a FULL gf menu and use separate dedicated stoves, fryers, dishes, silverware.. everything! The gf menu includes just about anything you could think of on an Italian menu – appetizers such as mozz sticks, chicken tenders, calamari, antipasto platter.. (I can’t remember more off the top of my head; I usually go straight for anything fried!!). Typical soups and salads, although it’s good to know that that soups being offered are gf! Entrees, again, are anything you can image – pasta dishes, chicken dishes (chx parm, marsala, etc), veal and steak, and of course, pizza! Specialty options are available as well, like a chick parm pizza. Mmmmm. Did I mention the gf bread that you get when you sit down at the table?
So I’m still searching for NY restaurants with full gf menus – Pala Pizza, mentioned above, was the best I have found so far although I am almost never in that area of town. Ruby Foo’s was ok but expensive. I’m on the hunt for GF restaurants in midtown if anyone knows more!!
Mozzarelli’s has glute-free pizza. Tried it last week for dinner and really enjoyed their slice. Just ignore the poor working attitude from over the counter workers.