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”.

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• 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