Gramercy Tavern. Sure it’s the sixth highest rated restaurant in the Zagat ratings – but do they have chops when it comes to gluten free dishes?
Absofreakinlutely.
Any restaurant who’s chef if nominated for a James Beard award had better be able to whip up some pretty tasty dishes. But the real winner here was dessert. Yes, I’m going out of narrative order here just so I can bring you the dessert first. After *suffering through* six other courses, I was presented with the best dessert ever. Period.
Nancy Olsen, I bow down to your pastry goddessness and I kiss the ground you walk on.
Peanut butter semifreddo, sandwiched between two chocolate macaroons (like a thin chewy brownie), a giant glob of thick caramel sauce, all on top of a pool of fudge and these amazing roasted peanuts.
It was everything a dessert should be – a total mixture of textures, sweet but not too sweet, a bit of saltiness, fun to play with, doesn’t melt. It was perfection.
I ate some other things too… like:
Squash salad with pumpkin seeds
Warm broccoli soup (Actually one of my favorite dishes. I loved the vibrant color and the intense broccoli flavor).
Shrimp and white beans with brussel sprout leaves. (best cooked shrimp I’ve ever had. I kept going “how did they DO this?”)
I also got a second dessert compliments of the chef (probably because I made a loud “mmm” noise when the waiter told me that one of my options was butterscotch and pumpkin pudding). It had that same caramel sauce that was on the semifreddo – and I would take a bath in it if I could.
So, there ya have it. If you have some cash to blow I highly recommend going for dinner. Or do the smart thing and just go for dessert and order three semifreddos with a side of the caramel sauce. Like a boss.
One last note: I loved Gramercy Tavern because it wasn’t stuffy or formal, even though it’s one of the best restaurants in the city. It feels really homey, warm, and inviting. The waitstaff was great and really went out of their way to make the meal spectacular (and gluten free, of course).
Gramercy Tavern
42 East 20th Street
New York, NY
Gluten Free? Gimme Three! 