Category Archives: Restuarant Reviews

Terri: Meat and gluten free in Flatiron

Posted on May 5, 2011 | 3 comments

Last week I wanted a full lunch one day, but something healthier than my old haunt, Mozzarelli’s.  So I stopped into a vegetarian place that I knew had gluten free wraps that I was eager to try.

Terri Organic Vegetarian is very crunchy.  They have a whole fridge full of super juices, and their menu is riddled with flax, quinoa, and hemp.

I do love that they try to put a spin on health food by making it sound like junk food (ie: buffalo “chicken” sandwich, “bacon” “chicken” cheddar ranch wrap).  There are a lot of quotation marks on the menu as well.

I ended up getting the hummus and avocado wrap, with added veggie “chicken”.  At first I wanted to order the tofu wrap, but one of the workers told me that it was not gluten free.  (This probably should be listed on their menu?)

Anyway…it was delicious.  The hummus was spicy, the veggie chicken added bulk, and the pickled jalapenos added a little zing.

My only complaint is that the wrap was over $8, but I did have half for lunch and half for dinner, so I guess it was worth it.  I’m looking forward to trying the quesadilla here!

Terri

64 W. 23rd Street

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Red Velvet Cupcakery, I bow down to you

Posted on May 3, 2011 | 1 comment

Last weekend I was in Washington DC (again), and was in dangerously close proximity to some great cupcake places that carried gluten free versions.  After seeing Claire’s post on Sprinkle’s red velvet cupcakes, I was determined to try them for myself.  But, when we walked by there was a line out the door, plus I had just eaten ice cream at Georgetown Scoops, so I didn’t have the dessert itch in me at the moment.

So, I “settled” for Red Velvet Cupcakery instead.

They only had one type of gluten free cupcake, but luckily it was a Black Velvet one – chocolate cake + chocolate icing = winner for me!  They said that they also carry seasonal gluten free varieties, but none right now.

This cupcake. was. perfection.

I ate half for dessert, and half for breakfast.

I can’t believe that it was also vegan, because the buttercream frosting was as good as any one that I’ve had.  It was super moist, rich chocolate flavor, and I loved the rainbow sprinkles on top.

I bow down to your cupcake glory.

Red Velvet Cupcakery

501 7th St., NW, Washington DC

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Grand Opening Field Trip: G-Free NYC

Posted on April 20, 2011 | 1 comment

I managed to make it up to the Upper West Side today for the Grand Opening of G-Free NYC!  I needed some gluten free oats, plus I wanted to check out if they had any new loot that I couldn’t find at Whole Foods or the other natural stores I usually go to.

The store itself is pretty small, with a window seat, three freezers, a full wall of pantry shelves, and a table in the middle to house the baked goods imported in from Tulu’s.

The first freezer had desserts, including break-and-bake cookie dough, “Ring Tings”, cheesecakes, ice cream sandwiches, tiramisu, and ice cream.  The break-and-bakes and ice cream sandwiches were new to me, but with so many fresh desserts I chose to focus my energy elsewhere.

The second freezer had breads, including hamburger buns, bagels, and Italian bread.

The third had more bread, with frozen baguettes, buns, and English muffins.  The frozen baguettes are not something I’ve seen before, but at $7 and some change I decided to wait until a special occasion.

The pantry shelves held a couple more gems, including one of my purchases: individual packets of tamari soy sauce!  Usually I lug around my La Choy in my purse, but this will be much more convenient.  I’ve considered ordering these online before, but they only come in multi-packs, and who really needs 10 boxes of these?

I found another item that I considered purchasing online before in the pantry as well…Skinny Crisps!  They also had all four flavors on the counter as free samples, and all of them were wonderful.  Onion and cheese for savory-lovers and chocolate and cinnamon/sugar for the sweet-lovers.

Speaking of free samples… cinnamon rolls were out for the taking!

I picked up a carrot cake from Tulu’s for the train home, and an apple pie from Pi!  This things smells amazing and looks buttery and flakey, can’t wait to try it!  They also had potato knishes made by Pi, and some vegan cupcakes (which didn’t look that great to me – especially compared to the frosting perfection on Tulu’s).

I love that this store exists, that I could walk around and not be afraid to taste things, and not have to check labels.  I only wish that it was closer to my work or apartment!

My haul = Skinny Crisps ($7), Tulu’s carrot cake loaf ($3.95), Pi apple pie ($4.50), and 20 pack of tamari soy sauce ($4.95).

For a full list of the products sold at G-Free, check out their website.

I hope more people go to G-Free to support local business and the gf community!

G-Free NYC

77 West 85th Street (1,2, A, C, E)

g-freenyc.com

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Best thing I ever ate: Pachanga Patterson

Posted on April 15, 2011 | 1 comment

Last night Pachanga Patterson was packed!  It’s rare to have to wait for a table on a Thursday night in Astoria, but that is what spectacular Mexican food will do for a neighborhood!  I wouldn’t even call it Mexican food, really, it’s more like “new-Mexican”, or just don’t put a label on it  and stuff it in your mouth instead.

The first time I went to Pachanga I got the mushroom tacos, which don’t sound like they would make you jump for joy, but they were the best non-fish, non-meat tacos I’ve ever had.  They must have a miracle marinade for the mushrooms, because they were super flavorful.

But this time, I ordered the Veggie Jenga.  At first I thought that Jenga was a word in Spanish that I didn’t learn in high school, but then the waitress explained to me that it’s called that because it’s layered and stacked up just like the block game.

Can you see a resemblance?

Image c/o We Heart Astoria

This creation is out of this world.  It’s one of those anytime meals that makes you eat way more than you anticipated.  When they first put it down in front of me I thought, “There’s no way I can eat all of this.”  Then 20 minutes later I was virtually licking my plate.  The picture above is from We Heart Astoria, since I forgot to bring my camera, but the plate that I got was piled a couple of inches higher with lettuce/cabbage.

I loved the sweet potato puree, which you don’t usually find in Mexican food.  I loved the avocado sauce.  I loved the generous crack of black pepper on top.  I loved the crispy corn tortilla from Tortilleria Nixtamal.  I loved the mild hot sauce that they put in a honey bear container.  Love, love, loved.

I also loved the $6 glass of Torrontes wine that I washed it down with.

Soon they will have brunch at Pachanga, where I can have this as my new favorite hangover food.

Pachanga Patterson
33–17 31st Ave., Astoria, NY
718-554-0525

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For reals gluten free – Pao de Queijo/Pan de Yuca

Posted on April 7, 2011 | 1 comment

One of the benefits of living in such a diverse neighborhood is getting introduced to new foods I wouldn’t have tried or known existed before.  Like Pao de Queijo, or Pan de Yuca – otherwise known as “Cheesy chewy bread of amazement”.  This bread tastes like it’s full of gluten because it’s so chewy and moist, but it’s made entirely of yuca flour and has been forever and ever.  This is one of those things that make you say, “These are gluten-free?”…”For reals?!”

One disclaimer is that normally these are not made in a dedicated bakery, so there is a chance for cross-contamination.  So, those with extremely sensitive allergies might want to steer clear.

Apparently these little babies have been getting some press lately (see Brazilian Cheezy-Poofs on Serious Eats).

Around Astoria I know two places that have them, the aptly named New York Pao de Queijo on 31st Ave and 30th St and La Casa del Pan.  At New York Pao de Queijo they also have fillings for the bread like catupiri (a soft cheese), ham and cheese, caramel (?), and guava paste.  Plus they have flan and rice pudding for dessert.

At La Casa del Pan they have the normal Pao de Queijo and ones that are shaped like bagels, plus arepas and a window display of pre-cooked bacon.

In the city I know they have this bread at Big Booty Bread Company and a lot of other places, as chronicled by Always Hungry.  I think I’ll have to take a field trip to Churrascaria Plataforma on 49th St. sometime soon.

Get these on your table and in your tummy as soon as possible.

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Gluten free in Washington D.C.

Posted on March 31, 2011 | 1 comment

I’ve been spending some time in Washington D.C. lately for work and found a few great spots for me to get some good eats.

McPherson Square

Devon and Blakely

Since we ordered one of those big corporate samdwich platters for lunch, I had to find an alternative.  So I wandered over to Devon and Blakely and was very happy to see that all of their soups were labeled as vegetarian and/or gluten free!  In fact, I was so happy that I got two kinds!  Fire roasted vegetable and white bean and escarole.

I also found out that there are a few Devon and Blakely’s in Midtown.  I’ll have to stop by the next time I play tour guide around Rockefeller Center.

ChurchKey

After dinner at Thai Tanic, a friend and I went to ChurchKey for some drinks.  They had an overwhelming number of beers, and at least four gluten free ones.  I stuck with a Redbridge, since I wasn’t feeling particularly adventurous.  The vibe at this bar is frat-guys-after-work, but the huge selection is a definite draw.

Barcode

On my second night there I met up with a college friend after work for dinner at Barcode.  I got mussels, which come in a big saute pan, and an apricot fizz to drink. The apricot fizz was really strong (Makers Mark, housemade apricot nectar, black cherry soda, bitters, orange), and the mussels were good – lots of onions and tomatoes in the broth that would have been perfect to sop up with some bread 😦

Zaytinya

This is a great brunch spot with Greek and Turkish tapas (is that a cultural oxymoron?).  Since all of the dishes are smaller than usual, this place fed into my love of anything that’s exaggeratedly big or exaggeratedly small.  There was so much to choose from on their menu, but I landed on the mini omelette and the fava bean and squash soup.  Because who doesn’t love fava beans/secretly fear them because of Silence of the Lambs?

Mini

Although there weren’t as many convenient places to grab something gluten-free as there are in NYC, I did find some yummy eats in the capitol.  Next time I’m making it a point to go to Hello Cupcake or Red Velvet Cupcakery while I’m there.

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Crepe Day at Chelsea Market

Posted on March 24, 2011 | 7 comments

See where I’m going with that?

Last weekend I went to Chelsea Market to scope out the scene and visit the only gluten free crepe place I have ever heard of.  And therefore, by default my favorite and the best crepe place ever.

Bar Suzette – if I were a poet I would write an ode to you.

Bar Suzette Menu

There were so many different kinds of crepes I wanted to try, but I narrowed it down to the sweet crepes and ordered a nutella and banana. I also was really impressed that they changed their gloves before they made my crepe, and seemed to have really good cross-contamination practices.

Hello beautiful

When I finally got the crepe into my hands, there was no stopping me.

 

Nutella makes smiles happen

Bar Suzette’s crepes are so amazing.  They’re chewy and warm and made with quality ingredients. After my savage destruction of the crepe, I needed some milk.  Luckily Ronnybrook Farms Milk Stand is right around the corner

Got milk?

Even though the market was really packed that day, after eating my way into a sugar-high/carb coma, it was alllll good.

Plus, when you live in NYC there’s always some place to go walk it off.

Bar Suzette – Chelsea Market

75 Ninth Ave at 16th St.

 

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Limelight Marketplace

Posted on March 2, 2011 | Leave a comment

Even though I work only about four blocks from the Limelight Marketplace, I’ve always been kind of afraid to go inside.  The building has a fascinating history, and has been an Episcopal church and a nightclub before it was converted to the shops in 2009.  The entrance is intimidating, but once you enter it is totally welcoming and a fascinating place to explore and discover new things.

Another thing that was surprising about Limelight was that everything was affordable!  Shirts were in the $20-$30 range, and there were lots of smaller ticket items that would be great for gifts.

On the gf food front, there is Baci Gelato on the first floor.  I ended up picking up a bag of Covered Bridge sweet potato chips with cinnamon and brown sugar from Jezalin’s to nosh on while I shopped.  They were really fried, very crunchy, and pretty good.

I also spotted these ridiculous marshmallow stick things at Jezalin’s.

Holy marshmallow, Batman

 

For a sit down option, there’s Cana Wine Bar on the second floor, which has a number of gluten free options like salmon and veal carpaccio, cheeses, and salads.  Check out their menu here.

Next time I definitely want to go to Butter Super Soft to check out just how soft their hoodies really are.

Moral of the story is – don’t judge a book by its cover 🙂

 

Limelight Marketplace

656 Avenue of the Americas

(6th Ave and 20th Street)

 

 

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Twirlz Yogurt Bar

Posted on February 27, 2011 | Leave a comment

Even though it’s not quite spring yet, it was so nice out today that I got a craving for frozen yogurt.  Since there are no TCBY’s in the city, I have been trudging through life without a local fro-yo joint – until now that is.  When I was on the bus yesterday I remembered this spot on Astoria Boulevard that I saw once before – Twirlz Yogurt Bar.

I love the bright colors in this place, and the fact that they have NORMAL frozen yogurt.  They also have the tart variety of yogurt, for those odd people who prefer it, but I like my yogurt sweet and creamy.

Plus, right on the wall is a giant poster letting you know that all of the yogurt is gluten free, except for the cookies and cream and english toffee flavors.

After a free sample, I decided on half strawberry/half chocolate yogurt with fresh strawberries.  Little did I know that I would get a veritable Leaning Tower of Pisa of yogurt.

It might have been intimidatingly large, but boy was it tasty.  I will be back many a time this spring and summer to try all of their rotating flavors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Twirlz Yogurt Bar

28-17 Astoria Blvd (between 29th and 28th St.)

N/Q to Astoria Blvd

 

 

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Syracuse, Gluten-free…kinda

Posted on January 27, 2011 | Leave a comment

This title is semi sarcastic, because last weekend it was rough going scavenging for gluten-free food in Syracuse, NY.  Since it was freeeeeeezing, there wasn’t a lot of time to walk around and check out spots for gluten-free friendly places, so I tried to do my research ahead of time.  I had Empire Brewing Company on my list – so we headed there our first night out.

They have a gluten free menu, but it honestly wasn’t that impressive.  When you see “mixed green salad” as the first menu item, you kind of know that you’re in trouble.  They did have Redbridge beer, however, so at least I could kick back with a brewski while we waited for our table.  The bartender looked like I was a bit crazy when I ordered it though – so they obviously aren’t a gluten-free “hot spot”, so to speak.

Since the menu was so limited, I really didn’t find anything I really wanted.  So, with the help of the waitress, I made up my own entree – tofu tacos!  They had tomatillo-braised tofu in another dish, so I asked if they could use it in their tacos and substitute in corn tortillas.

Does that look good?  Yeah, I didn’t think so. Sadly, it tasted pretty much like it looked.  I would have loved to have the fish tacos, but they fried the tilapia…sigh.

The next day we had breakfast at the hotel, which was pretty terrible.  Then headed to the Syracuse-Villanova game, which was also pretty terrible.

After the game, we were planning on ordering from Alto Cinco – which has gluten-free burritos.  I’ve been craving a burrito for about….three years or so…and I was so excited to get one!  However, after the game they said they had a TWO HOUR wait!  Blast!  We had to abandon Plan A, and move on to the unknown Plan B.

After a little Googling, we found appeThaizing.  Thai food is always celiac-friendly, but this place actually had a gluten free menu!  (Which was actually just the normal menu that someone had written on with permanent marker, but tomato-tomahto).

By this point I was so hungry I didn’t have time to take a picture.  But, I got tofu red curry, extra broccoli.

The next day I was hungry, tired, and ready to eat an actual meal.  I had brought a bunch of Larabars with me for the weekend, but I had yet to have a real-deal meal.  On the way home we had a few hours to kill before the bus left, so we kicked it high school style and went to the Carousel Center Mall.  Where I picked up some an unneeded beauty product, Moroccan Oil.

Then, like a suburban chain-store beam of light, came a Uno Chicago Grill.  I’ve known that Uno’s has gluten free pizza for awhile, but generally avoid it because there are so many truly awesome gf pizza places in NYC (Risotteria, Pala) that it seems sinful to go to a chain.  But at that moment it was just the right place for me!

I got a Redbridge, in a frosty pint glass! (squeel!) I never get one of those!

Then I ordered a veggie gluten free pizza off of their gf menu.

They also had bananas foster and black bean lentil soup, which sounded good.

The pizza was…..generically delicious.  Kind of like microwave pizza, or pizza hot pockets – good, but also terrible.

After three pieces of pizza and a beer, I was ready for a nice long nap on the bus ride home.

I really don’t think that I could spend any more than a weekend in Syracuse, since it seems like most of the restaurants were bread-heavy chains.  But for a couple of days, I survived.  Thank goodness I went to school in the crunchy city of Ann Arbor 🙂

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