Tag Archives: new york city

Eataly Gluten Free Part 2

Posted on May 2, 2012 | 3 comments

Every time I’m in New York I make it a point to go to Eataly. It’s right around the corner from my office in the Flatiron district, and it’s a great place to go get a cup of coffee and do some food gawking. I can imaging a lot of people who are gluten free wouldn’t think that Eataly would have much to offer, since it’s centered around pasta, pizza, and other traditional Italian foods. However, it’s also all about fresh ingredients, cheeses, fish, meat, produce, and specialty products.

This time I went with my heart set on gelato. Since the gelato stand is right in the front of the market, I picked up a cup of white mint chip to take with me as I walked around.

But then, as I was walking by the dessert stand, I realized that Eataly had totally stepped up its game when it comes to gluten free dessert. There were easily 15 different mini desserts that were gluten free. I think last time I went last month there were two. The other ones may just not have been labeled gluten free, but my jaw dropped when I saw all of the options.

There was an almond cookie, a torte with chocolate ganache, and a flourless chocolate cake.

There was panna cotta and a three-tiered chocolate mousse cake.

There was sponge cake with almond mousse and fruit.

And there were three different kinds of gluten free tiramisu.

I went with the peanut caramel tiramisu on the recommendation of the nice Italian man working behind the counter.

Best of all, the people who work at Eataly are very knowledgeable about food allergies, and they even have these signs all over encouraging patrons to let them know if you have a food allergy so they can  be sure to accommodate.

They also have a dedicated stand with Schar products like pasta, cookies, and rolls.

If you visit New York City, going to Eataly is a must. It’s always at the top of my list of places I tell people to go while they’re there, and now there are even more gluten free  options!

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NYC gluten free recap

Posted on April 3, 2012 | Leave a comment

Seeing as I ate my way through New York City the last time I was there – I still had a hodge podge of photos left on my iPhone expensive state-of-the-art special blog camera. So, besides my reviews of Rubirosa, Rice to Riches, and Gramercy Tavern, below are some of the other gluten free yummies I found when I was there.

“Orios” and eclairs at Risotteria in the East Village. Yes. I said gluten free eclairs. I also picked up a “Winkie” for my friend – which I tried a bite of and tastes nearly identical to what I remember a Twinkie to taste like.

The ultimate bar snack – roasted peanuts and garlic with rosemary at the John Dory Oyster Bar

Gluten free cupcakes at Terri

Macaroons at some place I can’t remember. But was happy to see them marked definitively gluten free.

Banana bread with chocolate chips from Babycakes

It always hurts my heart when Celiacs tell me they haven’t been to NYC. It’s a bonafide gluten free playground and every time I go things seem to get more and more delicious.

For more of my favorite places to eat in NYC – check out my NYC GFREE EATS page. All restaurants have the highly-coveted Anna stamp of approval 😉

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Gramercy Tavern: peanut butter semifreddo

Posted on March 30, 2012 | Leave a comment

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

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Rubirosa NYC: Second best gluten free pizza in the city

Posted on March 23, 2012 | 1 comment

I’ve had my share of gluten free pizza. And I still honestly think that I make the best crust right in my own kitchen using Namaste Foods mix! And I do think that Pala Pizza’s crust is the best in the city.

But, I have to admit that Rubirosa in SoHo has Pala and me beat on the sauce. Their vodka sauce is so delicious it basically makes you forget that the crust and cheese exist and want to get a straw and put it directly into a vat of sauce for your meal. That said – the crust and cheese were workin’ for me too.

See that saucy goodness?

Let’s back up for a second here though – Rubirosa has more than just gluten free pizza on their menu. They also have gluten free calamari, mozzarella sticks, and rice balls. Which I consider to be gfree delicacies – rare finds that kind of make you stare in shock at any menu that has them. They also have gluten free meatballs for you carnivores.


We tried to not go overboard though, so we started with a simple salad. (This was the same afternoon as Rice to Riches, so I was trying not to be a complete gluten free glutton).

Perfect salad – with fennel, radishes, and big slices of pecorino romano.

But let’s be real – it’s just a way to reduce the guilt before you inhale half of a pizza.


Gee, New York City really does know how to do pizza.

And just be awesome in general.


Any other favorite pizza places in NYC? I’ve heard that Keste is a favorite.

Rubirosa
235 Mulberry Street
New York, NY

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Rice to Riches NYC

Posted on March 22, 2012 | Leave a comment

I haven’t posted in far too long, I know. But I have an excuse! First, I was here:

Then, I was here:

I’ve been traveling and had TONS of great meals to share. We’ll start with something sweet.

I finally made it to Rich to Riches in SoHo. I’ve walked by a few times and heard great things (not to mention it was on Sex and the City), but had never pulled the trigger and gone in. I actually have never considered myself to be a huge rice pudding lover – it always seems like, why have rice pudding when you can have ice cream instead?

But this place made me a convert. I would take this rice pudding over ice cream any day.

source

They have over 20 flavors of rice pudding – all but two are gluten free (I know cookies and cream, and I think the honey graham).

Yep, that’s Rocky Road.

I tried a sample of the Hazelnut Chocolate Bear Hug and it was like eating nutella pudding. Delicious for a bite, but I think it would be too rich for a whole bowl.

I landed on the Pecan Pie.

It was creamy. So creamy. And had big chunks of pecans in it.

If I had one regret it was not adding whipped cream to the top to really give it the full pie experience.

This pretty much sums it up.

Also of interest – Rice to Riches has been wrapped up in a controversy lately about some racist wall signage that they put up. What a PR nightmare. Hopefully people will forgive them once they’re stunned into submission by the deliciousness of the pudding.

Rice to Riches
37 Spring Street
New York, NY

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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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Dean and Deluca’s “Pumpkin Potion”

Posted on November 21, 2010 | 1 comment

Yesterday I got my first real dose of Christmas in the city.  We went in to get some ingredients for dinner from Whole Foods, and a little present to send my dad (to make up for abandoning him on Thanksgiving).  But there was so much to see that we ended up making an afternoon of it.  Who can take a quick trip to the grocery store when you get off the train and see this view of Central Park?

So we headed to Dean and Deluca to see if they had anything for my dad, and to give us an excuse to get coffee ourselves.  Usually I kind of hate going there a little bit, because they have all of the best baked goods in the city and I can’t have ANY of it.  So, being in the holiday spirit and all, I opted for the “Pumpkin Potion” made with soy milk.  It’s a blend of something pumpkin, and chai, and I think magic – because this thing was soooooo good.  It made Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks look like car wash hot chocolate (what? they didn’t serve hot chocolate at your car wash?)  It was incredibly frothy, and even though I’m not usually a fan of chai, the spiced and subtle pumpkin flavor was really amazing.  Almost made me not envy the line of people getting cupcakes and pastries.  Almost.

We also got a few of their Origin Chocolate bars, which didn’t make it home whole.  In our defense, it was a long subway ride.  Other gluten free food options at D&D include:

  • Siggi’s Yogurt (I’ve had the Orange Ginger and it was decent)
  • Macaroons (sometimes they have packaged ones, but the sales people will never give me a straight answer about the ones in their display case).  Plus, if you’re in the area you might as well get your macaroons here).
  • Nut mix and cranberry nut mix
  • Soups (they had butternut squash when I went, that is gluten free.  But check for other varieties)
  • Larabars (at the SoHo location, not at the Rockefellar Center location)
  • Tons of candy and artisan chocolates
  • Terra chips and popcorn (at SoHo location)
  • At the SoHo location they also have a lot of prepared foods, sushi (but no soy sauce), cheeses, and fresh fruits and veggies.

On the way there we saw the big tree getting prepped for the lighting in Rockefellar Center. Right now it looks like a construction zone, but soon it will be all gussied up and ready for Christmas.

Apologies for those of you who can’t try the yummies at Dean and Deluca.  For those of you in the city – D&D moved to 48th Street a couple of months ago.  It’s much more discrete now (not even on Google Maps yet):

Dean and Deluca

On W 48th Street between 6th and 5th Ave.

Or 560 Broadway (right outside the Prince Street subway)

 

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Peter’s Restaurant – Upper East Side

Posted on November 8, 2010 | 4 comments

This weekend, Nick and I did the age-old brunch and Bed Bath and Beyond afternoon.  We decided to walk the Upper East Side, down the route that is the First Avenue finish line for the ING NYC Marathon.  So, it was the perfect time to try out Peter’s Restaurant – which I’ve heard a lot of great reviews about for their gluten free diner food.

First of all, the menu is HUGE.  And almost all of the menu items can be made gluten free (in fact, they have a little icon next to the items which can not be made gluten free, rather than the other way around).  There is a huge selection of dishes for every meal, including gluten free pancakes, waffles, french toast, sandwiches, french fries, multiple varieties of eggs benedict, pasta, and the list goes on and on!

Since it was lunch time I decided to go with something that I can rarely find – a good, old fashioned tuna salad sandwich and fries.

Big Tuna

The tuna was filled with mayo, the coleslaw was covered in it too – just what I was looking for!  Some people balk at the cost ($8.50) for this sandwich, but it was great to feel “normal” and really chow down at Peter’s.

The fries were classic diner fries, really crispy and tender in the middle.  The waiter asked us specifically if we wanted the fries to be gluten-free, so I assume that they use a dedicated fryer.

The only downside to my experience at Peter’s (which for some would be an upside), is that the place was swarming with kids.  There was actually a seven year old girl’s birthday party going on in the restaurant.  And, for anyone who knows seven year olds who are high on sugar, they do not make the best dining companions.  But, if you had kids, I can see how this would be a great place to take them for a relaxed meal with familiar foods.

I will definitely be back to try some of the other things on the menu (cheesecake? salmon eggs benny?  Yes, please!).

Peter’s Restaurant

1606 1st Avenue (between 83rd and 84th St, 6 train to 86th Street)

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Tu-lu’s Bakery and BBQ Salmon

Posted on August 25, 2010 | 2 comments

I made this meal about a month ago, but I’m planning on recreating it this weekend so I thought I’d revisit it.  Pretty soon we’ll be bringing out the fall squashes and apples, so I want to make one more true summer meal.  

I’m definitely going to have to go back to Tu-lu’s Gluten Free Bakery in the East Village.  Last time I was there I got a jalapeno cornbread muffin (pictured below), and a white chocolate cranberry oatmeal cookie.  The cornbread was pretty good, but didn’t blow my mind.  Once I slathered some butter on it, it tasted much better.  The cookie was above par though – really chewy and sweet.  They also have a ton of gluten free cupcake options at Tu-lus, that I’m going to put on my list for my next visit.  

I think that working at a gluten free bakery would be on my list of dream jobs.  Get up early, bake away in the morning, display all of your creations, then sit in a quiet, sweet-smelling room all day selling to “your people”.  The woman at Tu-lu’s looked so serene and happy in her quiet little shop (although I’m sure she would have preferred it to be bustling with customers).  

Back to the meal… last time I picked up a carton of coleslaw from Whole Foods, and then made some barbeque salmon with Naturally Delicious barbeque sauce.  I think I might just do the exact same this weekend.  

Note the sweet tea vodka and lemonade in the background.  Jeremiah Weed sweet tea vodka has been my go-to drink this summer – so refreshing and flavorful that it barely needs a mixer.  Someone will have to pry it out of my arms before fall hits so I don’t get sick of it.

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