Glaze Teriyaki Grill

Two words: GF teriyaki. The folks at Glaze Teriyaki Grill recently opened a new outpost right off Union Square. (Apparently, there's been a Glaze up on the UES - at 54th & Lex - for some time. How did I miss this?!?) Lucky for us, they offer GF options on the menu.

Any news of gluten-free fare leaves me skeptical that it will truly be GF. I had some errands to run near Union Square this weekend, so I went to check Glaze out. Cute, casual space:

Eco-chic decor, clean and spare, with pops of color:

Add caption

 And, yep, lots of GF options, marked on the menu:

The staff was super GF-friendly: knowledgeable about GF menu items and patient with my questions. Turns out they keep half the grill dedicated to GF orders, to avoid cross contamination. Much of the menu is naturally GF - no pesky bread products to worry about here, as rice is the house carb. Hooray.

I like to order things I rarely make at home, so I had the hanger steak, which came with rice and a small side salad: 

BOOM.

Just delicious. Not what I expected, as my previous experience with teriyaki has been fatty meat slathered in overly sweet sauce. The steak at Glaze was excellent, true to what a cut of hanger should be - flavorful and tender due to thorough marinating and just a quick grill over high heat.The sauce had a bit of sweetness, but not enough to overpower the other flavors in the meat and marinade. Just perfect.

Also? It was a ton of food! I could only eat half and I'm a good eater. Not bad for $10.50! Thankfully, GF entrees are only $1 extra, a premium I am more than happy to pay for safe eats. If you're not a big meat eater, they also offer vegetable and fish options, including salad plates. (See the full menu here.)

Most importantly? I feel fine. No celiac symptoms a day out from the meal, so I'm already picking out my next order from Glaze. They're located a scant block from Union Square proper, at 4th Avenue between 13th and 14th St., an easy place to pit stop for a quick meal or to pick up take-out en route to the train. As a Brooklyn girl, I'm gunning for Glaze to open up outposts in Brooklyn. (You agree? Tell 'em about it, please! Glaze is on twitter at @glazeteriyaki).