GF Resources: Top Picks

I've recently had a number of requests for recommendations on the best places for GF info. I tend to focus on local resources; here are my top picks:

Dining recommendations:

Blogs:
Allergic Girl Recommends
I keep a list, too

Meetups. There are currently three gluten-free Meetup groups within NYC proper: 
The Brooklyn Gluten-Free Meetup

Gluten Free NYC 

The New York City Celiac Disease Meetup

I've found Meetup to be my best resource for local dining info. The event info clues me in to new-to-me dining options, but I've found the message boards to be an even more valuable source of info. You can subscribe to the boards so that any new threads are delivered directly to your inbox.

Twitter: 
I highly recommend creating an account, especially if you're new to being GF and/or in a new town. There's a learning curve, but once you get the hang of it, it's a snap. To get started, follow some GF businesses/people you like and then look to see who they're following. This can help lead you to the people and businesses who have information that is pertinent to your GF life.

Apps: 
The new Dish Freely gluten-free restaurant app (Have you tried it? Do tell. It's currently only avail for iPhone and I'm an Android girl.)

General GF info, i.e. lifestyle, news, etc.: 

Twitter and the Meetups; have to suggest them again. They both provide access to a broad range of GF lifestyle topics, not just dining. 

Magazines: 
Delight Gluten-Free
Easy Eats (online magazine)
Gluten-Free Living
Living Without
 
I have read all four on occasion over the years. I currently only subscribe to Easy Eats, as I enjoy the format and find their content most pertinent to my life. I recommend following them on Twitter and Facebook as well, as they post notes about new content all the time.

Books:
A number of people have asked me for GF cooking/lifestyle book recommendations, but I just don't rely on those these days. I used Danna Korn's “Wheat-Free, Worry-Free: The Art of Happy, Healthy, Gluten-Free Living" and Jax Lowell's "Against the Grain: The Slightly Eccentric Guide to Living Well Without Gluten or Wheat" when I was first diagnosed a decade ago. I know there are many more titles now. Any you can recommend for the GF newbie?

Care to Meetup?

If you're GF and spend any time in NYC, I have to recommend that you join at least one - preferably all! - of our fair city's gluten-free Meetup groups:

Brooklyn Gluten-Free Meetup
GF NYC
New York City Celiac Disease Meetup

Even if you don't plan to attend an event, the Meetups are a great way to find out about GF-friendly eateries in NYC, as well as product info and GF news. I actually joined the NYC Celiac Disease Meetup when I was still living in upstate New York. When newly diagnosed, I didn't have any GF friends and the internet was my only source of good GF info. Living gluten-free can be tough; it's nice to feel like part of a community of people who understand.

But if you're in the area, please consider attending an event. Between all the groups, there are currently 8 upcoming events. (EIGHT gluten-free events! How wonderful is that?!) Seem like an odd thing to do, i.e. meeting up with strangers for drinks or dinner? I thought so too at first. Never considered myself a "joiner", but the Meetup folks quickly changed that. The people are really friendly and especially helpful to GF newbies. We've all been there and want to help make the transition easier. A few years in, I can now say that my best GF info has come from Meetup events. You can read blogs (ahem) and websites, but first person accounts of eateries and products are especially helpful.

GF in Williamsburg!

I kind of had my mind blown this weekend, by an under-the-radar GF-friendly spot in Williamsburg: Fabiane's. "GF-friendly" is an understatement. Behold:

Nice, right?

I went for brunch this past Sunday, kicking myself for making plans at a new-to-me place on marathon Sunday. As Fabiane's was ON the marathon route, it was packed. Heartened by the GF menu board, I placed my order, made my severe gluten-intolerance clear, and crossed my fingers. At Fabiane's, you order your food at the counter, pay, get a table number, and they bring your order over. Ravenous, I got this to munch on while we waited:

Yucca cake: plain looking but DELICIOUS

Then my baked eggs came:

A gift from the brunch gods

Eggs with prosciutto, scallions, and cheese. And homemade gluten-free toast. Yeah, I said it. HOMEMADE. So good.

But, guys, there's more. So much more:

I had this one. All of it. In about 60 seconds. So good, I worried that it wasn't really GF.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg. They have a ton of other pastries, about half a dozen muffin flavors, sandwiches, waffles, and french toast. Just a heads up that the online menu doesn't list the GF options at this point, but I was told that the breakfast items are available all day and the sandwiches can be made on GF bread.

Have I convinced you? Fabiane's is where it's at. Worth a trip for the pastries alone! Want some excellent GF company on your trip? The Brooklyn Gluten-Free Meetup Group is gathering for dinner at Fabiane's in January!

The Brooklyn Gluten-Free Meetup Group

Please welcome a new addition to the Meetup family and gluten-free scene: The Brooklyn Gluten-Free Meetup Group! Eat gluten-free and live, work, or socialize in Brooklyn? Then please join us! We'll be gathering for brunches, dinners, happy hours, parties, and more at venues around Brooklyn. We have two events scheduled thus far - join the group and RSVP for one or both!

Even if you aren't a "joiner" (heck, I sure wasn't - and now look), this Meetup will be a great source of info about where to eat and shop GF in Brooklyn - you can join the group and sign up for updates from the message board. My hope is that we'll be a hub for GF info in our fair borough, help create community among GF folks in different neighborhoods, and - by the strength of our numbers, help bring more GF options to all areas of Brooklyn. (More on this soon.)

Questions? Drop me a note through the Meetup or via comments below.