Hooray, the weekend is almost here! I'm usually a pretty happy camper during the workweek, but I can't remember the last time I was so happy to see Friday. This has me pondering all manner of weekend-y joys including BRUNCH! To that end, may I present my newest submission for your NYC gf-eating pleasure:
Bogota Latin Bistro! This is my favorite brunch (and dinner, for that matter) spot in Brooklyn. We even had a NYC Celiac Disease Meetup at Bogota recently! They offer gf items including arepas, latin egg dishes, quinoa cakes, and chimichurri. Most of the gf items are not listed on the current menu, so you'll need to ask your server. Bogota is well-known for it's amazing staff - even when they're super busy (as they usually are) the staff are always relaxed and helpful. I'm never made to feel like a pain in the tuchus for requesting details about the gf offerings.
I'll be posting more about Bogota in the near future. If you'd like to get your brunch on there this weekend, drop me a note and I'll send you details on the gf menu items.
Showing posts with label dating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label dating. Show all posts
Friday, April 15, 2011
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Unforeseen Celiac Awareness Campaign (OkCupid Edition, Part II)
I won't lie: I looked for gluten-free boys on OkCupid. There are very few, at least locally - and the ones that are in town are just not my type or are way too young.
I should have said: I made it very clear on my profile that I'm open to just ending up friends. It's more of a social experiment and fun end-of-summer diversion. I doubt very much that the online thing will lead to the love of my life. More likely is that I meet a great guy who isn't a good romantic match for me, but who ends up a good friend. As a girl who remains friends with good exes, this is an entirely plausible and acceptable scenario. I just want to find some like-minded people.
(All of the above is basically further explanation/background for the decisions I've made re: disclosing that I'm gluten intolerant while doing the online dating thing.)
After the relative success of my dates, I decided to look at the gf boys again, just to see what they said in their profiles about gluten/celiac - how they presented it. There was quite a range, with some literally saying things like "I'm a freak" to "I don't eat gluten, but it doesn't stop me from eating really well". I decided that the ones presenting themselves as "freaks" because of their dietary restrictions were doing the gluten-free crowd a disservice. At the same time, I realized that some of them may truly feel that way about themselves, especially if newly diagnosed.
Two concrete actions came out of this "research":
(1) I changed my profile to reflect the fact that I'm gluten-free. Added it about halfway down (so they see pics and read some fun things first) and went with the "I don't eat gluten, but it doesn't stop me from eating really well" sort of statement.
(2) I contacted one of the guys who listed himself as a "freak" because of his diet. Chose one who lives far away and sounded like he was recently diagnosed.
Upshot of these two decisions?
(1) No major change in how many people contact me, though the quality has improved. Have only been on less than a week, so who knows what the change it due to.
(2) Dude I contacted WAS recently diagnosed - and grateful for someone to talk to/commiserate with.
Both decisions are new, so details when I have 'em! And I'd love to hear about YOUR experiences in gluten-free dating.
I should have said: I made it very clear on my profile that I'm open to just ending up friends. It's more of a social experiment and fun end-of-summer diversion. I doubt very much that the online thing will lead to the love of my life. More likely is that I meet a great guy who isn't a good romantic match for me, but who ends up a good friend. As a girl who remains friends with good exes, this is an entirely plausible and acceptable scenario. I just want to find some like-minded people.
(All of the above is basically further explanation/background for the decisions I've made re: disclosing that I'm gluten intolerant while doing the online dating thing.)
After the relative success of my dates, I decided to look at the gf boys again, just to see what they said in their profiles about gluten/celiac - how they presented it. There was quite a range, with some literally saying things like "I'm a freak" to "I don't eat gluten, but it doesn't stop me from eating really well". I decided that the ones presenting themselves as "freaks" because of their dietary restrictions were doing the gluten-free crowd a disservice. At the same time, I realized that some of them may truly feel that way about themselves, especially if newly diagnosed.
Two concrete actions came out of this "research":
(1) I changed my profile to reflect the fact that I'm gluten-free. Added it about halfway down (so they see pics and read some fun things first) and went with the "I don't eat gluten, but it doesn't stop me from eating really well" sort of statement.
(2) I contacted one of the guys who listed himself as a "freak" because of his diet. Chose one who lives far away and sounded like he was recently diagnosed.
Upshot of these two decisions?
(1) No major change in how many people contact me, though the quality has improved. Have only been on less than a week, so who knows what the change it due to.
(2) Dude I contacted WAS recently diagnosed - and grateful for someone to talk to/commiserate with.
Both decisions are new, so details when I have 'em! And I'd love to hear about YOUR experiences in gluten-free dating.
Unforeseen Celiac Awareness Campaign (OkCupid Edition, Part I)
Internet: I am dating.
Unclear exactly what possessed me, but I signed up for OkCupid (or, as I call it: OkStupid). I do know that the actually signing up occurred at a moment when I had three job interviews freshly scheduled and was full of hope that I would soon be transitioning into the next phase of my life. Dating seemed like a way to speed that transition along!
I was also curious about who the heck is single here in NYC! I can't remember the last time someone caught my eye, other than the drop-dead gorgeous eye candy model types we get to enjoy around here. But a mere human male? Been wondering where the good, single ones are. A friend had used the OkStupid with some success and very little frustration so I decided to give it a go. Oh, and it's free!
To be completely honest, I was also in it for the promise of good email. The source of the best email I have ever received (to date - keep hope alive!) was recently gone from my life and, good god, I missed receiving witty subject lines and saucy missives. Most of my friends work full time, write for a living, and/or have families, so good email is in short supply; saucy email is nonexistent.
But then I had to fill out my profile. I don't know what other online dating sites are like, but OkC has a section where you're supposed to provide info about what kind of media and food you like to consume. I hadn't anticipated either. After hemming and hawing for a bit, I decided not to talk about food - or celiac disease - at all. In "real" life, while celiac has been a pain in the arse at times, it has never ever been a deal breaker in friendship or love and so I felt ok about leaving it off. Also? It is part of my life, but I am not defined by what I can and cannot eat.
Another thing I hadn't anticipated? That boys would start contacting me right away! There were a load of wackjobs that I just ignored, but also two or three decent seeming fellows that I decided to make plans with. Thankfully, it is summer and so I was able to plan outdoor meetings that needn't necessarily involve food. My suggestion to meet at the High Line? Huge hit. After chatting for an hour, decided to get take out from Chelsea Market for an al fresco dinner back up there. By that point, conversation was flowing and it was easy to mention the gluten thing. Was I a wee bit nervous about it? Sure. And then stunned by how not an issue it was!
(Brief tangent: I was at the park with a fellow celiac yesterday. She mentioned how her friends and family urge her to do a celiac/gluten-free blog, but she is resistant since she strives to make the gluten thing a non-issue in her life as much as possible. Despite the existence of my blog, I totally see and support her point. I've struggled with whether be gluten-centric on here. The tipping point is that the info I have to share about being gf is what I think will be of most use in the world. People waaaaay more qualified than I am are out there blogging about my other passions such as nutrition policy and sustainable agriculture. I'll stick to what I know best: livin' la vida gluten-free. The details of my online dating experience alone warrant posting on an identifiable gf blog. Shared stories with said friend and received emphatic agreement. So:
Date at the High Line? I stop at Friedman's to order my dinner. Boy orders from there too - AND orders his meal gluten free. 10 bonus points! We spend about 10 minutes answering his gf queries and don't touch it again all night. Nice.
Second date (new person): Disclose gf when emailing to make plans. Decide to meet in between Veniero's and Tu Lu's. Brilliant! We get coffee and treats at the different venues and gf doesn't come up until planning next outing. At which point it's clear that boy has done some research, as asks excellent questions.
Third date (second date with guy from High Line): Decide to meet and play the evening by ear. Not an easy thing for a gf girl/boy to do, but decide to just go with it. Arrive at meeting spot - and boy has list of gf-friendly restaurants in hand!!! Huzzah! And joy spread across the land. Ended up at Rice, aka my favorite restaurant in NYC and ice cream later in the evening. It was so delightful to not worry about food - and to not have to do the planning!
Unclear exactly what possessed me, but I signed up for OkCupid (or, as I call it: OkStupid). I do know that the actually signing up occurred at a moment when I had three job interviews freshly scheduled and was full of hope that I would soon be transitioning into the next phase of my life. Dating seemed like a way to speed that transition along!
I was also curious about who the heck is single here in NYC! I can't remember the last time someone caught my eye, other than the drop-dead gorgeous eye candy model types we get to enjoy around here. But a mere human male? Been wondering where the good, single ones are. A friend had used the OkStupid with some success and very little frustration so I decided to give it a go. Oh, and it's free!
To be completely honest, I was also in it for the promise of good email. The source of the best email I have ever received (to date - keep hope alive!) was recently gone from my life and, good god, I missed receiving witty subject lines and saucy missives. Most of my friends work full time, write for a living, and/or have families, so good email is in short supply; saucy email is nonexistent.
But then I had to fill out my profile. I don't know what other online dating sites are like, but OkC has a section where you're supposed to provide info about what kind of media and food you like to consume. I hadn't anticipated either. After hemming and hawing for a bit, I decided not to talk about food - or celiac disease - at all. In "real" life, while celiac has been a pain in the arse at times, it has never ever been a deal breaker in friendship or love and so I felt ok about leaving it off. Also? It is part of my life, but I am not defined by what I can and cannot eat.
Another thing I hadn't anticipated? That boys would start contacting me right away! There were a load of wackjobs that I just ignored, but also two or three decent seeming fellows that I decided to make plans with. Thankfully, it is summer and so I was able to plan outdoor meetings that needn't necessarily involve food. My suggestion to meet at the High Line? Huge hit. After chatting for an hour, decided to get take out from Chelsea Market for an al fresco dinner back up there. By that point, conversation was flowing and it was easy to mention the gluten thing. Was I a wee bit nervous about it? Sure. And then stunned by how not an issue it was!
(Brief tangent: I was at the park with a fellow celiac yesterday. She mentioned how her friends and family urge her to do a celiac/gluten-free blog, but she is resistant since she strives to make the gluten thing a non-issue in her life as much as possible. Despite the existence of my blog, I totally see and support her point. I've struggled with whether be gluten-centric on here. The tipping point is that the info I have to share about being gf is what I think will be of most use in the world. People waaaaay more qualified than I am are out there blogging about my other passions such as nutrition policy and sustainable agriculture. I'll stick to what I know best: livin' la vida gluten-free. The details of my online dating experience alone warrant posting on an identifiable gf blog. Shared stories with said friend and received emphatic agreement. So:
Date at the High Line? I stop at Friedman's to order my dinner. Boy orders from there too - AND orders his meal gluten free. 10 bonus points! We spend about 10 minutes answering his gf queries and don't touch it again all night. Nice.
Second date (new person): Disclose gf when emailing to make plans. Decide to meet in between Veniero's and Tu Lu's. Brilliant! We get coffee and treats at the different venues and gf doesn't come up until planning next outing. At which point it's clear that boy has done some research, as asks excellent questions.
Third date (second date with guy from High Line): Decide to meet and play the evening by ear. Not an easy thing for a gf girl/boy to do, but decide to just go with it. Arrive at meeting spot - and boy has list of gf-friendly restaurants in hand!!! Huzzah! And joy spread across the land. Ended up at Rice, aka my favorite restaurant in NYC and ice cream later in the evening. It was so delightful to not worry about food - and to not have to do the planning!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
