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!

Lost Count at 40 (GF-Friendly Eateries and Products)

I know I often extol the virtues of the NYC Celiac Disease Meetup to the high heavens - and I'm here to do it again! It's just a great group of folks with a collective wisdom about living GF in NYC that can't be beat. I always leave an event with another GF tip - whether it be a new place to eat or a new product to buy. I also always leave feeling like I can't remember 5 or 10 other great tips because I was busy enjoying myself! To that end, I started taking notes at a recent event. When I explained what I was doing, attendees started listing so many good ideas, that I just passed a notebook and pen around! I typed the list up and sent it to all who attended the dinner.

Below is a copy of our list. It's arranged by neighborhood, borough, state (there are some NJ businesses listed). While one or more of us have eaten safely at many of the venues, it is definitely NOT a guaranteed safe list! Please exercise your usual GF caution before dining, i.e. call ahead, ask about their processes, etc. Personally, I would not eat at a number of the venues below, because I am so very sensitive to even small amounts of gluten. I am listing them anyway because I know there are people who are much less sensitive and would likely choose to dine at many of these eateries.

The venues with asterisks are places where I've personally eaten safely. (If you'd care to make similar notes and share, please do so in comments below!) As I mentioned, the list is arranged by neighborhood. (I am geographically challenged, so please correct any mistakes, please and thank you!)

This list is a work in progress. I'll be updating it with new venues, hyperlinks, and a map (most) every Friday. I hope it helps get you out in the world more often, enjoying safe social eating with the people in your life.

LES:

*Babycakes (Vegan/Kosher/Soy-free/GF cupcakes, cookies, donuts, and more. A must-go when in NYC.)

West Village:

*Risotteria (Italian: risotto (of course), pizza, fantastic breadsticks, and baked goods. Their old-school black and white cookies are amazing; I have made the trip for those alone.)

Gustorganics (Organic. Clearly marked GF items on menus.)
Gobo (Vegan/GF)

East Village:

Pommes Frites (All French fries, all the time)

*Stogo (Vegan/GF ice cream + baked goods/sweets from Babycakes and other vegan/GF producers)

*Tu-Lu’s Bakery (All GF. Offering sweet and savory baked goods, as well as gorgeous panini on homemade bread.)

*S’mac (Mac ‘n cheese.)

*Rice (292 Elizabeth St.) (One of my very favorite places to eat in all of NYC! Ask for the separate GF menu.)

Pala Pizza (Regular pizzeria offering GF options.)

Caracas (Arepas)

Sacred Chow (Vegan/Kosher)

Chelsea:

*Friedman’s Lunch (Many, many GF options for breakfast, brunch, lunch, and dinner. Located in the historic Chelsea Market.)

Union Square:

*PIE (GF pizza. Delicious. Not available by the slice.)

Flex Mussels

Gramercy/Flatiron:

Bar Breton (Buckwheat galettes)

Blue Smoke (BBQ – with a jazz club one floor away!)

Eleven Madison Park (Offers GF diners a GF breadbasket with a selection of Everybody Eats artisanal breads)

Midtown:

Bistango (Very GF-friendly Italian – and they now have GF cupcakes!)

Times Sq.:

Ruby Foo’s (Asian food. A limited GF menu. Have heard only good things about their food and ambiance.)

Midtown West:

Heartland Brewery (There are multiple Heartland locations in NYC, but this is currently the only site offering a GF menu.)

Nizza (Italian. Separate GF menu.)

Midtown East/UES:

*Lilli and Loo (GF Asian, including sushi!)

UES:

*Lumi (High-end Italian)

Flex Mussels

Candle 79 (Vegan/GF)
Candle Cafe (Vegan/GF)

*Peters’ Gourmet Diner (Upscale diner where most of the menu is GF)

Gobo (Vegan/GF)

UWS:

Café 82

Nice Matin

Café Fiorello

Multiple locations:

Spice

5 Napkin Burger (One member of the NYC Celiac Meetup group reports that they have GF buns and a dedicated GF fryer. As always – be sure to inquire before ingesting!)

We also hear that gluten-free street food is coming to NYC – a kiosk – somewhere in lower Manhattan. Details when I have ‘em. 

Brooklyn, Park Slope:

*Bogota Latin Bistro (2 dedicated GF fryers and a newly expanded GF-friendly menu!)

*Everybody Eats (All-GF bakery, offering beautiful baguettes, bagels, challah, cookies, and more)

*Sun in Bloom (All vegan, many GF menu items – all GF baked goods)

Sheep Station (Carrying Everybody Eats buns for sandwiches and burgers)

V Spot (Vegan with some GF)

Brooklyn, DUMBO: 
Rice (One of my very favorite places to eat in all of NYC! Ask for the separate GF menu.)

NJ, Hoboken:

Filipos

Anthony David’s

Pasta Truck

Bin 14

Basic Foods

Stax – GF pancakes

Hoboken Farms

GF products/places to shop:

*GFree NYC (Of course! NYC’s first all GF store!)

Katz’s Gluten-Free (Brooklyn)

Gluten-free Shoppe (Brooklyn)

Cider:

*Original Sin cider (I can vouch for this one: D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S.)

Chains:

PF Chang’s

Rosa Mexicano

Pizzeria Uno

California Pizza Kitchen

Bonefish Grill

Carabas Italian

Outback Steakhouse

TGIFriday’s

Le Pan Quotidian – (One member of our group has enjoyed their GF quiche with all buckwheat crust)

Etc:

*Foods by George (To-die for brownies and other baked goods)

*Namaste mixes (Low sugar, "natural" baking mixes)

Jacques Torres chocolates, including Easter chocolate bunnies

GF App for iPhone: http://www.glutenfreeapp.com/www.glutenfreeapp.com/Welcome.html

GF in Park Slope

After months of job/housing uncertainty, excellent (if unexpected) solutions have recently come to pass. On one count: just moved to Park Slope and am over the moon about it. Am busy getting settled and working (a lot!) but just wanted to share Neighborhood Gluten-Free Discovery #1: Sun In Bloom http://www.suninbloom.com/ at Bergen St. and 5th Avenue has delicious gluten-free baked goods. They have generous samples - I tried carrot cake with coconut frosting and banana chocolate chip bread (yum to both). While some items are pricey ($5.50 for a whoopie pie), others - like muffins at $3.75 each - are on par price-wise with other gf baked goods but exceed their counterparts in terms of quality.

Having a gf bakery in my neighborhood? Never thought I'd see the day. I was ahead of my morning schedule this past Friday, so stopped for coffee at Gorilla and then moseyed to Sun In Bloom to pick up one of the carrot muffins. Not a bad way to start a Friday, eh?

Because 1,200 Characters Was Less Than I Thought (Notes on Poor Reviews)

Just a note about DH-safe restaurant reviews (that wouldn't fit in my profile): I don't want to post poor reviews about places that serve gf food unless (1) I get insanely sick (gluten symptoms) after eating there and/or (2) the staff/owner are not pleasant when there is a problem. I want to support places that serve gf food, in the hopes of encouraging others to open places for our people - and I also realize that I am more sensitive than most. That said, I DO want to share my NYC dining experiences with any other DH people out there. If that's you, feel free to contact me via this blog to share DH-safe venues, products, etc.

Policy subject to change; for now it feels right.