Dear Tu-Lu's, I love you.

From Tu-Lu's Site

I have been known to walk significantly out of my way to go to a bakery.  Many times I have gone on long walks with no real destination and somehow ended up at a bakery.  This hasn't changed much since going gluten free.

Before this whole celiac business, my favorite bakery in all of New York City was this tiny bakery on 1st Ave between 13th and 14th streets.  It's on the west side of the street.  It has cookies stacked in the window.  I don't know what it's called.  I do know they have amazing mixed berry scones.  They also have giant cookies that my dad and brother enjoy.  No more scones for me though.

But don't worry.  Tu-Lu's Gluten Free Bakery is nearby on 11th street between 1st and 2nd.  I love Tu-Lu's.  I was never a huge cupcake fan, but the chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese frosting make me not feel badly for myself about being gluten free.  I like the mini ones best.  Tu-Lu's is a small bakery with regular sized cupcakes, mini cupcakes, cookies, muffins, and brownies.  They even have paninis made on homemade bread.  Everything is gluten free.  I may or may not have stopped by here tonight after dinner (it was on the way to the train, I swear).  They were out of my favorite cupcake flavor, so I gave the chocolate chip cookie a try.  I like my cookies a little softer, but it was still delicious.

The other bakery famous for having gluten free options in NYC is Babycakes.  Babycakes is a vegan bakery that doesn't use refined (white) sugar and has lots of gluten free goods.  They are known for their cupcakes, but I'm not going to lie, I didn't enjoy my cupcake when I went (sorry Babycakes).  I've been back though, and I must say the banana bread and cinnamon roll I shared with my brother were pretty darn good.

On a similar note, I have a gluten free baking class this Friday with Daniellan of Ivy Bakery.  More on this later.