Dutch Kills Centraal

Friday night I met my friend and her coworkers for dinner and drinks in Long Island City.  I've lived in Astoria for almost six years and for some reason I hardly ever go out to eat in my neighborhood.  This is ridiculous because Queens is the most ethnically diverse area in the world and with it comes some seriously diverse food.  It's true.  Google it.

We met at Dutch Kills Centraal which isn't exactly in the hippest part of town but the restaurant has a really great vibe, and I never say vibe.  The interior is rustic, cozy, and very inviting.  According to their site, their concept is local, organic, and delicious cuisine at affordable prices.  Concept accomplished.

My friend and her coworkers picked the place and I just assumed I'd make the whole gluten thing work.  The waitstaff made it incredibly easy for me.  I asked if they had hard cider and the waitress said they had two and described them for me.  I asked if they were gluten free and she said she thought so but would double check.  I had never heard of either but decided to go with the Crispen.  When she brought the Crispen over she pointed to the Certified GF label on the bottle and was just as excited as I was.  I really liked the Crispen.  So much that I might even say it is my new favorite cider.  I love Woodchuck, mostly because they are from Vermont like me, but they can get a bit heavy. Crispen is light, and as the name implies, refreshingly crisp.

For dinner I got a burger sans bun and a side of brussel sprouts.  My friend Kristen got a burger with a side of kale. When I told the waitress I didn't want a bun she asked if it was a preference or if I have Celiac so she could let the kitchen know.  One million bonus points for her.  Not only did I feel safe in her hands, but the food was really good.  The burger was well seasoned and I really love brussel sprouts, especially when they are topped with bacon. Kristen's kale was also really good.  I will definitely be back to Dutch Kills soon.

Just a note that there is no gluten free menu here and they don't claim to be gluten free friendly.  However, I found the waitstaff extremely helpful and ate safely.  As with everything, eat at your own risk.

Bareburger

From my dinner at Tommy Lasagna I met a lot of great new bloggers.  This includes Candice from London to NYC. Candice is one of those food bloggers you love but also kind of hate because she clearly likes eating yet she's tall, thin, and beautiful.  When I first went to her blog her most recent post was an analysis of gluten free burgers in the city.  I want to be thin and eat burgers all day.  She also has an adorable accent.  Sigh.

Anyway, Candice's favorite burger is from Bareburger and it made me realize that I've been to Bareburger many times and have never written about them.  Which is a real shame because they are my go to burger as well.  Their burgers are organic, all natural, and grass fed.  They aren't as greasy as most burgers and they have a lot of interesting meat choices like elk, wild boar, bison, and ostrich.  They also have your go to beef, turkey, and veggie burgers if you aren't feeling quit as adventurous.  You can create your own burger or get one of their tasty creations.  Their gluten free bun holds up pretty well.

My only gripe about Bareburger is they make you order french fries separately.  Of course you want french fries but you want them to come with the burger so you can be all, "well, they came with the burger so I guess I better eat them."  Instead, they shame you into ordering french fries and a burger.  However, I should note that I have never NOT ordered the fries.  That would be just crazy talk.  Fortunately, an order is pretty big so you can share them with a friend.

There are several locations throughout the city.  And they deliver.  Mmm burgers.

Siggy's

A few weeks ago I wandered upon Siggy's with some of my family members.  They boast an all organic menu with lots of gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan options.  We decided to give it a go and everyone ended up happy.

Everything gluten free is clearly labeled on the menu.  I got a turkey burger on a gluten free bun with a side salad.  The bun looked too good when it arrived so I made the waiter confirm for me that it was gluten free (yes, I'm that crazy girl).  It wasn't the best gluten free bun I'd ever had, but I was pretty happy with the burger as a whole.  They also have a lot of really good looking salads, gluten free pastas, and entrees. Now that the weather is turning cool I'd like to try the beef stew over spinach and quinoa.  My gluten eating brothers were happy with their mac and cheese.

Siggy's has locations in Manhattan and Brooklyn Heights.  If you like to eat organic or need to find a restaurant for your mash of gluten free and vegetarian friends, Siggy's is a good choice.

Bloom's

There is a diner two blocks from my job that has gluten free pancakes.  I've never been because diner food, in my opinion, is for weekend brunch or late night burgers.  Neither of which usually happen near my office. But, tomorrow is my 26th birthday and I thought I'd treat myself to some gluten free pancakes for breakfast this morning.  I didn't have high hopes, but these were pretty good.  They were light and fluffy and everything pancakes should be.  My only qualms were the $10 price tag and the fact that they didn't have real maple syrup, but most diners don't.

Bloom's is on 39th and Lexington in Midtown Manhattan.  They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner 7 days a week.  Their extensive gluten free menu includes gluten free pancakes, french toast, and gluten free toast to go with egg dishes in the morning.  Sandwiches are served on gluten free bread and burgers are served on gluten free buns.  They also have salads, entrees, and desserts typical to diners.

5 Napkin Burger

One of my brothers loves 5 Napkin Burger.  He used to live near the one in Hell's Kitchen and we would go every so often.  As the name implies, they specialize in burgers.  I'm kind of salivating now thinking of the burger I ate there last night.  They have two locations on Manhattan's west side, one in my Astoria Queens neighborhood, as well as one in Boston, Miami, and Atlanta.  Fortunately for me, they have gluten free buns.

5 Napkin has 8 different burger varieties, but I'm not sure I've ever strayed from the traditional 5 Napkin Burger (with caramelized onions, gruyere cheese, and rosmary aioli) or the Bacon-Cheddar Burger (served with the classic lettuce, tomato, and onion).  A side of fries is a must.  When I ordered the fries this time the server informed me there was a slight chance of cross contamination because they are prepared near a station that deals with wheat.  I took my chances and was fine, but I appreciated that he let me know.

They also have other appetizers, entres, and desserts, but who goes to a burger place and gets anything else?  My only qualm with this place is that it's pretty expensive for a burger (although they did not charge me extra for the gluten free bun, which was a plus).  Because of this, and the fact that I always leave feeling a bit sluggish, it's more of an every 6 months to a year kind of restaurant.  But those times I do go, it's always a nice treat.

I know they have gluten free buns at the Hell's Kitchen and Astoria locations because I've been there, but I suggest calling first to check at the other locations.  The buns are rice based and pretty good for a gluten free burger bun.

GF Hamburger Buns

Ok, so I know I just talked about Canyon Bakehouse yesterday, but here I am again to talk about their hamburger buns.  I bought a pack of these last week to keep in my freezer just in case a burger occasion should present itself.  By coincidence, it did today and these buns were there for me.

At my company we have birthday lunches for our team.  The birthday person gets to choose their lunch of choice.  Today's birthday girl picked burgers.  No problem.  I ordered mine without a bun, brought my own, and happily ate along side everyone else without feeling left out at all.  The bun didn't need to be toasted and didn't crumble.  Overall I was very satisfied.