Tommy Lasagna

Last night I was invited to dinner at Tommy Lasagna to try their new gluten free menu with other gluten free bloggers in New York City.  Erin of Gluten-Free Fun and Gluten-Free Globetrotter organized the event.  Also at the table were Carolyn, Candice, Katie, Kristen, Mike, Molly, and Judith (our token gluten eating blogger).  It was really fun to have dinner with these people in real life because I know many of them from their blogs and twitter but had only met a few in person.  In addition to her blog, Katie has a tumblr that makes me laugh/cry all the time.

Tommy Lasagna opened a few years ago but their gluten free menu is new.  So new that we were among the first to try it.  Tommy graciously offered us six courses of amazing food and all the gluten free booze we wanted.  We ate so much that I think most of us waddled out of the restaurant.  All in the name of research, of course.

To start we had gluten free focaccia with olive oil.  For a first course we had Mango Shrimp with a Fennel Slaw.  Next was Ceviche.  Third we were able to try the Green Market Lasagna and the Bolognese Lasagna.  Fourth we had fresh Fettuccine with Lobster and Papperdelle with Bolognese.  Fifth we tried the Cioppino and Veal Involtini.  To finish we had Cheesecake and Flourless Chocolate Cake.  Not only were there six courses, but most courses involved two samplings.  I'm still full thinking about this meal.

Everything was amazing.  My favorite was the Bolognese Lasagna.  It is a lasagna restaurant after all.  The veggie lasagna was also really good and you could taste the freshness of the vegetables that Tommy gets from the Union Square farmer's market.  Lobster pasta?  Yum.  Unless, of course, you are allergic to shellfish, which some of the people at the table were. Tommy was really accommodating though, and for those folks he brought out a Caprese Salad instead of the Mango Shrimp, Pear Salad instead of Ceviche, pasta with Vodka sauce instead of Lobster, and Crispy Chicken over Hash Browns and Shaved Brussels Sprouts instead of the Cioppino.  They confirmed these things were excellent as well.

I honestly really liked everything I had.  I hardly ever eat veal, but stuffed with spinach, asparagus, and fresh mozzarella it was really good.  The focaccia was a good start to the meal and the desserts were heavenly.  I wish I had more room to eat them.  Don’t worry though guys, I was still able to eat all the cheesecake.

Not only was the food really good, but Tommy really “gets” the whole gluten free thing.  We talked for a while about the different flours he uses, how all the gluten free pasta is made on a separate pasta maker first thing in the morning when everything in the kitchen is clean, and training his staff to fully understand the issues of cross contamination.  I felt completely confident I was eating safely at Tommy Lasagna and will definitely be back.

Thank you so much for making this happen Tommy.  You have a lot of happy new customers. 

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.

Goldbaum's

A few weeks ago I received a box of samples from Goldbaum's.  I have to admit I had never heard of Goldbaum's, but I was pleasantly surprised by the variety I received from them.  They sent me: fettuccine, french onion flatbread crisps, two flavors of quinoa crisps, onion & garlic pop potato chips, ice cream cones, and chow mein noodles.  Ice cream cones and chow mein noodles?  You guys are already the coolest.

Last weekend I worked the New York City Wine and Food Festival.  It was a really fun few days but also long hours and very hectic.  These Goldbaum snacks really saved me.  I brought the flatbread crisps for lunch with some cheese and let me tell you, these crackers are delicious.  I would definitely buy them.

I also really liked the multigrain quinoa crisps.  They are only 100 calories a bag and come in barbecue, sea salt, and onion & garlic.  They are prefect for on the go snacking.  They also have popped potato crisps if that's more your thing.  The brown rice fettuccine came in super handy for quick dinners.

It isn't exactly ice cream season in New York anymore, but I can't wait to try the ice cream cones.  And I'm really not sure when I'm going to use the chow mein noodles, but believe me, that will happen.

Thank you Goldbaum's.  This box of goodies was a very pleasant surprise.

Luigi's Restaurant

Last night I had the best gluten free pasta I have ever had.  It was so good that after a few bites I was convinced it was not gluten free and made the waitress confirm it for me.  She assured me it was and informed me that they make it themselves in house.  I was impressed.

I'm in DuBois, PA, where, according to the internet, there is basically nothing gluten free to eat.  I stumbled upon Luigi's by accident.  I had planned to go to a Mexican restaurant next door because Mexican is usually pretty GF friendly, but it was closed.  It was getting late so I walked into Luigi's (an Italian restaurant) expecting to just order a salad when I saw a sign at the hostess stand that said "Ask about our gluten free menu."

The gluten free menu has gluten free pasta, pizza, sandwiches, salads, and meat options.  I got gluten free penne with Tia's Tomato Alfredo sauce.  Have I mentioned how good it was?  Honestly, the best GF pasta I have ever had.  I wish I could go back and try the pizza.

Luigi's has two locations, one in DuBois, PA and one in Clymer, PA.  From looking at the website, I don't think the Clymer location has a GF menu.  DuBois is located along Interstate 80 which runs across the entire state of PA connecting New York and New Jersey with Ohio.  It's a long highway with few food options along the way.  This is such a great find that I plan to post about them on every gluten free travel site I can find.

A big thank you to Luigi's for letting me eat such a good meal in DuBois, PA.

Caesar's Pasta Review

I recently received some free samples of Caesar's Pasta.  Caesar's has been around for 42 years making frozen pasta dishes with high quality, all natural ingredients.   They recently introduced their gluten free line which includes lasagna, stuffed shells, ravioli, manicotti, gnocchi, and more.

I really loved the meat ravioli.  Ravioli is never high on my list of things I want to order at restaurants or make for dinner, but this ravioli was so good I would definitely buy it for myself.  I have only tried one other brand of gluten free ravioli and it completely fell apart while cooking and then got stuck to my strainer.  Caesar's gluten free ravioli not only tasted great, but it held up really well.

I like Caesar's not only because it tastes good, but also because their meat and cheese come from grass fed cows. Grass fed cows are happy cows.  Happy cows taste better.  It's a proven fact.

Next, I would like to try their gnocchi.  Give them a try and let me know what you think!

Healthy Living Market and Cafe

I was in Vermont again last weekend.  This time I went for work.  I had to sit at a table in Burlington for several hours and hand out information about my company.  Not my normal job, but I'm always willing to help out when needed...especially when it means I get to go home for free.

Knowing that I was going to be sitting at a table for the majority of an afternoon, I wanted to bring lunch with me.  I went to the trusty Gluten Free Travel Site and searched Burlington, VT.  It was there I stumbled upon a review for Healthy Living Market and Cafe across from the University Mall.  It was a perfect quick stop before I headed downtown for an afternoon on the waterfront of Lake Champlain.

At the risk of sounding like the dorky gluten free person I am, Healthy Living Market was amazing.  They have an entire gluten free section when you first enter the store.  I don't mean a small section of an aisle.  I mean a whole mini store within the store.  It gives G-Free NYC a run for it's money.  Here's a low quality picture I took in my excitement:

You can't really tell how amazing it is from the picture, but they have everything.  What you see here are mostly the dry goods.  There is a row of freezers all along the left hand side with only gluten free stuff.  To the right before the food there is a section with gluten free magazines and books.  In the middle there is beer and behind that fresh baked goods and bread.  Nearly every gluten free product I've ever seen was here.  I even saw (and purchased) the new New Planet beer everyone's been talking about.  I also got the Bakery on Main instant oatmeal I've been wanting to try.  Seriously, this store has everything I could ever want for my gluten free needs.

But that's not all!  That only covers the market part.  They also have a cafe with lots of gluten free goods.  I got a gluten free raspberry muffin that was great.  And then... I was able to order a sandwich from the deli for the first time since I was diagnosed with Celiac 2 years ago!

For those of you that don't know me, this is very exciting.  I miss sandwiches and being able to order them for lunch.  We had to play an icebreaker with the summer interns at my job in June.  Everyone had to write down a t-shirt slogan that describes them and then other people have to guess who's slogan goes with who.  Mine said "I miss sandwiches."  I hate icebreakers.

I wish I could tell you I loved my sandwich, but I wasn't that happy with the bread. I did really really appreciate it though.  They have a hot bar with lots of gluten free options and I hear they even have gluten free pizza sometimes.

If you are gluten free and live within an hour of this place you have to go.  Or, if you are visiting lovely Burlington, VT, make sure to stop by.  Honestly, it's better than Whole Foods.  That's right, I said it.

I've Missed You Too

From my backyard in Vermont.

I've been missing recently and it's because of a few different reasons.  First, this was my very busy season at work.  And let me tell you, it was a crazy summer.

Second, well, my brother and I have just about eaten our way through most of the gluten free restaurants in New York City.  Sure, there are some I haven't reviewed.  Some that I had nothing nice to say about.  And a few out there I'm still hoping to discover.  I've also been trying to avoid packaged foods because generally they are not as good for you, and while I'd love to eat them all, I'd also love to  fit into my "skinny" pants again.  The world is full of tough decisions.

Since May I've been to DC, Vermont five times, Montreal, Connecticut twice, Pennsylvania, a boat cruise around New York City at night, Long Island for a day at the beach, two weddings, and a baby shower in the Bronx where the mom had gone into labor the night before and missed her own shower.  I've also had my work emails synched to my phone and basically been working 24/7 since mid June.  There was also a small incident of not having a job and then having a job again a few days later.  Not only is life full of tough decisions, but it's also quite unpredictable.

But here we are again and I assure you, I have been eating all this time.  The nice man overseeing the food at the wedding I went to was able to get me a gluten free plate.  My parents make sure to have gluten free pasta and bread on hand when I get home to Vermont for the fresh pesto from the garden and sandwiches made with lettuce and tomato picked right in the back yard.

I went to my boyfriend's 5 year college reunion in Connecticut.  A college I also went to and then transferred from.  It was a lot of fun and my dear boyfriend called ahead to make sure they would have gluten free food for me.  It was about the nicest thing.  And sure enough, they did.  For every meal there were gluten free options, including a box of these on the table of snacks for the drunk people:

KinniKritters Animal Crackers

Acting like I was in college again, I proceeded to indulge in alcoholic beverages and then steal this box of animal crackers off the table meant for everyone and carry them around all night because I decided they had been bought special for me.  I'm sure they had.

Fast forward to this last weekend and said boyfriend took me on a picnic.  I've been asking him to go on a picnic for the last four years and Friday he suggested we go.  It was great.  I brought sandwiches made on Udi's bread, veggies and hummus, a fruit platter, cool ranch dorrito's, beverages, and more KinniKritters Animal Crackers.  This time I tried the graham style animal crackers, you know, to switch it up. 

Our picnic spread looked like this:

The graham style animal crackers looks like this:

I thought they were good but my boyfriend said, "These are different.  Most of the time your gluten free stuff tastes the same.  But these are different."  I disagree.  In my animal cracker expertise, the KinniKritters Animal Crackers are more like the animal crackers that used to come in tubs:

while the KinniKritters Graham Style Animal Crackers are more like the ones that used to come in the box with the handle:

See?  They each have a different taste.  Both are good, depending on your mood.  Phew, I'm glad I cleared that up.  And thank you for not mentioning that KinniKritters actually call their animal crackers "cookies".  I've been trying to ignore that.

Ok, enough for now.  As I write this I'm sitting on my front porch in Vermont.  I'm wearing long pants and a sweater.  Fall in definitely in the air.

Pappardella

I stole this picture from the internet.

My brother doesn't really go above mid-town Manhattan.  In fact, he generally tends not to go above Union Square if he doesn't have to.  But tonight I convinced him to meet me for dinner on 75th and Columbus.  Way out of his comfort zone, but since we have eaten at most of the restaurants with gluten free menus in the city, it's always nice to have somewhere new to try.

I learned about Pappardella on twitter a few weeks ago and have been excited to try it ever since (see, twitter can serve a purpose).  I've been meaning to eat healthier recently, but tonight I accidentally ate gluten free garlic bread, gluten free bruschetta with a fava bean spread, gluten free pasta bolognese, and flourless chocolate cake with hazelnut gelato and caramel sauce.  Oh, and my brother had the gluten free salmon dish and I tried some of that too.  Oops!  Don't worry, we shared it all but the pasta.

But here's the thing, with all their gluten free options, I had a hard time deciding.  The gluten free menu was huge and covered everything from appetizers and salads, to pizza and pasta, to meat and fish, to dessert.  They use Schar for their pasta, and I'm pretty sure their bread as well.  The gluten free substitutes were pretty good, but next time I would be interested in trying one of their naturally gluten free dishes such as their grilled rack of grass fed Austrailian lamb with caramelized cipollini onions, and creamy parmesan polenta, or the grilled NY strip steak served with a port wine reduction and garlic mashed potatoes.  And after that I'd like to try their pizza.

Go ahead, go to the Upper West side and give it a try.  Then let me know what you think.

The Wild Tomato

Today is my "blogiversary", as the kids say.  For those of you not so hip and with it, that means I've had this blog for a year today.  That's a pretty long time.  But at the same time, being gluten free is such a part of my life these days that sometimes it's hard to believe I've only been gluten free for a year and a half.

But anyway, I digress from the point of this post.  I'm back in Pennsylvania for work again and I stopped by The Wild Tomato in Harrisburg yesterday.  I learned about it a few months back when I was doing my initial research on gluten free restaurants in Pennsylvania.  I didn't actually need to be in Harrisburg this trip, but I had to drive through the area and was deciding between stopping at The Wild Tomato or Pizza Sorrento in Hershey. Then, I was reading my new issue of Delight Gluten Free Magazine on the train here and they coincidentally had a small blurb about The Wild Tomato from someone in the area and I just had to go.

The Wild Tomato is a small family owned and operated restaurant that does take out, delivery, and catering.  They specialize in pizza, grinders, and pastas.  97% of their menu can be made gluten free.  I tried the Little Italy gluten free pizza.  It was great.  What I especially liked about it was the tomato sauce.  I'd also be interested in trying the Sausage and Peppers pasta and one of the sandwiches.

For those of you that only like to eat at certified gluten free restaurants, this place is certified by the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG) and seems to really understand and care about food allergies.  Between the good food, friendly staff, and gluten free assurances of this place, I would definitely come back. I suggest you try it too.

Harrison's Restaurant - Hilton Garden Inn State College

I'm in State College for a few days for more business meetings.  I'm watching the whole Penn State scandal unfold on TV as it unfolds outside my window.  Because my meeting isn't until this evening, I was going to drive to Philipsburg to have lunch at the 1921 Restaurant in the Philips Hotel.  I found this place on the Gluten Free Travel Site as well.  Alas, due to the rain and my general laziness, I decided to just stay in my hotel all day.

It turns out that the restaurant in the Hilton Garden Inn where I'm staying also has gluten free options on their menu.  I was unnaturally excited when I noticed this.  I was having a hard time deciding between the Quinoa Risotto, the Mesclun Greens with Rosemary Chicken Salad, and the Modern Waldorf Salad, but the waiter suggested the chicken salad and I was sold.  I was tempted to get a soup to go with it, but decided against it.  They have at least two gluten free soups each day.  At dinner they also have a few gluten free dishes and gluten free pasta.  Having gluten free options is so nice for gluten free guests at the hotel.  I would stay here again just knowing that I could eat safely and well.

I'd also try the Philips Hotel if I was in the area again.  Any one know of other hotels with gluten free eating options?  Not just in PA, but anywhere?

Bella Frutteto

Normal people book their hotels near where they need to be.  I book mine near restaurants I want to try (within reason).  I flew into Pittsburgh two weekends ago and I needed to be in Butler the next afternoon for a meeting.  I booked my hotel somewhere between the Pittsburgh Airport and Butler so I could eat at Bella Frutteto, which I found on the Gluten Free Travel Site.

I went to Bella Frutteto on a Saturday night by myself.  I was feeling very brave.  And hungry.  When I finally found Bella Frutteto it reminded me a lot of my parent's restaurant Sarducci's.  It was busy so I decided to eat at the bar and pretended to watch the football game.  The reason I wanted to try Bella Fruttto was because they have a huge gluten free menu.  After much deliberation I ordered the Sausage and Chicken Pasta with a side Spinach Salad.  They were both really good.  I started with the salad which had granny smith apples, gorgonzola, and walnuts.  The pasta had chicken, sausage, mozzarella, and a tomato cream sauce over gluten free pasta.  It was amazing.  I'm craving it again now as I write this post.  If I ever have the opportunity to go back I'd love to try the Harvest Chicken Salad or Balsamic Chicken.

If you ever find yourself within an hour radius of Wexford, PA, I highly suggest you stop by this place.

Relish

*I have learned that Relish is now closed.* - March 2013

I found Relish on the Gluten Free Travel Site and made a point of going when I was in Allentown, PA.  They have so many gluten free options for breakfast, lunch, and dinner that I was sad I only had the time to go once.

For such a casual place, the menu is pretty impressive.  For breakfast they have pancakes, french toast, waffles, omelets, and eggs benedict.  For lunch they have numerous salads and sandwiches.  At dinner they add on some appetizers and entrees.

I was bound and determined to get the mac and cheese, and seeing as it was only a side dish, I got the Thai Cobb Salad to go along with it.  The salad had mango, coconut, peanuts, snow peas, and carrots on a bed of lettuce.  It was different and fun.  The macaroni and cheese, unfortunately, wasn't as good as I was hoping for.  It consisted of globby gluten free pasta with some cheese on it.  I was expecting more of a bechamel cheese sauce, but I guess I was just hoping for my mom's mac and cheese and that's not really fair.  For dessert I got some amazing cheesecake to go from Moondance Desserts.

Despite not loving the mac and cheese, there are so many other things at Relish I want to try: blueberry pancakes, eggs benedict, asian pear salad, fresh grilled chicken wrap, southern pulled pork sandwich, pizza, mini potato pancakes, crab cakes, mozzarella sticks, tropical tilapia, pork chops, gluten free ravioli, and pretty much everything else.  I can't wait until my next meeting in the Allentown area.  I'll definitely be stopping by Relish again.

Olive Garden

The second food stop on my Pennsylvania gluten free eating tour business trip was the Olive Garden in Lancaster.  I used to like the Olive Garden ok pre-gluten free.  I was a bit spoiled growing up seeing as my parents own an Italian restaurant and all, but you can't go too wrong with pasta.  Unless, of course, it's gluten free pasta.

The Olive Garden has a gluten free menu, but while their regular menu boasts several different choices, the gluten free menu only has a few: two salads, two pasta dishes that are basically the same, salmon, steak, chicken, or a combo of steak and chicken if you are feeling really wild.

I got the pasta because I wanted to try their gluten free pasta.  It was extremely disappointing.  It seemed as though they made a batch of gluten free pasta that morning and kept it all day long just waiting for someone to order it.  That someone was me, and I was not happy.  Not only was it old, but the portion was small and the pasta fell apart.

While my experience wasn't very good, I'd give the Olive Garden another shot.  Next time I'll try a more metropolitan location where they are more likely to serve more than one gluten free person a week.

Has anyone else attempted gluten free at Olive Garden?  Success or failure?

Deliso Pizza

My first gluten free stop on my Pennsylvania work adventure was Deliso Pizza in Gettysburg.  My man friend agreed to come on this road trip with me, but unbeknownst to us, it was fall weekend at Gettysburg College and all the hotels in town were booked.  After much searching I finally found a room at the Motel 6.  We checked in on a Saturday afternoon and I had to run off to my work meeting.  I left him in a room that felt dirty, damp, and smelled like pool.  The reason for the pool smell was that the indoor pool and hot tub were right on the other side of our room's window.  It was weird, but I had to run.

After my meeting, where the hostess graciously made a full gluten free lunch for me, I picked up my man friend and we went to see the sights of Gettysburg.  We went on a tour of the Shriver House and checked out the National Cemetery where we saw where Lincoln made his Gettysburg Address.

After all this cultural history it was time for some dinner.  We drove a mile or so outside of town to Deliso Pizza.  It is a very casual pizza place where families were eating pizza and police offers were having some subs.  My man friend and I decided to get some food to go.  They had gluten free baked ziti and I was sold immediately.  We decided to get a six pack of Woodchuck hard cider and really make a party out of that old Motel 6.  I was very happy with my baked ziti.  It's just the kind of thing I used to order from takeout before my gluten free days.  I missed it in my life.  Matched with the Woodchuck Cider and Boardwalk Empire on the lap top, it was a very successful evening.  We even went in the hot tub and prayed not to catch the clap.

If you ever find yourself in Gettysburg, PA, I recommend you stop by Deliso for some gluten free baked ziti, or pizza if that's your thing.

Rubirosa

I've been to Rubirosa twice now.  It's a cute little Italian place in SoHo.  Dark and cozy, it's a good spot for a fall or winter evening dinner.  The hostesses are a bit sassy, but if you ignore them then it's a pleasant place.

Their gluten free menu isn't on the website, but they do have a separate menu.  There are several appetizers, entrees, homemade pastas, and pizzas.  I've tried the meatball and mozzarella stick appetizers.  The meatballs were good and you really can't go wrong with fried cheese.  I'd also like to try the rice balls.

When I went last night I had the sausage ragu penne for my entree.  It was really good.  The other time I went I had the chicken parmesan.  The portion was quite large and it was definitely enough for two meals.  Next time I go, and there will be a next time, maybe I'll try the pizza.

This place is great because it's good Italian food for gluten and gluten free eaters alike.

Anyone else been here?  How's the pizza?

Bistango Restaurant

I've been to Bistango a few times now.  In fact, it was one of the very first restaurants I tried after going gluten free.  They are very aware of food allergies and ask upon seating if anyone in your party has any food allergies.  While the menu isn't huge, they specialize in Italian food and have plenty of dishes to choose from.  Just about everything on the menu can be modified to be gluten free, including the pasta dishes.

I went last night and when I told them I had a gluten allergy they promptly brought me some toasted gluten free bread with my own garlic and olive oil.  My man friend's fresh gluten filled bread looked much better, but that's ok.  On Monday nights they have a slightly different menu that is a little bit cheaper.  I like this because while their food is good, it is a little bit above my average night out's price range.  I got the Baked Lasagna with Short Rib Bolognese.  To make it gluten free they modified it by serving the same ingredients over gluten free penne.  It was really good.  My man friend had the Grilled Salmon and enjoyed his as well.  They also have fresh gluten free pasta which I think would be interesting to try.

Overall, Bistango is a pretty good choice for gluten free Italian food in the city.  They do charge $2 more for gluten free penne, but a lot of places do that.  I also just noticed they have gluten free pancakes during brunch, so I will definitely be back to try them at some point.

Tinkyada Pasta

Tinkyada is my favorite brand of gluten free pasta, even if I can't spell it.  I've had their spaghetti, penne, fusilli, elbows, and lasagna noodles.  I've been very happy with all of them.  Tinkyada is brown rice pasta and has a better consistency than most gluten free pastas I've tried.  Their packaging is very colorful and has funny bunnies and sayings on it, which naturally makes it more fun.  A letter on their website from 6 year old Christopher pretty much sums up how I feel about it:

"Hello, My name is Christopher.  I am six years.  I want to tell you I like your rice pasta.  It is very good and yummy for my tubby.  As I am not to have any wheat so I like your rice as it is different kinds.  Thanks you very much and my tummy thanks you too.  Your friend, Christopher.
P.S. My grandma is printing this for me because I can't write or spell too good yet.  But I told her what to write.  C.B."

Tinkyada is available at most health food/specialty stores at a relatively good price.

S'MAC

Sometimes you just need some mac and cheese in your life.  S'MAC is there for you during these times.  Located in the east village, S'MAC offers several variations of mac and cheese to please every palate.  They even let you create your own if you so desire.  And, great news, they offer gluten free macaroni.  Not only that, but their bechamel sauce doesn't contain wheat flour and their bread crumbs are made out of gluten free corn flakes.

I've been to S'MAC a few times and always manage to leave feeling a little bit sick from too much mac and cheese.  Probably the Nosh (smallest) size would be enough, but when you are there and hungry the Major Munch (medium) seems like a necessity.  Don't worry, the walk back to Union Square after gives you some time to digest and get those cheese legs moving.

Mmm mac and cheese.

Update 1/25/2014: S'MAC now also has a Murray Hill location on 33rd Street between Lexington and 3rd.  Also, I have really smartened up in my old age and now always get the Nosh.

Risotteria

Risotteria is hands down the most well known gluten free restaurant in New York City.  I have been several times, even before I knew what gluten was or that I couldn't eat it.  The food is excellent, whether you are gluten free or not.  But, if you are gluten free, you are in some luck.  Risotteria has pizzas, paninis, pastas, salads, desserts, and of course, risotto.  Almost everything on the menu can be made gluten free.

Risotteria is located in the West Village where I am bound to get lost every time.  But, once you find this small bustling restaurant, it's worth it.  To start they bring you the most delicious gluten free bread sticks.  These are the standard bread sticks for everyone, gluten eating or not.  Then you have the daunting task of deciding what to order.  I've tried several of the risottos, a few pizzas, a few salads, and the meatball appetizer.  I've never had something I didn't like here.  This is a perfect restaurant to order a few different dishes and share with your lovely companions.  I've heard great things about the desserts, but I've never had the room to eat any desserts after a hefty portion of creamy risotto.

The only problem with this restaurant is that it's very small and they do not accept reservations.  With a seating capacity of 20, it's best to arrive early and with only one friend.  I highly recommend this place - especially in the fall or winter when the risotto can warm you from the inside out.

Mozzarelli's Pizza

I've been meaning to try Mozzarelli's for a long time now.  Today, after my unfortunate lunch experience, I decided it was a good day to try it.  Mozzarelli's is a regular New York pizza place with a pizza counter and a few seats.  They serve pizzas, pastas, salads, calzones, and desserts.  They also have gluten free pizzas, pastas, salads (of course), and desserts.  There were three gluten free choices: cheese, pepperoni, and veggie.  I got one pepperoni and one veggie slice.

Look I actually took a picture.

The pizza was surprisingly good!  In fact, it was the second best gluten free pizza I've ever had (the pizza I had in Albany still places #1 in my book).  Not only that, but they had a huge selection of gluten free desserts from My Dad's Cookies.  I had never tried any of these products before so of course I had to try something.  It was a tough decision between the cake and the cookies, but I decided to try the black and white cookies.  They were pretty good.  In general I'm not sure who needs dessert with their pizza, but that's ok.

My favorite part of this place is that it really is just a regular casual pizza place.  I haven't been able to stop for a slice like this in almost a year.  I'll be back, and next time I plan on trying the gluten free baked ziti.  Mmm.