Gluten Free In New York

I have been in America for the last 2 weeks and spent a week in New York City… this was my second time there this year and I LOVE it. Not only is it one of the best cities in the world, but it’s a hub for gluten free food – pretty much everyone knows what you are talking about when you mention the words ‘gluten free’ or ‘coeliac’ (‘celiac’ – is how the US spell it!). Now I am back, I wanted to share with you a few places I would recommend if you are planning a trip to NYC:

Harlem Tavern – 2153 Frederick Douglass Blvd at 116th Street, New York, NY 10026

If you are down that neck of the woods, check out the Harlem Tavern – everything is labelled with a crossed grain symbol on the menu so makes choosing super easy and this place is really cool even if you are just stopping by for an afternoon drink and a snack (the french fries are gluten free!). I had chicken skewers and the mahi-mahi salad.

Senza Gluten – 206 Sullivan Street, New York

Okay this one might just be my favourite – an Italian restaurant and the ENTIRE menu is gluten free. EVERYTHING!! It took me ages to decide what to have because everything sounded so good! They do pastas, breads, bruschetta – everything a coeliac dreams of! Take a look at the full menu here. This restaurant is also located in one of my favourite NYC areas, Greenwich Village. I had the breaded chicken and pasta (full of carbs!!!) such a novelty for a coeliac! Also see below the bruschetta, lamb, swordfish and GF biscotti biscuits!

Keste – 271 Bleecker St, New York, NY 10014

Authentic wood-fired pizzas with a full separate GF menu! Keste is rated one of the best pizza places in the city, gluten free or not! They have a separate oven for gluten free pizzas to avoid cross contamination. Not big or fancy, just a perfect traditional NYC pizzeria experience. Seriously tasty!! We didn’t get chance to visit the place directly across the street ‘Risotteria‘ which boasts itself as the ‘pioneers of gluten free dining‘ – so this one is definitely on the hit list for next time!!

Tenth Avenue Cookshop – 156th Tenth Avenue, 20th Street, NY 10011

One of our next stops was Cookshop. This food was amazing! I only ordered a chicken salad and wasn’t expecting much but it really was fantastic, the chicken was cooked and seasoned to perfection and the plate was lined with kale, radishes, cucumber and onions. SO good. We popped by straight after coming off the highline, and it is a perfect lunch spot with outdoor and indoor seating. This melon (cantaloupe) refresher also had to get a mention, this was non-alcoholic and was simply gorgeous to cool down on a hot day.

Crepes Du Nord – 17 South William Street, Manhattan, NY 10004

These were AMAZING – tasted just like normal crepes. My mum even had a gluten free one too and couldn’t taste the difference! We split a raspberry & chocolate and a plain lemon & sugar. They have restaurants on Staten Island and Bridgewater Commons if you ever in the areas.

Untamed Sandwiches –  43 West 39th Street, NY, NY 10018

We arrived just before 12pm, and it is a good job we did! This is a hot spot for a NYC worker to grab a sandwich and take it back to the office… and I can see why. The fillings in these sandwiches were like no other and it was amazing to find they offered their specialties on GF rolls too. A rustic little setting with wooden walls and furniture and the menu on a blackboard, I loved it! I had the ‘General Zapata’ on a gluten free roll, and if you look at the menu, here, you will see it is just as awesome as it sounds. It is right next to Bryant Park, so we grabbed a sandwich and sat in the sun… highly advise you to do the same! 🙂

Big Daddies – [Multiple locations]

I found this place online before I went, and they also have multiple locations on either side of central park. They did GF waffles / pancakes / buns – pretty much everything on the menu can be made gluten free. This was my first EVER gluten free waffle and it was heaven!!! We ended up going twice for breakfast as it was soooo tasty. It was such a fun classic American diner, brightly coloured, old school music and super friendly staff! You have to stop by, gluten free or not!!

Locations:

• Gramercy Park: 239 Park Avenue South New York, NY 10003
• Upper East Side: 1596 2nd Ave New York, NY 10028
• Upper West Side: 2454 Broadway New York NY 10024

Red Rooster – (Harlem) 310 Malcolm X Blvd, New York, NY 10027

A Harlem hot spot for locals with live music and soul food on the menu – it is definitely worth a visit! The restaurant is famous for its atmosphere and fantastic food, and can cater to gluten free requirements. You will most likely need to book approximately a week in advance as it is a very popular location. I had the steak, on a layer of sauteed spinach and spring onions (scallions) on the top. Delicious!

The Dubliner – 45 Stone Street, New York, NY 10004

Located in the financial district of NYC, this bar serves top quality food. Burgers in particular. I chowed down on a gluten free cheeseburger, with the bun! The substitute bread they used was delicious, so I would highly recommend stopping by if you are in that area. The street the restaurant is located on is great and I loved the outdoor seating, definitely a top hangout for after work drinks / food. It was very lively with a fun, laid back atmosphere.

I also picked up a couple of fresh juices along the way, I always feel so healthy having a fresh juice / smoothie in the morning, it gives you such a boost… and most are naturally gluten free! You can find a juice shop on nearly every street in New York! Woo!

I wanted to mention a free app I used whilst I was away, that proved very useful! It is called  ‘Find Me Gluten Free’ – it is great for on the go, it will take your current location and find everywhere nearby that offers gluten free options, including menus, ratings, reviews, directions and contact information. This definitely works better in America than it does in England, so if you are GF and heading across the pond I would have a look into it. Find out more here.

I hope this gives you a few places to consider for your next trip to the big apple, for both the sweet and savoury palettes! After eating at all of these places I had no adverse reactions / side effects and found that NYC in general was especially careful with gluten free eaters. I would highly recommend visiting if you haven’t already, this was my third time back and it never disappoints!

Enjoy!

K

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