Gluten Free in NYC!
Tour guide Alison Rose Munn here! I love to travel but I’m also allergic to a bunch of foods which at times makes travel HARD. I have to avoid gluten, shellfish, and strawberries. If I don’t I could end up in the hospital and no one wants to deal with that while enjoying a holiday Sometimes my travel companions understand, sometimes they don’t. But I have not let that stop me from exploring the world! My current count is 42 countries and 49 US States.
Here’s a few stories before jumping into a few tips and recommendations I have for NYC:
During a trip two years ago a friend’s boyfriend wanted to dine at a certain restaurant but it turned out they did not have a single gluten free option. I’m not joking, I asked about the risotto which is usually a safe option and the server turned up his nose, saying, “Of course there’s wheat flour in the risotto.” I said, that’s okay, I’ll eat somewhere else, you folks enjoy. But my friend insisted we all eat together. Her boyfriend got frustrated because he wanted to eat there and walked off. As someone with food allergies I had one of those moments of, I know this is my fault, but I didn’t chose to have this allergy and wished he would understand.
Last year I was traveling through the UK with a friend who is very aware of my food allergies and the fact that I’m also hypoglycemic. She picked me up from the airport with a bag full of gluten free snacks, asking if I was hungry after my flight. When we arrived at her flat she started pulling more gluten free food out of her fridge as we repacked for a trek north. I can’t express how much my heart exploded, realizing just how much work she had done before my arrival.
Earlier this month I traveled to France to visit with friends. At each stop they insisted on being the host and finding a restaurant that could accommodated me. They did their research, they truly did. On an evening in Metz they had planned for a vegan place that got great reviews on gluten free websites. It turned out the place had changed their menu since the online posts they had found. “It’s okay, we’ll find a place,” they kept saying, after three more failed restaurant attempts I said, “There’s a crêpe place down the street, can we just go there?” “But crêpes are pancakes!!” one of my friends exclaimed to which I replied, “But done in the proper French style the savory ones are made with buckwheat which, despite the name, is gluten free.” The savory ones are officially called galettes and it slightly amused me that I could be with French people in France and they themselves didn’t know what the ingredients were. As we walked to the restaurant my stressed out friend said, “I’m starting to understand just how hard it is for people with food allergies. I’ve only dealt with this for the three days you are here and you live it every day of your life!”
New York City, in all honesty, is not the friendliest when it comes to food allergies. Many of the restaurants here simply don’t need to cater to allergies to receive enough business so they don’t bother. I’ve often found that small towns have cafes and restaurants that do a better job at recognizing allergies, usually because someone in the community has one. But! NYC is very doable, with a bit of pre-planning! Below are a few tips:
1. Research restaurants before traveling and make reservations when possible! Unfortunately with food allergies it’s harder to just sit down anywhere. A simple googlemaps search of “gluten free” in different neighborhoods will bring up options. I also love exploring gluten free bogs. And I use the app linked below as a jumping point. However! Don’t take anything you find for it’s word. Email or call any restaurant you find to check on their gluten free options and to ensure the restaurant is still in business. I know, it’s extra work, but it’s worth it. My friends in France said that they usually call and didn’t bother with the initial restaurant they’d found, that obviously did’t turn out well!
2. If English is not your first language download an allergy card in English. This will make it easier to communicate your allergy to a server. There are many sites and many blogs that offer these, some for a cost, some for free. Here’s a free one to check out:
3. Consider booking accommodations with a kitchen, or at least a fridge. I know it’s fun to eat out in a new place but through all my years of travels with food allergies I’ve found that sometimes just making food for myself is the easiest way to get me through the day. There are plenty of delis and groceries around NYC where one can pick up a meal to go, admittedly my favorite is Whole Foods simply because I know what they will have, but there are plenty of other local joints worth checking out!! The catch with making your own food - many places you may be visiting won’t let you inside with food. In that case, just bring snacks and if they ask why, tell them it’s a medical reason, that you can’t eat the food inside the venue, that has so far always worked for me (but also be prepared to throw away your snacks).
4. NYC has cuisines from around the world - many of them naturally have gluten free foods!! And so your trip can be a great way to explore foods that may not be common in your hometown!! My favorite is Ethiopian (just be sure to ask for GF teff as in the USA it’s often cut with wheat). Other favorite go-tos are Indian, Cuban, Thai, Peruvian, to name a few more!
5. A FEW FAVORITE RESTAURANTS!
ETHIOPIAN: Haile on Avenue B (East Village)
SOUTH INDIAN: NY Dosa (food cart in Washington Sq Park)
COLOMBIAN: Nada’s Empanadas (Greenwich Village / Smorgasburg food truck)
KOREAN BBQ: Jongro BBQ (Herald Sq / Little Korea)
CHINESE: Wei West (Lower Manhattan)
MEXICAN: Covacha (Upper West Side)
PERUVIAN: Pollo D’Oro (Brooklyn Heights, Brooklyn)
PIZZA: Love & Dough (Dumbo, Brooklyn)
BAGELS: Modern Bread & Bagel (100% GF!!)
DINER: Galaxy Diner (Hell’s Kitchen)
SANDWICHES: The Grey Dog (multiple locations)
AMERICAN: Friedman’s Restaurant (multiple locations)
BURGERS & CHICKEN: Schnipper’s (Times Sq)
COOKIES: Schmackary’s (Times Sq)
CUPCAKES: Molly’s Cupcakes (Greenwich Village)
In a pinch?
Shake Shack has joints throughout the city, has options for GF buns
Little Beat is a local chain, most of their options are naturally GF
Le Pain Quotidien is another chain, features GF salads and soups
Wanna take in a ballgame: Citi Field has GF options!
And heading to Miss Liberty? The cafes on Liberty Island and Ellis Island have great GF options!
For more recommendations please contact us for a gluten free food tour of NYC! Happy Trails!
Gluten free image by <a href="http://www.nyphotographic.com/">Nick Youngson</a> <a rel="license" href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/">CC BY-SA 3.0</a> <a href="http://pix4free.org/">Pix4free</a>