Sans Gluten : Week 5: NYC You're Such a Tease

New York City has always been one of my favorite places in the whole entire world, and being gluten-free in it is a piece of cake! As it is in any bigger city or "trendy" city, what makes it easy is when people understand what it means to be gluten-free, and don't look at you crazy. There are bakeries, entire restaurants, bakeries, food trucks, and extensive gluten-free restaurants it is wonderful!!!

I want you now walk you guys through all meals that I had in NYC so you can see that I really can fairly noramlly...

DAY 1, I get off the plane uber late and my friend takes me to one of his favorite restaurant Northeast Kingdom 18 Wyckoff Avenue, New York, New York. And every single thing was delicious. This restaurant is all about using local ingredients which is something I think every local restaurant should strive to do, it is so important to support the local farmers they are the unsung hero. Also their menu changes seasonally so you have to keep checking back which is fantastic!

Yes, that is cinnamon sugar on the rim!

For an appetizer we ordered two:

1. Hudson Valley Foie Gras
(Pickled Apple, Apple Butter)

2. Mixed Green Salad
Dressing was to die for

Hudson Valley Duck Breast
(Jewel Garret Sweet Potatoes, Frisee, Autumn Radish)

After seeing my first meal, you guys might realize that you might eat a gluten-free meal from time to time and not even realize it! And look this is clearly not a meal that is missing any components, or just eating Rabbit Food!

Day 2 I got up and was ready for a day that was full of events because my friend told me he was going to have smorgasbord of things for us to I was really excited, I have never been in Brooklyn before. Well I misunderstood him but I wasn't disappointed we went to SMORGASBURG, which OMG dear lord... it blew my mine, so it is right on the water with an amazing view of Manhattan and there are tents, upon, tents upon tents of all of these different food vendors!! Over the years it has grown bigger and bigger. And if you guys are ever in NYC you have to go check this out!

I am not going to lie to y'all and say that I love being gluten-free all the time because it is times like this and at Fairs that I wish I could try any food that I wanted.

Smorgasburg= Mind Blown

I had no idea this could be a business?!

I could eat thiss!!!!
It was an Ahi Tuna Corn Taco. It was delicious

Red Hook Lobster Pound

Stuffed Eggplant!! GF

The Red Hook Lobster Pound is voted the number one food truck in America, and if someone had asked me what I thought the number one food truck in America was selling Lobster would be the last thing I would have guessed. In the picture I got the Maine Lobster roll and they made it GF but just replacing the bun with lettuce and let me tell it was cooked perfectly. The only down side was that is was a touch pricy for what you would expect to spend a place like this but I think it was worth the $16.

Then Oysters are some of my favorite things... and I am not sure that I have ever knowingly tasted different Oysters side by side. So this was interesting because they all had such a distinct taste them.. I just wish I could remember what the one I liked was called.

There are three pairs of different types of Oysters

The View of Manhattan

Amazing Maple Lemonade

I would like to buy this machine please!!

So while at Smorgasburg I saw these amazing slushies that people had and wanted to get one but the line was too long... Well we went to this really cool rood top bar after and they had them but with alcohol is then and OMG beyond good!!! It was not the not normal frozen drinks that people had, this one was not over sugary which was fantastic.

Arnold Palmer ALL THE WAY

763 9th Ave #1 New York, NY 10019

Day 3 Okay so one thing that Winston- Salem, NC is really missing is place that you can get quality food late night... The closest that we have ever gotten since I have been at school here is Breakfast of Course being open till 3am Thursday - Sunday, and for some god forsaken reason that stopped! Well I found my favorite late night place to eat and drink in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood... Empanada Mama which I went to twice on my short trip to the City.... They are open for 24/7 have Sangria that is incredible, a pitcher could knock a grown man on their ass... the Red is the only one I tried and would ever, but it also comes in white. And then the Empanadas are incredible and they have about ten different types that come in a corn tortilla, which = GF!!!!! Last but not least when you go there you cannot forget to get the guacamole that comes with plantain chips , its to die for! I am not sure if I could imagine a place better than this for late night eating! And its make it EVEN better its cheap!

When I was in Paris I found one of the best Gluten-Free Bakeries, and I was hoping that in NYC I would find one just as good or possibly close and I am sad to say I was kind of disappointed! I was reading reviews for it and they are know their doughnuts, and I was not too impressed... the doughnut part was good but it was ruined for me with the mixture of cinnamon-sugar , there was something off about it... The only bake good that I would go back for the Coffee Cake!

Hellfire

Day 4 After a perfect morning that included coffee, shopping, and walking the High Line. I had the delicious lunch at a fairly new restaurant The Chester located in the Meatpacking District. I had a Skewer of Sea Bass, and Crispy Kale with Pine Nuts and Mushrooms, it was the perfect size and the flavors were exquisite. Then I had their signature jalapeno infused cocktail a Hellfire, if you have never tried a drink that contains jalapeno I strongly suggest it! With this one they used a agave syrup to cut the jalapeno a touch but there is still that spicy bit. And their ice in the drink a just one huge cube of ice it was awesome!

Sea Bass and Kale

Later that night we went out and on the way back the apartment everyone in the group stopped and got a bagel or a slice of pizza.. I was sad, damn you Gluten this is another time I wish that I could have anything!!

All the yummy bagel sandwiches I couldn't have

It's too sad, I cant talk about how much I wanted this

Day 5 Sushi is one of my all time favorite things if you have not been able to gather that by now. My best friend and I ran into the first place we saw just so we could get out of the rain and we picked a spot that was having a terrific happy hour!

I am going to walk you through the way that I look at a menu... Edamame I can have, so I got it! The String Bean Tempura I can't have because tempura is breading. All the sauces used in the chicken and Pepper dishes contain gluten. Spring rolls I can't have because of the wrapping. The Filet Mignon has sauce that contains gluten. The fish tacos and everything else down I can not have because of breading and/or the sauce. The rolls: I can't have the California Roll if they use imitation crab but I never order that anyways, The Spicy Tuna roll has spicy mayo in it and that had gluten in it, so the waitress told me I could order it with Sriracha sauce for the spice, and thats what i did, and it was perfect. Then the Crunchy Spicy Salmon I cant have because of the crunchiness that has gluten! And then the Haru Wasabi was completely safe for me to have so I ordered that too!

I know it seems to you guys that I couldn't eat a lot on the menu but I got everything I wanted!

Perfect Rainy Day Food

Elderflower- Cucumber Crunch

They had amazing drink specials too so I ordered the Elderflower- Cucumber Crunch: Hendrick's gin, St- Germain elderflower liqueur, fresh cucumber and lime. It was crisp, refreshing, and I love Elderflower. If you have never tried it I strongly encourage you to try it!

For dinner I got pad thai that had to altered a bit to be gluten-free, but the restaurant was more than accommodating. This was not just any normal pad thai like you get here this one was called Room Service Pad Thai: Same style as the famous pad thai found on the sidewalks near the ratchanatda temple. also added are fresh mangoes infused with signature pink coconut beet sauce. sauteed glass vermicelli with big shrimps, mixed seafood, brown tofu, bean sprouts, scallions, crushed peanuts, tamarind juice and wrapped in a egg white omelet

It was amazing!!!!!