New York City

Ruby Foo’s

Ruby Foo’s

On our last day in New York City, we grabbed a quick bite at Ruby Foo’s for lunch, an upscale Pan-Asian restaurant conveniently located next to Theater District. We had tickets to a matinee showing of Wicked that afternoon at the Gershwin Theater, which was just around the block! This was not my first time dining at Ruby Foo’s- it was actually my third. They do have a gluten-free menu (the link will lead you to the Menus and Food tab, click on “Ruby Foo’s Full Menu” and the ninth page of the pdf file has the gluten-free menu), but none of their sushi are listed. So, if you are interested in sushi, do ask your server and he or she will be able to identify which ones are gluten-free. I had vegetable roll, which consisted of cucumber, avocado, and asparagus. And upon request, I was a gluten-free soy sauce. For a quick dessert (we were in a hurry to get to the show), I had a scoop of Vietnamese coffee ice cream. As far as I recall, this is the best coffee ice cream I’ve had. It’s even better than Starbucks Java Chip Frappuccino Ice Cream, which is really saying something!

Anyways, if you are dining with friends or family who are nor restricted to a gluten-free diet, I know my family enjoyed the dim-sum.

Cheers!

Anika

Rue 57

Here at Rue 57, a breakfast, lunch, and dinner joint in New York City, we enjoyed a late breakfast after a long morning. We had been standing in line for the Good Morning America Summer Series Concert since around 6 am. We had the pleasure of seeing Imagine Dragons perform at Rumsey Playfield in Central Park! Although we had to be up bright and early, every minute of sleep lost was worth it!

Now, breakfast can be a tricky meal for those of us who are gluten-free. When ordering a la carte, it’s hard to find a dish that is completely gluten-free. So, just ask for one or two ideas to be swapped here and there to create a meal of your choice. In simpler terms, just improvise. The dish I ordered was originally smoked salmon and capers on a whole grain bagel served with cream cheese. I simply asked for the bagel to be substituted with grilled tomatoes. When searching for gluten-free substitutes, a good place to start is the eggs, breakfast sausages, bacon, potatoes, cold cuts, fresh fruit, and yogurt. Now, I can’t guarantee all of these options will be gluten-free at every diner, but it’s a starting point to identify what you may wish to ask if it truly is free of gluten.

Anyways, breakfasts and brunches tend to be easier when it is buffet style, but it is possible to find options a la carte as well! Hopefully that gave you some insight as to eating breakfast out on a gluten-free diet, and I would suggest catching one of Good Morning America’s concerts before summer slips out from under our feet!

Cheers!

Anika

Molyvos

After a long day of roaming in and out shops in Times Square, we all agreeded to dining at Greek joint called Molyvos. This typically busy restaurant was having a slow evening because of the fireworks for the Fourth of July! Our intentions were to grab a bite and head back to Time Square and towards the pier to see the renowed fireworks. Unfortunately we didn’t make it because we were enjoying such a great meal!

There was no gluten-free menu, but the waiter was well informed and double-checked everything with a superior. I started out by having a cured salmon tapas (bite-sized) followed by grilled apricots with haloumi cheese, which was shared by the family. The apricots were rather exotic, well at least that’s what I thought until I ordered my entrée. I decided to be adventurous and ordered an appetizer portion of grilled octopus! I do wish it was minced or at least cut up a little, but it wasn’t. I will spare you the details. However, the sucker was surprisingly delicious! And last but not least: dessert. I had an ice cream taster that consisted of two scoops of almond praline and one of honey vanilla. I would go back just for that almond praline ice cream!

I would strongly encourage you to dine at Molyvos if you are in NYC and particularly in Times Square. The restaurant is located in Midtown West so it’s not much of a hike from the bustling touristy areas. Please check it out!

Cheers!

Anika