my friend was in town from boston, and we made plans to meet up for dinner in the village. it was one of those dreary, rainy, spring nights, last week. all i wanted to do was to get out of my work clothes, throw on some comfortable shoes, and grab a pizza and piece of chocolate cake—what a perfect evening. nothing better than catching up with a girlfriend over comfort food and comfy clothes. but wait. something just seems wrong with this scene… ah, yes, i’m in nyc, the national capital of impeccably stylish, yet outrageously uncomfortable shoes, and… i can’t eat wheat. already the evening had taken a turn for the worse. i actually don’t mind finding some
gluten-free options on random dining menus, but when i have visitors sometimes i just want to enjoy, and not have to rethink the menu options.luckily for us (not our feet) we were in new york. i hopped on citysearch.com for some gluten free options, and i looked up the address to risotteria restaurant—the gluten free eatery that recently won raves from the new york times. i’ve wanted to go to this place for so long. it is truly a gluten-free gold mind. seriously--- there’s gf pizza menu. when is the last time
you actually ordered gluten-free pizza in a restaurant? well, i did just the other day, sicilian style crust none-the-less. it was delicious, and filling. both my friend, who by the way has no aversion to gluten, and i thoroughly enjoyed our meals. to begin with, they offered gluten free breadsticks before we ordered, crispy on the outside and warm and soft inside. i was so excited i had to take a photo of the breadsticks as i was eating them. admittedly, by the time the entrees came, i was so engrossed by the food that i forgot take some pics before i started chowing down. when i thought of it, i have already done too much damage to the food. (please note the photos are from the web site).we split a veggie pizza for an appetizer, and then we both ordered our own entrees of risotto, of course. there was so much food that was so rich, we took home leftovers.risotteria comes highly recommended for both the gluten-free and non-gluten people out there. it is a quaint restaurant with a great location, right on bleecker street, and truly friendly service. it was a wonderful eating experience. you can buy rice pasta there too! additionally, there are desserts ranging from brownies to apple pie.
by the time the check came around, we were so filled up; we thought it necessary to walk some of our dinner off. we headed down bleecker street in search of a café to end the evening with a warm cup of tea. there are a lot of options on bleecker street. but we ended up in café angelique, which came equipped with antique chairs, with heart-shaped backs, and a menu that is hard to resist. despite our stomachs, we ordered more treats. i did not plan on having dessert, but when i perused the menu, my eyes fixated on the chocolate irish whisky cake (wheat free). at this point in my life, when i see anything wheat free, i am inclined to purchase it. so, that is what i did. it was decadent, rich, smooth, and worth every sinful bite (i went back for another piece over the weekend—it’s that good).
photos from risotteria web site
