Eating out while gluten-free is one of the most hellish layers of the Inferno. I know I know, Dante doesn’t mention it a whole lot, but trust me, it’s a special kind of torture. Whether your affliction is an intolerance, a dietary choice or you’re full-blown Celiac, you know what it’s like to go out to dinner and be grateful to find even one gluten-free item on a menu! Don’t you wish you could eat out somewhere and have options, as in, plural, more than one, like, options? Well, you’re in luck: at these Brooklyn eateries, you are Free To Be Gluten-Free.
You may have cut out gluten from your life, but you don’t have to give up having great meals in local restaurants. If you’re tired of being relegated to choosing between iffy french fries and a salad sans croutons, make a special trip to one of these places. Your digestive tract will thank you. Go forth and dine.
Charlotte Patisserie
596 Manhattan Ave., Greenpoint
If you’ve been watching The Great British Bake Off on Netflix with a single, silent tear of FOMO rolling down your cheek, you need to get your “soggy bottom” to Charlotte Patisserie in Greenpoint. The name of the game here is exotic and beautiful baked goods that go beyond the usual selection of GF muffins and macarons (but they have those, too). I fell hard for the ‘Romantica,’ a sandwich of merengue, plums, and coffee buttercream which is as tart and sassy as Mary Berry herself. But it’s the “Cloud Cake” that, I’m told, flies off the shelf come weekends. It’s a layered concoction of mascarpone and crunchy merengue with seasonal fruits inside which is light and sweet as a cloud. You’ll want to take this home to try, so nobody will judge you as you moan “oh my god, oh my god” over and over when you taste it for the first time.
Sun In Bloom
460 Bergen Street, Park Slope
If you’re a self-professed “health nut” and you haven’t been to Sun In Bloom yet, you need to take the train to Atlantic Terminal and try it RIGHT NOW. Now, I know the phrase “Gluten-free bread at extra charge” takes you aback at first, but I swear unto you, this was the best gluten-free sandwich bread I have ever tasted. Not to diminish the awesomeness of their collard green wraps, but if you can shell out the extra Washingtons for the gluten-free bread, you’ll be THRILLED that you did. My fellow GFers will know what I mean when I say this is unlike any you’ve had in years: springy, soft, and the perfect vehicle for Sun In Bloom’s flavor-packed concoctions. I’m still dreaming about the Tempeh Reuben – served with a side of thick-cut sweet potato fries that are heroes in their own right. The next time you “just need to pick up a few things at Target” AKA spend $100 more than you intended on decorative ceramic hedgehogs, swing by Sun In Bloom to refuel.
Clementine Bakery
299 Greene Ave., Bed-Stuy
In 2017, “Carbs To Banish The Sadness” is its own food group, and Clementine Bakery is the cheerful purveyor of just the kind of sugary treats to banish All The Bad Feels from your life, forever (or at least until the next news cycle). Staff advises that they tend to get “cleaned out” by their GF line on weekends, but I still found plenty to choose from on a late Sunday afternoon visit. Flavors rotate to keep things exciting, so you’ll just have to come back as often as it takes to get your hands on the Lavender Mixed Berry Cookie. This cookie was so big, it was almost scone-like, you know what I mean? Sugary and crumbly on the outside, moist and dense on the inside. And let me reiterate: these cookies are MASSIVE. Look, it’s 2017, and if you’re gonna eat your feelings, you’re gonna need a BIG COOKIE.
Guess what’s back? Our homemade Colombian glutenfree tamales! Available only at our Park Slope location. ??????? Here is a take out order topped w/ carne molida & garlic broccoli. Get them while they last! #VSPOT #parkslope #latinvegan #colombiantamales #colombianvegan #vegano #vegana #NYvegan #deliciouso @alexcarabano @mrcarabano A post shared by Latin Organic Restaurant NYC (@thevspotrestaurant) on
V-Spot
156 5th Ave., Park Slope
The next time someone tries to tell you that gluten-free vegan food is bland and/or boring, slam their face into a Bandeja Paisa because they couldn’t be more wrong. Okay, you don’t need to be that forceful, but you should gently escort them to vegan fave V-Spot. Boasting “Latin Vegan Comfort Food,” V-Spot is also kosher and makes many of their offerings gluten-free! I was stunned by the size and variety of the aforementioned “Bandeja Paisa,” which includes a vegan Carne Molida, brown rice, tofu, beans, avocado, sweet plantains and an Arepa with vegan cheese. YES.
Jungle Cafe
996 Manhattan Ave., Greenpoint
What if I told you that there was a whole buffet in Brooklyn, stocked with food you could actually eat? Jungle Cafe has a lengthy menu of healthy vegan options, plenty of which can be made gluten-free if they aren’t already. But it’s their all-day, erry day buffet that you wanna show up for. The buffet lineup changes on the daily, sometimes with nary a gluten-y dish among the lot. You’ll think you’ve died and gone to heaven when you can load up a plate full of food without fear. IMHO, the clutch move is to show up hungry on a Sunday morning after raising hell on a Saturday night. Their selection of juices and their brunch buffet lineup is so chock-full of goodness, it’ll be sure to reverse whatever damage you did to your body the night before.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Everybody Eats
294 3rd Ave, Gowanus
This spot is a darling of Yelp reviewers.
Wild
340 Bedford Ave, Williamsburg & 148 5th Avenue, Park Slope
Scratch that “fancy pizza” itch.
Lucky Luna
167 Nassau Ave, Greenpoint
All GF menu items clearly labelled. Best veggie tacos in Brooklyn. Don’t @ me.
Krumville Bake Shop
630 Flushing Ave, Williamsburg
Great variety of gluten free bakery items!
Elisa’s Love Bites
10 Porter Ave, Bushwick
All the goodness is gluten-free, and much of it’s vegan, too!
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Great resource for allergy sufferers.