Veronica People's Club Now Open

Photo from Zagat Buzz


I have always been a big fan of Heather's Bar in the East Village. Not only do I like the laid back attitude of the bar and the 2-for-1 (gluten-free) drinks during happy hour, but Heather (the owner) has always been such a great supporter of the NYC Celiac Disease Meetup group. Heather is on a gluten-free diet, so she always has some gluten-free ciders and beers ready for her customers. Heather and her staff also understand the need for dedicated taps for gluten-free ciders and they do their best to carry a couple of different gluten-free options behind the bar. Last time I was there, I had Bard's Tale and Redbridge during happy hour. Heather's Bar has also has hosted our group for multiple happy hours and we even had our 2009 holiday party at Heather's Bar.

I am excited to announce that Heather has expanded and has now opened Veronica People's Club in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Veronica People's Club will have gluten-free pastries in the morning from their coffee window. In the afternoon you can enjoy RedBridge GF beer and Blackthorn Cider in a can.

And for those of you that don't get the Heather and Veronica references, please go out and rent Heathers today. My best friend Trish and I watched this movie religiously in middle school and would quote the movie like it was going out out style. I do believe that some of the best movie quotes actually made it to our h.s. yearbooks as well. It's a classic.

Veronica People's Club
105 Franklin St
Greenpoint, Brooklyn

Zagat Buzz: Veronica People's Club

Heidi's Gluten-Free Greatness

On June 2, the NYC Celiac Disease Meetup group had a summer happy hour at Heather's Bar, one of our favorite locations. The owner Heather stays away from all gluten and carries a few gluten-free beers at her bar as well as potato vodkas. She also has a dedicated tap and line for gluten-free hard cider. This week I had both Bard's Tale and Redbridge during the happy hour.

As an added bonus, nutritionist and baker Heidi Dean and her fiance Phil from Heidi's Gluten-Free Goodness, joined us for happy hour with some samples. Heidi and Phil brought gluten-free brownies, sandwich bread, and pizza. All three were absolutely delicious. "Heidi creates healthy, delicious, fresh-baked gluten-free products using the freshest organic, local ingredients available. She won’t use artificial flavors or preservatives. As a nutritionist, she takes great care to ensure her breads are the healthiest you can buy. As a baker, all of her products are moist, natural and most importantly, they taste great!"

Heidi started baking for her fiance Phil when he was diagnosed with Celiac. Heidi and Phil were disappointed with the quality of gluten-free products on the market, so when Heidi found successful gluten-free recipes she started selling her products. Their products can be found at a few stores in the Hudson Valley and at the Westerly Market in NYC.







I brought a few friends with me to happy hour, including a friend that used to have a professional cake business. She thought Heidi's products were delicious and "didn't have that weird gluten-free texture or taste." I had to agree. Heidi's Gluten-Free Sandwich Bread was moist and didn't crumble like most gluten-free breads tend to do. The brownie were also moist and had just the right amount of chocolate. By far, my favorite was their sun-dried tomato topped pizza. I think Heidi's use of fresh vegetables and edible flowers helped, but the pizza was delicious. The pizza was intentionally served at room temperature/cold, but I think that actually helped enhance its flavor.

I have yet to go to the Westerly Market, but I will be sure to make a trip there on Tuesday or Saturday when Heidi's products are delivered fresh.

The Westerly Natural Market
54th St at 8th
New York City
(212)586-5262

Thank you to Heidi and Phil for joining the NYC Celiac Disease Meetup event. They were great company during our happy hour and I wish them the best of luck.

Heidi's Gluten-Free Greatness
http://heidisglutenfree.com