Just $20 for $40 towards delicious (and conscientious) food and drinks at GustOrganics

BuyWithMe - Just $20 for $40 towards delicious (and conscientious) food and drinks at GustOrganics

Gustorganics is one of my favorite restaurants in NYC. They are part of the Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program (GFRAP) and participated in last year's GIG Chef-To-Late event. In addition, they have graciously hosted two NYC Celiac Disease Meetups in 2009. AND last year, they helped me celebrate my birthday last year with a delicious gluten-free meal. I never really buy deals like this, but this is one I cannot pass up!

Chef to Plate Campaign is Looking for Campaign Leaders

I participated in this campaign last year and it was a great success. I am looking forward to working with NYC restaurants again during the Chef to Plate Campaign


YOU ARE INVITED: Become a Campaign Leader for the Gluten Intolerance Group of NA in the “Chef to Plate ‐ Celebrating Restaurants Serving Up Gluten‐Free Awareness” international awareness campaign.

* Anyone can be a Campaign Leader
* You do not need to be part of a support group
* All materials will be provided

THE PURPOSE: The purpose of this campaign is to spread awareness of celiac disease and gluten intolerances through the restaurants that currently provide gluten‐free offerings. It is not about the promotion of any specific restaurant program.

OUR SUCCESS IN 2009: This awareness campaign was a big success in 2009. Through our partnership with several organizations, we were able to help spread gluten‐free awareness throughout the gluten intolerant community. Our lists of restaurants with gluten free menus were posted on several websites. We sent out over 5000 pieces of literature to 196 restaurants, including several chains, all over the United States and into Canada. We estimate that we reached more than 1.625 million people!

WHAT RESTAURANTS: Any restaurant that offers a gluten‐free menu can get involved. This program is not about getting new restaurants involved in serving gluten‐free meals, but about working with those that already offer gluten‐free meals and bringing awareness of gluten intolerances to the community through these restaurants.

GET INVOLVED: As a Campaign Leader you will:
Get restaurants to agree to display information (provided) about gluten intolerances during May.
Share the news about this gluten‐free dining opportunity in your community! Your friends, family, acquaintances and the public. Press release templates will be supplied
We hope that you are as excited about this campaign as so many others are, and that you will want to be part of its success.

Sincerely,
Chef to Plate Campaign Coordinators:
Rebecca Powell, Campaign Manager
Channon Quinn, Director of Industry Programs
Cynthia Kupper, Executive Director


WANT MORE INFORMATION???? CLICK HERE: http://gluten.net/events.php

Chef-to-Plate Gluten-Free in the Tri-State Area

Here are some of the tri-state area restaurants participating in Chef to Plate during the month of May. Stay tuned for a special event in conjunction with the NYC Celiac Disease Meetup Group and one of the restaurants below on Sunday, May 3rd.

New York City
Bistango Restaurant
415 3rd Ave
New York, NY 10016
917-238-9888

Friedmans Lunch
75 Ninth Ave
New York, NY 10011
212-929-7100

GustOrganics
519 6th Ave
New York, NY 10011

Nizza
630 9th Ave
New York, NY 10036
212-956-1800

Opus Restaurant
1572 2nd Ave
New York, NY 10028
212-772-2220

Peter’s Gourmet Diner
1606 1st Ave
New York, NY 10028
917-254-0778

Sambuca
20 W 72nd St
New York, NY 10023

Tuttoriso Ristorante e Café
36 Richmand Terrace
Staten Island, NY 10301
718-273-7644


Long Island
Oysterman’s Restaurant & Pub
45 Foster Ave
Sayville, NY 11782
631-589-7775

Smokin’ Sloe’s
847 Fort Salonga Rd
Northport, NY 11768
631-651-8812

Upstate New York

Cheeseburger in Paradise
340 Rte 211 East
Middletown, NY 10940
845-343-9252

Maud’s Tavern
149 Southside Ave
Hastings on Hudson, NY 10706
914-478-2326

Near & Natural
1 Court Rd
Bedford, NY 10506
914-205-3545

Season’s American Bistro & Lounge
289 Rte 100
Somers, NY 10589
914-276-2152

Soul Dog
107 Main Street
Poughkeepsie, NY 12601
914-204-3768

Three Dogs Gluten-Free Bakery
510 North State Rd
Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510
914-762-2121

Connecticut
Frascati Restaurant & Pizza
581 Newfield Ave
Stamford, CT 06905
203-353-8900

New Jersey
Carlo’s Gourmet Pizzeria & Restaurant
326 Rte 9
Englishtown, NJ 07720
732-536-6070

Cheeseburger in Paradise
344 Rte 46 East
Wayne, NJ 07470
973-237-9091

Cheeseburger in Paradise
625 South US Hwy 1
Iselin, NJ 08830
732-636-3767

Cheeseburger in Paradise
700 Plaza Dr
Secaucus, NJ 07094
201-392-0500

Gaetano’s Restaurant
10 Wallace St
Red Bank, NJ 07701
732-741-1321

Janice a bistro
23 Sheridan Ave
Hohokus, NJ 07423
201-445-2666

Mama’s Restaurant Café Baci
260 Mountain Ave
Hackettstown, NJ 07840
908-852-2820

Uno Chicago Grill
West Belt Plaza, Rte 23 S
Wayne, NJ 07470
973-256-0700

Uno Chicago Grill
286 Washington St Plaza, 4A
Jersey City, NJ 07302
201-395-9500

Uno Chicago Grill
426 Rte 3 W
Livingston, NJ 07014
973-992-8496

Bakery Spotlight: Three Dogs Gluten-Free Bakery

At a recent NYC Celiac Disease Meetup event, Karen of Three Dogs Gluten-Free Bakery stopped by to discuss becoming part of the Gluten-Free Restaurant Program (GFRAP). She gave our group some great tips about approaching our favorite restaurants to create gluten-free menus and urge them to become part of GFRAP. While we were learning more about GFRAP, we got to try some yummy samples from her bakery. I have never had rugelach in my life and these gluten-free rugelaches (or is it rugelai?) were delicious! They are a bit far for me to travel to on a regular basis, but if I ever head upstate I will be sure to check them out again. I tasted most of the food on the plate in the picture above except for the top right cookies. Three Dogs Gluten-Free Bakery does bake with certified gluten-free oats, but since I don't eat oats I avoided those cookies. Everything else was awesome. An added bonus, Three Dogs Gluten-Free Bakery is a 100% gluten-free facility and is part of GFRAP.

Three Dogs Gluten-Free Bakery
www.threedogsgfbakery.com
510 North State Road
Briarcliff Manor, NY 10510

New York City Gluten-Free Restaurants Now on Google Maps

My last post was a list of all New York City restaurants that are participants in the Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program (GFRAP). I got a great response from my Long Island Gluten-Free restaurant map (not GFRAP) so I thought I would put the NYC map together. You can find the list of all GFRAP restaurants in Manhattan and the five boroughs here.


View Larger Map

Also visit my Long Island, NY Gluten-Free restaurant Map here.

New York City voted the Most Celiac Friendly City!

I have a major love for New York City. I am excited to both live and work here and try to take in everything this lovely city has to offer on a regular basis. I have been an avid traveler over the years and I have come to realize that living gluten-free in NYC is really not a big deal at all. There are four Whole Foods in Manhattan alone, there seems to be a health food store on every fourth block, and there are at least 14 restaurants that are part of GFRAP in the city. We are truly gluten-free blessed in the great city of New York.

In January, New York City was voted the Most Celiac-Friendly Destination by GlutenFreeTravelSite. This site echos my thoughts about having Celiac Disease in NYC. "Awareness is good, and restaurants are eager to stay relevant by catering to the fast-growing group of diagnosed Celiacs lobbying for more dining options."

For those of you who are considering visiting New York City for the first time, you can feel comfortable traveling and eating gluten-free here. For us "natives", we need to continue to support all of the gluten-free establishments that cater to the gluten-free and Celiac communities.

Here is a recent list of restaurants in New York City and the outer boroughs that are part of the Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program.

Asia de Cuba
237 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10016

Bistango
415 3rd Avenue
New York, NY 10016

Bloom's Delicatessen Cafe
350 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10016

Candle 79
154 East 79th Street
New York, NY 10021

Carrabba's Italian Grill
280 Marsh Ave.
Staten Island, NY 10314

Friedman's Lunch
75 9th Ave, Chelsea Market
New York, NY 10011

Gus' Place
192 Bleecker Street, between 6th Ave. and Macdougal St.
New York, NY 10012

Lilli and Loo
792 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10021

Lili's 57
200 W 57 Street
New York, NY 10019

Lumi Restaurant
963 Lexington Avenue
New York, NY 10021

Nizza
630 9th Avenue
New York, NY 10036

Peters' Gourmet Diner/Restaurant
1606 1st Avenue
New York, NY 10028

Risotteria
270 Bleecker Street
New York, NY 10014

Sambuca
20 West 72nd Street
New York, NY 10023

S'MAC
345 E. 12th Street
New York, NY 10003

Tuttoriso Ristorante e Café
36 Richmond Terrace
Staten Island, NY 10304

Outback Steak House
919 Third Avenue (on 56th b/t 2nd & 3rd Avenue)
New York, NY 10022

Outback Steak House
60 W. 23rd Street (on 23rd b/t 6th & 7th Avenue)
New York, NY 10010

Outback Steak House
23-48 Bell Blvd.
Bayside, NY 11360

Outback Steak House
1475 86th Street
Brooklyn, NY 11228

Outback Steak House
88-01 Queens Blvd
Elmhurst, NY 11373

Gluten Free Certification Organization

A member of my NYC Celiac Disease Meetup Group recently posted this information so I thought I would share it with my readers.

The Gluten Free Certification Organization (gfco.org) is a program of the Gluten Intolerance Group (GIG - gluten.net, you also know GIG as the administrator of the Gluten Free Restaurant Awareness Program). It was founded with the mission of giving the gf community the complete assurance that products are indeed gluten-free and safe for consumption. Long before the FDA established a standard for gluten-free (currently at 20 parts per million), the GFCO has been testing to, and requiring that companies meet, a standard of 10 ppm.

Many large, international food companies are expressing interest in the GFCO -- this is driven by both the FDA's decision and the increased awareness for Celiac Disease and gluten intolerance driven by media and also people like you and me.

So how can you help the GFCO to continue its important work and have an impact?

1. Check out the company's that are certified and write them an email to let them know you appreciate their dedication to the GFCO and the GF community.
2. Call or email your favorite companies that are NOT currently certified. Let them know that they can easily contact the GFCO for more information.
3. Finally, consider becoming a member of GIG to show your support for the GFCO, the Gluten Free Restaurant Awareness Program, and all the programs that help us all lead our lives successfully.

Gluten-Free Traveling Bears

The Westchester County Celiac Sprue Support group runs a program called "Gluten-Free Traveling Bears". The Gluten Free Traveling Bears is a great program where a family can sign up to have one of the gluten-free stuffed bears come and visit their child for a few days. They love to track where the bears go and the kids they visit. The bear comes with a binder full of info on eating GF, fun activities for the kids and a disposable camera so that the family can take pictures of the activities that the bear participated in during the visit. It only costs $25, which really just covers the shipping and the materials for the package and a small donation for their local participation in the Gluten Free Restaurant Awareness Program, this program works with restaurants to offer gluten free menus. If you know any kids who would like a visit from one of the gluten-free bears, please go to the WCSSG website (www.westchesterceliacs.org) and click on the GF Traveling Bears to download the request form.

Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program: Lilli and Loo

The Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program (GFRAP) facilitates a relationship between individuals with celiac disease and other forms of gluten intolerance, and restaurants. The relationship builds a win-win opportunity for restaurants to provide service to people following a gluten-free diet, and to gain increased patronage. Participating restaurants are able to provide gluten-free meals from their regular meals. GFRAP is a program of the Gluten Intolerance Group of North America.

A recent add to the GFRAP is Lilli and Loo on Lexington Avenue, between 61st and 62nd Streets in Manhattan. It is a cute little chic Asian restaurant stuffed between a few bodegas, bars, and across the street for the New York Doll Hospital. Not an exactly hip location, but the Upper East Side of Manhattan is definitely becoming a mecca of gluten-free restaurants. Lilli and Loo has been getting some good press in the gluten-free blogger community (see Ms. Guide's posting here) so I figured I would take my friend Shawn in celebration of his new job.

We arrived around 5:45pm on Friday night and it wasn't yet crowded and was still happy hour (4pm-7pm). If it weren't for the ton of drinks at the company holiday party the night before, I would have definitely had joined him in a congratulatory drink. Anyway, we ordered the Saigon Roll and the Thai Chicken Lettuce wraps to start. We were not disappointed. I actually really enjoyed the Saigon Roll and thought it was quite different from the previous gluten-free wraps I have had at other gluten-free restaurants. For my entrée, I had Manchurian Beef with fresh broccoli and brown rice. Since we had filled up on the Saigon Roll and Thai Chicken Lettuce wraps, I was half full when the entrées came but managed to finish everything. It seemed like the staff was really trying and the waitress even asked me in some broken English "Gluten-Free can't eat fortune cookie, right?" I guess she didn't want to offend me when bringing the cookies with the bill. All in all it was nice to enjoy an Asian meal without the worry or the bloated feeling you sometimes get when eating "Safe".

Kudos to Lilli and Loo for becoming part of GFRAP. Give them a try if you are in Manhattan!


Saigon Wraps: Rice paper wrapper with fresh mango, avocado, iceberg lettuce, cucumber, rice vermicelli and spicy mint dipping sauce (served cool and not fried)


Manchurian Beef with Broccoli


Thai Chicken Lettuce Wraps

Lilli and Loo
792 Lexington Ave
New York 10021
Btwn 61st and 62nd St

Gluten-Free Nieces

I am now the proud aunt to beautiful twin nieces named Anna Deborah and Emma Jeannine. When my sister was pregnant, she asked "What happens if the babies need to be on a gluten-free diet?" I said "Let their aunt Erin spoil them with a ton of gluten-free kisses, hugs, and cookies." I am thrilled that my sister, brother-in-law, and my darling nieces are all doing well. I will be up visiting them for 4th of July week and will be sharing my gluten-free love. I am also hoping to make it to Elizabeth's, part of the Gluten Free Restaurant Awareness Program (GFRAP).

Anna and Emma