On Sunday, I had the extreme pleasure of organizing and attending the first
NYC Celiac Disease Meetup Gluten-Free Pizza and Pasta Party at Mozzarelli's in Manhattan. Mozzarelli's is a pizza place that has been serving gluten-free pizza for a little over a year. Ronnie, the owner, started serving the pizza because his niece has celiac disease. He said that at first there wasn't much interest in the gluten-free pizza. But as Ronnie experimented with different ingredients for the dough and the word of gluten-free pizza in a "normal" pizza place spread around Manhattan, the popularity of the pizza took off. Mozzarelli's sells gluten-free pizza and some gluten-free desserts on a regular day. But Sunday was no regular day...
When I got to Mozzarelli's shortly after 2pm on Sunday I was greeted warmly by Ronnie and Elana, the owners. I had been emailing with Elana for weeks so it was nice to finally meet her in person. There were tons of signs indicating GLUTEN FREE DAY and there were balloons outside to welcome those looking for some gluten-free pizza. When Elana pointed me to the display case of pizza, she said that everything was gluten-free. When I asked her in disbelief "EVERYTHING???", she said YES! This was when my jaw nearly hit the ground. There must have been at least 10 different pies in the case. Pies with cheeses, sauces, veggies, sausage, pepperoni, eggplant, and even chicken Parmesan. Then, I walked to the last display case only to see around 5 pasta dishes and 2 veggie dishes. Of course I had to ask again if everything was gluten-free, which was the question of the day on Sunday. It really was quite amazing to see so many choices. As many of you know, even one choice in a regular pizza place would be shocking. To have this many pizzas, you just didn't know where to start. Elana and Ronnie were too good to me and stuffed me full of gluten-free greatness on Sunday. I think my favorites were the eggplant topped pizza, the spinach pie/quiche, and the carrot cake. (Yes, I ate even more than that!)
I really cannot thank Mozzarelli's enough for making our day such a humongous gluten-free success. The time and effort they put into making the day safe, free from cross-contamination, and fun for all of us was obvious. The support from friends, families, and strangers off the street was also wonderful. I hope to make this a regular event for all gluten-free diners in the tri-state area. Please do yourself a favor and visit Mozzarelli's if you are in town.
Mozzarelli's
38 E 23rd St,
New York 10010
Btwn Park & Madison Ave
212-475-6777
Pictures from above:
1. Mozzarelli's
2. Gluten-Free Dessert Pizza
3. Gluten-Free Pasta Bar
4. Gluten-Free Pizza as far as the eye can see
5. WOOHOO Gluten-Free Day
6. Eggplant and squash gluten-free pizza
7. Ronnie and Elan at Mozzarelli's
8. Gluten-Free DessertsLabels: gluten-free, Meetup, Mozzarelli's, pasta, pizza
As my loyal readers know, I love Mozzarelli's. They are definitely my favorite take-out restaurant in NYC especially for the friendly family staff if nothing else. I think it is the combo of their Gluten-Free Sundays, the innovative gluten-free pizzas, the greasy and DELICIOUS gluten-free zeppolis, tasty gluten-free desserts, and the wonderful staff that keep me coming back for more. Chefs Ronny and Elan are always trying out new things and trying to make their next pizza/cake/pasta dish better than their last. 
