Food Allergies: Dining Out in NY

Back in the early spring, I spoke with Sloane Miller, food allergy expert, coach, and blogger, in preparation for my trip to New York with my food allergic son. She was incredible and really helped me feel empowered for the trip and less overwhelmed by the thought of dining out. You can read about her great advice here.

I emailed quite a few restaurants in the NYC areas I knew we’d be in – most were recommendations from Sloane’s website, Allergic Girl Dine’s Out. I was quite surprised to receive replies from 5 out of 6 restaurants. Now, not all of them were positive, but hey, a response is still an acknowledgement, not an immediate dismissal. At the time, my son had allergies to dairy, all gluten, soy, tree nuts, and corn. Obviously this extensive list would prove a bit challenging, but not impossible, for a willing chef.

This is what I emailed to each of the restaurants:

Hello –

My child has the following severe food allergies. We’d like to dine at your restaurant, but want to confirm that you can provide food that is free of these ingredients. Please let me know what our options may be for him.

·       Dairy

·       Gluten

·       Soy

·       Corn

·       Walnuts

·       Almonds

·       Hazelnuts

·       Pecans

Thank you!

Jennifer

So, just how did it go down? Here are the restaurants that replied.

Risotteria – sadly out of business now (270 Bleecker Street, between 6th / 7th aves) proudly offers a wide variety of gluten-free option on their menu and even a gluten-free bakery. Impressive. BUT, when I emailed them asking if they could accommodate my son’s multiple allergies, I got a short reply: ” I’m sorry we don’t exclude dairy, soy or corn.” As Sloane had mentioned to me, just because a place may offer gluten-free options, it doesn’t mean they are attentive to other allergens. She sure was right in this case. At least we knew to steer clear since they obviously weren’t ready to accommodate us.

Nizza (630 9th Ave) is a charming, open air Italian bistro with excellent food. Sloane has a great blog post with video where she interviews the chef, check it out here. Their general manager replied to my email quickly and was so welcoming and confident in their ability to provide my son with a safe meal that I was immediately drawn to the place. He wrote:

“We take pride in serving our allergic/GF community. …We would love to have you as our guest and will do everything we can to address your particular needs. We have a walk-in refrigerator full of raw, fresh veggies & protein, and would be happy to create whatever you could want. We have an excellent reputation and every member of our team is well aware of most allergic issues. Please inform the manager/server about your particular needs upon arrival. However, we are a very small neighborhood restaurant and our premise is not a certified allergy free /GF premise.  Please be aware that there is always a possibility of cross contamination even with the extreme cautions. “

Gluten Free Socca Pizza at Nizza

Gluten Free, Cheese Free Socca Pizza at Nizza

Yes, of course, there is always a chance of cross-contamination. It is not possible to be allergy free for everyone, but still, I was very impressed, so we dined at Nizza for lunch one day. The manager and chef came out to speak with us both before and after the meal, the server constantly checked back with us – my sister (who we were visiting) laughed and said the other diners must have thought we were celebrities the way they were so attentive with us! And the food was amazing! Their Socca gluten-free pizza crust was out of this world. My son wolfed it down and I kept sneaking bites.

BUT, yes there is a but, BUT I don’t believe it was the restaurant’s fault. I think it was mine. Cross contamination had not previously been a concern with us as my son wasn’t declared anaphylactic until just a few weeks before this trip, when he experienced his first anaphylaxis. Before that, we kept food he was allergic to in the house because we thought it just triggered his severe eczema, so while we kept certain foods out of his mouth, we didn’t worry in many other ways. So, I ordered a cheesy yummy lasagna for lunch and tried my best to keep my meal and glass to myself. Somehow some cheese very likely wound up near his food, glass, napkin, etc. because about 20 min into lunch, just as he’s finishing his pizza, he started to cough. Nothing big, but a few coughs every few minutes. After a couple of minutes I asked him if he’d like his “breathing medicine” and he said yes. Uh oh. We left the restaurant and 20 minutes later he suddenly started to itch frantically and broke out in hives. Oh boy. We’re at Rockefeller Center as I desperately grabbed for the antihistamines in my bag and gave him a dose.  20 more minutes later and he’s completely fine. Thank goodness! Emergency averted. Believe me, I had the epinephrine out and ready to use. I was watching him like a hawk with that last anaphylactic episode so clear in my mind. But thankfully, he was fine. Phew!

But back to this awesome restaurant. They saw my son coughing while we were still there and came to check on us. I insisted everything was fine as I thought the inhaler alone would have sufficed at the time. That night I checked my emails and the manager had actually emailed me to check in on us again! He was concerned and wanted to make sure my son was ok. Above and beyond.

Again, I was very impressed with Nizza.

Everybody Eats is a dedicated gluten-free, nut-free bakery that sells items from a small retail front and also distributes their products to many restaurants and stores in NY. They quickly responded to all my emails, but sadly we didn’t have the chance to visit their store or try any of their baked goods. Next time!

Cochinita Tacos sadly out of business (Brooklyn) = YUM! I love Mexican, tex-mex, mex-mex, tacaurias, you name it. So, when I heard about this little spot in Brooklyn I was over the moon. Why? Because it’s gluten free, tree nut free, peanut free, and shellfish free and because Sloane Miller had been and loved it, read her review here. Take a look at this video where she interviews owner, Adam Frank. Wait, I forgot to mention that they are very eco conscious! Love it! Adam made me very comfortable in our email exchanges, so I took my son there for lunch. We were supposed to meet Adam, in fact, he came in on his day off to meet my little guy and to help him relate to another person with allergies, but sadly, we were late and so we missed Adam. His staff was amazingly accommodating however, and we drooled over every dish we tried. This is a GREAT place!

Allergy Food Labels at Bill's Bar & Burger

Allergy Food Labels at Bill’s Bar & Burger

Bill’s Bar & Burger (Multiple NYC locations) – This restaurant is owned by the BR Guest Hospitality Group, which owns multiple restaurant ventures around the country, all of which were trained on preparing food safely for food allergic patrons by none other than Sloane Miller. So, I knew this one was a sure bet, but I emailed them anyway and got a direct reply from their corporate chef who was really fantastic both before our visit and during it. He offered to personally prepare my son’s meal because by chance he would be at the Bill’s location we’d be visiting at the right time. Lucky us!  In fact, he planed to hand make my son’s French fries – freshly cut potatoes with special oil in a dedicated pot (not even a fryer) because as he wrote “no child should go without French fries.” How great is he?! The chef came out multiple times during our visit to discuss the menu and safe options. I was very impressed to see they labeled food for their allergic customers with special allergy tags to alert the services to be extra careful regarding cross contamination. What a great restaurant with an outstanding chef!

Allergy Safe Food at Bill's Bar & Burger

Yay for safe food at Bill’s!

I didn’t email this place, but we went anyway because you can’t visit NYC with allergies and a sweet tooth without visiting….

BabyCakes allergy free cupcakes

BabyCakes cupcakes!

BabyCakes (248 Broome Street (Btwn Orchard & Ludlow) is an adorable little vintage bakery that is vegan, dairy free, egg free, soy free, and gluten free. Most items are refined sugar free too! Wow! You can read more about their allergy policy here. This adorable, but very tiny little shop, is packed with yummy and safe goodies. But they are pricey! $4.75 per cup cake! I bought two for my son to enjoy over the weekend and enjoy them he did. He was in silent and savor mode as he gobbled them down each night. You don’t have to be in NY to enjoy their goods anymore, they now have locations in Los Angeles and Orlando too! And they have a couple of great cookbooks for those wanting to attempt to recreate the BabyCakes desserts at home.

We had a great visit with my sister and meeting my new adorable nephew. My son was thrilled to eat out at so many restaurants (which is a rarity at home) and to explore the city. And for my son and I, a very memorable trip together with lots of bonding time.

Taking the train home.

Taking the train home.

18 Comments

  1. MapleMouseMama on August 13, 2013 at 10:37 am

    Wonderful recap of your trip Jennifer! You are so through from the restaurant addresses to the details of your meals. Thank you so much! I have to admit that when I read about Bill’s Bar and Burger and what the chef did to make your son’s fries I had to choke back some tears. It is absolutely wonderful to find people who care as much about your son as you do. I literally just finished going over food options for my son as we plan a day trip to Canada’s Wonderland this week so I guess I am on allergy overload, but still. 🙂 Thank you for sharing this great trip!

    Suz

    • Jennifer on August 13, 2013 at 10:53 am

      Hi Suz –

      Thank you so much! Sloane really helped me understand how thorough I needed to be to get across to the restaurant, servers, managers, and chefs and it really paid off. It’s really not that hard to do and it’s so much easier preparing in advance than dragging around exhausted and starting kids while trying to find a place that is safe to eat. I’m sure you guys will find some great places to eat near Wonderland. Have a wonderful trip!!

      Jennifer

  2. Nicole Sherwood on August 14, 2013 at 11:40 am

    I am glad that you shared this. I’m in tears. Look forward to contacting some restaurants in our area to see what we can find:)

    • Jennifer on August 14, 2013 at 11:56 am

      Thank you Nicole! I’m sure you’ll find some wonderful restaurants that will bring tears to your eyes as they offer to help take excellent care of your child. Jennifer

  3. Kristen on August 14, 2013 at 12:02 pm

    Thank you! We’re headed to NYC next month with our dairy/soy/peanut/fish-free little boy. We will definitely check out some of these restaurants. 🙂

    • Jennifer on August 14, 2013 at 12:12 pm

      Great! I’m so glad this will help you. Have a great time!

  4. Harrison Li on August 16, 2013 at 3:43 am

    Wow, great sum up of your experience! It’s actually so surprizing that the restaurants would make specialized meal plans for people with allergic problems. The service is just amazing. In China, no one gives a ………… you’d have to pick your own allergens out.

  5. Megan on August 21, 2013 at 8:52 am

    Jennifer I just LOVED the happy face photos of your little man and his yummy food! he looks over the moon. I know I get such pleasure seeing mine enjoy his food – something that is a treat and know that it is safe. It makes such a change from always having to eat the same kind of stuff at home. Just the fact that he is able to actually EAT OUT is such a huge treat for him. Yay for allergy friendly restaurants. We have very few here in Cape town, SA, and even then I still worry about contamination, even if it is done unintentionally. Thanks for the post and those beautiful photos 🙂 They made me so happy for him

    • Jennifer on August 27, 2013 at 11:01 am

      Thanks Megan! My little is quite the foodie, as I am, so living with food allergies really puts a damper on all the fun things he can try. BUT, we try hard to find him exciting new options of things to try at new restaurants. It’s a challenge, but I don’t want him to feel like he’s missed out on anything. With all the healthy alternatives out there, why should he? Thanks so much for your support! Maybe one day our little foodies can enjoy some yummy safe treats together! Jennifer

  6. momversusfoodallergy on August 22, 2013 at 8:46 am

    What a great review of restaurants! It’s my dream to take my son to Babycakes and let him pick something out-even if they are $4.75 for each cupcake, it’d be worth the experience 🙂 I’ll definitely refer to this list if we ever make it to NYC.

    • Jennifer on August 27, 2013 at 10:58 am

      I know, it’s so worth the cost to see our kids be able to order whatever they want at Babycakes. I never thought I’d see the day! I hope you make it to NYC and get to try them out!

  7. Ramona McDaris on September 14, 2013 at 12:18 pm

    We are just now entering the world of no-peanuts and lots of Epi-pens, with the recent frightening revelation that our precious toddler boy, my grandson, has peanut allergy. Thank you so much, Jennifer (and Sloane) for the wonderful reporting of dining out in NYC and not having to worry (as much as usual). So much research and planning went into that report and It is so appreciated. We live in New York, and will keep the names of the restaurants where you had happy experiences with your darling son and will try them with our boy, too! You made today a little less scary when thinking of places to take him out for special treats.

    • Jennifer on September 17, 2013 at 7:47 pm

      Hi Ramona – I’m so glad I can help! It is scary dining out with food allergies, but I feel that it’s important to do as it helps our little ones live more normally and not constantly live in fear of their allergies! Best of luck to you and your family. Jennifer

  8. JIll on February 17, 2015 at 1:31 pm

    So helpful! We live in the NYC suburbs and are heading in tomorrow for my son’s 8th birthday and have tickets to The Blue Man Group. Was hoping I could find somewhere for a birthday meal (peanut, tree nut, egg, fish, sesame & sunflower). Thank you, thank you, thank you.

    • Jennifer Roberge on February 19, 2015 at 7:41 am

      Yay! I hope you have an excellent and SAFE time in NY!

  9. the allergy free wife on November 15, 2015 at 9:44 am

    Hi! I love your site, it’s been an amazing resource for me and my husband who has a nut allergy. I actually was so inspired that I’ve started my own website called “The Allergy Free Wife” where I share news, tips, and allergen-free restaurants. Would love to know what you think 🙂 http://www.theallergyfreewife.com

    • Jennifer Roberge on November 18, 2015 at 2:43 pm

      Love the site – looks great and has tons of wonderful info!

    • Michael H on September 3, 2016 at 1:20 am

      Whoever thumb downed you gets a big fat boooooo! I love this page and blog and think you’re great too. As the husband of a severely allergic wife to gluten, nuts and dairy I frequently check out the allergy free wife and this page. I’d never use this forum for a shameless plug but after reading your comment about your husbands nut allergy I had to reply. I won’t name my restaurant unless of course you ask lol but we created a nut free pesto for people like my wife and your husband. I love to share some of our recipes, privately of course lol as most are our own creations. I think you’d enjoy hearing about our concept from vision to beginning to build our 7th restaurant. I’m going to post my personal email to ensure I don’t turn this into an advertisement. I’d LOVE to speak more about our gluten free pizza with a dedicated GF Zone and separate 900 degree Italian wood burning oven JUST for GF pizza and all our vegan and allergy free options.ike I said earlier this isn’t a plug for my restaurant I just know how excited people get with NY style brick oven pizza. If you are interested in hearing more about the concept and our loyal customers please don’t hesitate to call or email me anytime at Michummel@gmail.com or 516.205.9790. Keep up the fantastic work!! Hopefully I hear from you soon!
      Best,
      Michael

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