Featured Review
July/August 2011
Restaurant in New York City Wows This Gluten Free Diner
Welcome to GlutenFreeTravelSite.com! Each month we choose an especially useful dining/travel review from all the submissions we receive from the prior month and showcase it as our Featured Review of the Month. The winning reviewer receives four of Triumph Dining's Restaurant Dining Cards (one each for American, Chinese, Italian, and Mexican cuisines). Be sure to also check out our past Featured Reviews found in our Archives.
5.0 Palms |
Pure Food and Wine |
| Review Type: |
Restaurant |
| Location: |
54 Irving Place, New York, NY 10003 |
| Phone: |
212-477-1010 |
| Website: |
http://www.oneluckyduck.com/purefoodandwine/ |
| Meal Type: |
Family meal |
| Date Visited: |
May 2011 |
| Review Posted: |
June 17, 2011 |
Pure Food and Wine: An Oasis of Gluten Free Options in New York City
 As I was planning our last trip to NYC I knew we had to visit our favorite gluten-free restaurants and bistros. But I also wanted to try some new places.
The most incredible food experience of our trip by far was lunch at Pure Food and Wine with its raw vegan menu of artistically created meals made from organic vegetables, fruit, and herbs. Nothing is ever heated above 118 degrees in keeping with raw food standards. And every single item I tasted blew my mind. Plus, the ambiance was heavenly.
A little oasis from the craziness of the city streets, Pure Food and Wine provides open air dining on the front porch, indoors, or in the elegant private back garden.  I would have been happy to dine in any of their cozy corners, but I was thrilled when they seated us in the back courtyard. Enjoying the summer breezes under the shade of an umbrella, I perused the menu that I had been waiting for so long to hold in my hands.
This experience left me with an amazingly healthy feeling, incredible memories, and a longing to return soon. Not everything on their menu is gluten-free. They use nama shoyu in some of their dishes, an unpasteurized soy sauce which contains trace amounts of gluten. But everything that is gluten-free was clearly marked as such, so it was very easy to find something safe and delicious to eat.
We leisurely sipped our drinks while planning our order. It was incredibly hard since everything looked so fresh and delicious. One bite of each, please? The Husband enjoyed the sangria. While the mimosa kept me grinning.
 To start, I had the Mediterranean salad with arugula, kale, kalamata olives, tomatoes, pumpkin seed macadamia parmesan, tossed with balsamic vinaigrette. I believe it was the
most flavor-packed salad I’ve ever enjoyed. The salad was HUGE, and I believe I ate every last bite.
The Husband ordered the Tortilla Wraps with spicy sun-dried tomato filling, corn cilantro guacamole, tomato-lime salsa, and cashew sour cream. These were not gluten-free, but based on the fact that the Husband thoroughly enjoyed his first 100% raw meal, I can assure you it was delicious.
 I ordered the Zucchini and Tomato Lasagna with sun-dried tomato sauce, pistachio basil pesto, and pumpkin seed macadamia ricotta. It took me so long to take the first bite, and not just because I had to take a zillion pictures first. I didn’t want to destroy the beauty of the presentation. I also didn’t feel any need to dive in. I could take as long as I wanted as there was no fear of my food getting cold. It was a raw lasagna. When I finally began, I ate slowly and mindfully, not wanting this meal to end. With each bite different flavors were more pronounced.
 For dessert I chose the Tiramisu made with vanilla cream layered with coffee-sake almond cake. I am not usually a tiramisu fan, but when I asked the waitress which dessert was her favorite, she pointed me toward this dessert. I’ve learned to listen to the experts. And I’m so glad that I followed her guidance. It was the best tiramisu I’ve ever had. The Husband ordered a simple Oreo cookie, and I could tell that he was skeptical until it arrived. It was beautiful, and one bite sealed the deal.
Lunch at Pure Food and Wine was definitely the highlight of our trip to New York City. If we lived in the City we’d definitely have to work this restaurant into our monthly budget. It’s not cheap, but with the flavors, pure food, and beautiful moments, it’s worth every dollar.
To read more reviews by Heather, the "Gluten Free Cat," visit her page of reviews on our site or her own Blog
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