P.F. Chang’s at the Westchester 125 Westchester Avenue, White Plains, New York 10601
GFM is not a particular fan of chain food but I do like to sample restaurants that have dedicated gluten free menus. So, while having my car serviced I decided to give it a go for lunch at their White Plains location in the upscale The Westchester Mall.
Upon walking in we were greeting by a friendly host and as he was reaching for the menus for me and my partner I asked for the gluten free version. He quickly grabbed it and we were seated. I perused the menu and was very excited to see that there were quite a few choices available across all courses – dessert included. For me it appeared that the challenge would be steering clear of shellfish contact.
When our server arrived I explained my allergies and the need that anything fried would have to be completely separate not only for gluten but for shellfish cross contamination. I was not sure that he understood the severity of my shellfish allergy but more on that in a bit. I decided to have the Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps as a starter and Chang’s Spicy Chicken as an entrée with a side of the Shanghai Cucumbers. My partner ordered from the regular menu and had the Steamed Pork Dumplings and the Sesame Chicken.
After we ordered I just was not feeling like the server grasped the severity of my shellfish allergy and quietly went over to just ask the manager to please ensure that my needs were being effectively conveyed to the kitchen. Needless to say, the manager was more than happy to follow-up and make sure I would have a safe and enjoyable meal. I did not paint the server out as being incompetent or point the proverbial finger; I just approached it as wanting to make sure the requests were being addressed. The manager noted they take allergies very seriously and was more than happy to just double-check.
The starters arrived and we quickly dug in. The lettuce wraps were delicious and quite frankly could have easily been shared between two people and my partner did have one but wanted to let me enjoy my gluten free experience on my own. The crisp lettuce made for a nice contrast to the slightly spicy chicken mixture that was just salty enough and also had the added dimension of water chestnuts making for a crunch sensation. My partners steamed pork dumplings were pretty traditional fare and he enjoyed them. While we were eating, the manager popped over and wanted to make sure everything was okay and pointed out that the kitchen uses different plates to clearly denote the gluten free from the regular fare – nice touch.
The main courses arrived and it was nice to see manageable-sized lunch portions versus large unmanageable portions. We both opted for brown rice with our entrées and each received our own portion. I also wanted to try the side of cucumber salad which arrived with the main courses. The cucumber salad was nice and simple, just a bit of gluten free soy sauce and some sesame seeds. It made for a nice, cool accompaniment to the spicy chicken. The chicken was lightly dusted (presumable in corn starch) and swimming in a rich and spicy sauce. There were crisp peppers sprinkled throughout which made for a nice added crunchy texture to the soft chicken. My partner’s sesame chicken was well prepared with the sauce being sweet with a subtle hint of spiciness.
We both enjoyed our meals and I was so full I could not be tempted by their Flourless Chocolate Dome. Though I will have to give it a try next time I visit. Overall the food was good. It is chain Chinese food but makes for a nice change when you have a craving and want to be sure it is gluten free. I am lucky enough to have a couple of Chinese restaurants near my office that specialize in gluten free options so am a bit spoiled.
Upon walking in we were greeting by a friendly host and as he was reaching for the menus for me and my partner I asked for the gluten free version. He quickly grabbed it and we were seated. I perused the menu and was very excited to see that there were quite a few choices available across all courses – dessert included. For me it appeared that the challenge would be steering clear of shellfish contact.
When our server arrived I explained my allergies and the need that anything fried would have to be completely separate not only for gluten but for shellfish cross contamination. I was not sure that he understood the severity of my shellfish allergy but more on that in a bit. I decided to have the Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps as a starter and Chang’s Spicy Chicken as an entrée with a side of the Shanghai Cucumbers. My partner ordered from the regular menu and had the Steamed Pork Dumplings and the Sesame Chicken.
After we ordered I just was not feeling like the server grasped the severity of my shellfish allergy and quietly went over to just ask the manager to please ensure that my needs were being effectively conveyed to the kitchen. Needless to say, the manager was more than happy to follow-up and make sure I would have a safe and enjoyable meal. I did not paint the server out as being incompetent or point the proverbial finger; I just approached it as wanting to make sure the requests were being addressed. The manager noted they take allergies very seriously and was more than happy to just double-check.
The starters arrived and we quickly dug in. The lettuce wraps were delicious and quite frankly could have easily been shared between two people and my partner did have one but wanted to let me enjoy my gluten free experience on my own. The crisp lettuce made for a nice contrast to the slightly spicy chicken mixture that was just salty enough and also had the added dimension of water chestnuts making for a crunch sensation. My partners steamed pork dumplings were pretty traditional fare and he enjoyed them. While we were eating, the manager popped over and wanted to make sure everything was okay and pointed out that the kitchen uses different plates to clearly denote the gluten free from the regular fare – nice touch.
The main courses arrived and it was nice to see manageable-sized lunch portions versus large unmanageable portions. We both opted for brown rice with our entrées and each received our own portion. I also wanted to try the side of cucumber salad which arrived with the main courses. The cucumber salad was nice and simple, just a bit of gluten free soy sauce and some sesame seeds. It made for a nice, cool accompaniment to the spicy chicken. The chicken was lightly dusted (presumable in corn starch) and swimming in a rich and spicy sauce. There were crisp peppers sprinkled throughout which made for a nice added crunchy texture to the soft chicken. My partner’s sesame chicken was well prepared with the sauce being sweet with a subtle hint of spiciness.
We both enjoyed our meals and I was so full I could not be tempted by their Flourless Chocolate Dome. Though I will have to give it a try next time I visit. Overall the food was good. It is chain Chinese food but makes for a nice change when you have a craving and want to be sure it is gluten free. I am lucky enough to have a couple of Chinese restaurants near my office that specialize in gluten free options so am a bit spoiled.
Beacon 25 West 56th Street, New York, New York 10019
I had eaten at Beacon two times prior to this visit and really had no issue with my dinner. I had never been for lunch and decided to give it a go with a couple of colleagues from the office. We had all read rave reviews about Beacon’s burger and one of my colleagues was there for dinner, wanted one, but they had all sold out. So, we packed up early one day and headed over to the restaurant for a late lunch. The restaurant used to close between lunch and dinner but was no opened straight through.
When we arrived we found that we were the only ones in the restaurant. Not a big deal, who does not like personal attention. A waiter quickly came over and took our drink orders two coco coladas and one Coke for me. When the drinks arrived the coladas were watery and I received a diet Coke. No big deal, just swapped it out, eventually for another. A second waiter came and took our meal orders. I opted for the burger, well done, sans fries and bun with a side salad and a side of their homemade sauerkraut. My colleagues decided to split the sliders, medium-well, on brioche, the cured meats and cheese platter, and some olives in orange zest. They asked what the platter consisted of and were told seasonal fruit like and peaches and grapes (okay) along with prosciutto, duck pate, and Roquefort. When presenting the bread selection the waiter did notice that I had ordered my burger with no bun, I mentioned I was allergic, he quickly stated “oh, a gluten allergy, I will let the kitchen know”. I quickly threw in my shellfish allergy (though nothing I ordered really could have posed a risk) and he noted it as well saying “it is good to let the kitchen know”. It was definitely most appreciated. Yet, soon thereafter things would take a turn for the worse.
Our waiter must have went on his pre-dinner break, fine we thought, there were others just mulling about so we were not concerned. Our food soon arrived and here’s where it gets interesting. My burger and salad looked fine. My side of sauerkraut was forgotten but when reminded would appear half-way through the meal. My colleagues sliders arrived with no cheese so were sent back for some melting. When they finally arrived back at the table there were still rare, bright pink inside, and this after being heated again to melt the cheese. Also, we all mistaken thought that brioche would be a nice brioche roll, nope, try a round wafer of brioche about ½ inch thick. The olive side was about 10 olives (I am likely being generous) which was fine as it was priced accordingly. Now onto the infamous cured meat and cheese platter. The seasonal fruit turned out to be golden and red raisins – seriously. There was a decent selection of salamis and cheese but no pate, prosciutto, or Roquefort.
We all began to dig in only to notice that EVERYTHING was over salted. The burgers, the salad, everything. This coupled with the fact that the burger was a big let down made for a most disappointing meal. My colleagues did not even finish theirs. During the meal, they decided to try some sangria which arrived in a nice carafe full of fruit. I decided to have a glass as well and when we took our first sip noticed that something was very off. It tasted terrible – almost like someone used Jack Daniels instead of brandy and went to town pouring it in. The waiter (our third now) asked how the drink was and my colleague noted “different”. He questioned different good, or different bad? Different bad was her response and it was quickly removed from the table.
Everyone working there seemed distracted there and by the time we left two other groups had arrived for an early dinner. As I mentioned before, I had been there two times before for dinner and things were fine and nowhere near the comedy of errors that plagued our lunchtime visit.
When we arrived we found that we were the only ones in the restaurant. Not a big deal, who does not like personal attention. A waiter quickly came over and took our drink orders two coco coladas and one Coke for me. When the drinks arrived the coladas were watery and I received a diet Coke. No big deal, just swapped it out, eventually for another. A second waiter came and took our meal orders. I opted for the burger, well done, sans fries and bun with a side salad and a side of their homemade sauerkraut. My colleagues decided to split the sliders, medium-well, on brioche, the cured meats and cheese platter, and some olives in orange zest. They asked what the platter consisted of and were told seasonal fruit like and peaches and grapes (okay) along with prosciutto, duck pate, and Roquefort. When presenting the bread selection the waiter did notice that I had ordered my burger with no bun, I mentioned I was allergic, he quickly stated “oh, a gluten allergy, I will let the kitchen know”. I quickly threw in my shellfish allergy (though nothing I ordered really could have posed a risk) and he noted it as well saying “it is good to let the kitchen know”. It was definitely most appreciated. Yet, soon thereafter things would take a turn for the worse.
Our waiter must have went on his pre-dinner break, fine we thought, there were others just mulling about so we were not concerned. Our food soon arrived and here’s where it gets interesting. My burger and salad looked fine. My side of sauerkraut was forgotten but when reminded would appear half-way through the meal. My colleagues sliders arrived with no cheese so were sent back for some melting. When they finally arrived back at the table there were still rare, bright pink inside, and this after being heated again to melt the cheese. Also, we all mistaken thought that brioche would be a nice brioche roll, nope, try a round wafer of brioche about ½ inch thick. The olive side was about 10 olives (I am likely being generous) which was fine as it was priced accordingly. Now onto the infamous cured meat and cheese platter. The seasonal fruit turned out to be golden and red raisins – seriously. There was a decent selection of salamis and cheese but no pate, prosciutto, or Roquefort.
We all began to dig in only to notice that EVERYTHING was over salted. The burgers, the salad, everything. This coupled with the fact that the burger was a big let down made for a most disappointing meal. My colleagues did not even finish theirs. During the meal, they decided to try some sangria which arrived in a nice carafe full of fruit. I decided to have a glass as well and when we took our first sip noticed that something was very off. It tasted terrible – almost like someone used Jack Daniels instead of brandy and went to town pouring it in. The waiter (our third now) asked how the drink was and my colleague noted “different”. He questioned different good, or different bad? Different bad was her response and it was quickly removed from the table.
Everyone working there seemed distracted there and by the time we left two other groups had arrived for an early dinner. As I mentioned before, I had been there two times before for dinner and things were fine and nowhere near the comedy of errors that plagued our lunchtime visit.
Five Napkin Burger 630 9th Avenue, New York, New York 10036
Today I met my other half and a colleague for a rare lunch out over on the Westside at Five Napkin Burger so it was a bit of a trek. However, I was reassured constantly that this place was THE place to go for NYC's latest, greatest burger. Well, let's just say that I was less than impressed.
For the GF-conscious diner, they offer what looks like a fantastic option, the Inside Out Burger which is essentially two pieces of lettuce as the bun. Now I have had burgers before that came wrapped in lettuce (a la In-and-Out Burgers protein style) but this was a poor excuse with the patty wedges between two limp pieces of lettuce that one really could not pick up. Fine I thought, I don't really like to touch my food so I'll just fork and knife it. I ordered my burger well done as I do like my meat with it's life cooked out of it but one side was completely burnt and I am still tasting the char and hour after eating there. One other person at our table ordered the same as me but medium-well and her's was burnt as well just not to the same degree. I mean come on, Burger is in the name of the restaurant and one would assume that would entail the knowledge to cook as ordered. In full disclosure, my partner ordered a medium rare burger that was cooked nearly to order so 1 good out of 2 bad.
I replaced my fries with a side salad that was tasteless and mediocre at best. It looked nice but that was about it. Service was pretty poor though our server did not ask if we would like anything to drink other than water and was not all that attentive. The restaurant was packed for lunch but the booths are so small and frankly extremely uncomfortable.
Alas, my trek to the West was a disappointment and I need not make the pilgrimage again. Though the company was delightful and I got to lunch with my partner, which is a rarity given our busy schedules and working on opposite sides of the City.
For the GF-conscious diner, they offer what looks like a fantastic option, the Inside Out Burger which is essentially two pieces of lettuce as the bun. Now I have had burgers before that came wrapped in lettuce (a la In-and-Out Burgers protein style) but this was a poor excuse with the patty wedges between two limp pieces of lettuce that one really could not pick up. Fine I thought, I don't really like to touch my food so I'll just fork and knife it. I ordered my burger well done as I do like my meat with it's life cooked out of it but one side was completely burnt and I am still tasting the char and hour after eating there. One other person at our table ordered the same as me but medium-well and her's was burnt as well just not to the same degree. I mean come on, Burger is in the name of the restaurant and one would assume that would entail the knowledge to cook as ordered. In full disclosure, my partner ordered a medium rare burger that was cooked nearly to order so 1 good out of 2 bad.
I replaced my fries with a side salad that was tasteless and mediocre at best. It looked nice but that was about it. Service was pretty poor though our server did not ask if we would like anything to drink other than water and was not all that attentive. The restaurant was packed for lunch but the booths are so small and frankly extremely uncomfortable.
Alas, my trek to the West was a disappointment and I need not make the pilgrimage again. Though the company was delightful and I got to lunch with my partner, which is a rarity given our busy schedules and working on opposite sides of the City.