It’s surprising how common food allergies are among individuals, especially with youth today. With this in mind, many restaurants have incorporated allergy-friendly menus, provided special accommodations, and listed the allergens present in some of their options. And as an individual with several food allergies, I completely understand the struggle of finding a place to eat and the ultimate hesitation towards trying new things.
NOTE: I’m allergic to eggs, wheat, all nuts, and oats so the places I’m sharing accommodate these specific allergies. If you have a food allergy that I haven’t listed here, I suggest doing extra research and even calling restaurants to check their accommodations before booking a reservation.
MAMAN
It seems fitting to start with breakfast options and then work our way down to dinner for this article. Maman, a cute Parisian cafe located on West 25th Street is where I was able to enjoy a chocolate chip cookie. This may not sound astonishing to most, but for my allergic peeps, iykyk. It’s next to impossible to find baked goods without eggs or wheat, so this was a big deal. They do serve several breakfast options but again, it’s very important to ask the chefs what options are able to meet your needs before ordering.
ANGELINA PARIS
I was beyond ecstatic when I learned I could dine at the extravagant Angelina Paris. Unfortunately, its only location is on 6th Avenue by Bryant Park (about a 17 minute subway ride), but it’s only because it was originally based in – you guessed it – Paris. With its pink walls, delightful selection of macaroons and other aesthetically pleasing baked goods, this restaurant became even more appealing when I learned there were breakfast options available to me. I ordered the Fresh Fruit Salad, an assortment of melons, grapes, berries, and watermelon. The teas are also available options to allergic individuals, which is certainly ideal for starting the day.
CHIPOTLE
Chipotle may be a common and extremely convenient option for most, but it may come as a surprise to some that it’s accommodating for food allergies. A helpful tip I will share is before building your bowl or burrito, make sure to tell the server that you have food allergies and ask them to change their gloves. Some of them even go as far as switching the ladles before scooping your food, but if not, they don’t cross contaminate. The only allergens I encountered at Chipotle were gluten and wheat, but that’s only present in the tortillas. The chips and the taco shells are corn, but it’s never too much to double check before ordering! And in terms of location, there are several Chipotles in lower Manhattan. I live near Stuyvesant Park, so the closest one for me is on 1st Avenue.
HILL COUNTRY BBQ Market
If barbeque is your thing, Hill Country Barbeque Market is the place to go. All of the meat options are allergy friendly, with a wide variety of beef brisket, pork, and more to choose from. They’re only seasoned with herbs so I didn’t run into any obstacles there. As for sides, the “Cool As a Cucumber Salad,” the mashed sweet potatoes and the baked beans were safe options for me. Unfortunately, I couldn’t have any of the dessert here, but the meal options were still exemplary. I ordered the “moist” beef brisket that I split with some friends as well as the cucumber salad and mashed potatoes. It was definitely some of the best barbeque I’ve had in a long time and with the amazing waiters we had, I highly recommend giving this place a try.
SENZA Gluten
I felt it was only right for me to end this list with my favorite restaurant on this list: Senza Gluten. I love all things Italian and have a particular fondness for anything with pasta, so I was absolutely ecstatic when I learned I could dine here. Hence the name, everything in this restaurant is gluten-free, but you do have to double check for other allergies. A prime example would be for my fellow individuals who are allergic to nuts, all of the desserts unfortunately have this ingredient. To begin my meal, I ordered the vegan breadsticks which was a big deal for me after coveting the Olive Garden breadsticks for so long. For the main course, I selected the “Penne Pomodoro” which is just gluten-free penne pasta with tomato sauce and basil. It also comes with either chicken or shrimp, and I’ve tried both during each of my visits. The service was outstanding and though the restaurant is pretty small, it feels very authentic and intimate – the perfect setting for your next dinner date.