Unlike other quaint gluten free restaurants that focus on serving simple foods that ‘our grandparents would eat,’ Friedman’s lunch sticks with what is ‘in’ right now… and they do it right. Similar to Westville, this small café on the border of Chelsea and the Meatpacking district gives a hipster vibe and serves all your favorite foods. MOST IMPORTANTLY, almost the entire menu can be made or is intrinsically GLUTEN FREE. To me this is the PERFECT kind of restaurant. The foods both you and whoever you are dining with are eating are likely gluten free and it saves you from having to make a fuss…
With so many items I wanted to order I didn’t know where to begin! Friedman’s brags on their website, “No cross contamination by using separate knives, a dedicated gluten free fryer, and offering gluten free bread,” furthering my desire to try just about everything. I NEVER want to make someone I am eating with eat gluten free for me, and here at Friedman’s, they don’t have to! If your friend wants a grilled cheese or a burger- go for it! You can have the same, just yours will be gluten free.
I’m very used to and comfortable with my #nobread lifestyle, so I didn’t know what to do when I came to Friedman’s and could choose so many bread options. The garden veggie sandwich (hummus, alfalfa sprouts, carrots, avocado, cucumber, lettuce, tomato), grilled cheese, house roasted turkey sandwich, southwestern turkey burger (avocado aioli, herbed fries), sweet potato fries, sauteed broccoli, quinoa, and shaved brussels sprouts were all SCREAMING my name. Like Westville, they also have a market plate (choice of any 3 sides) so you can dabble in a few of your favorites. In the end, I ordered off the brunch menu and chose the the egg white scramble with avocado and market veggies, potato hash, and gluten free bread. Literally delicious; I ate every last bite… even the bread!
Notable items that cannot be made gluten free: veggie burger (standard), egg wraps, and mac ‘n’ cheese. Oh well- I usually can’t have those anyway! I’m obsessed with Friedman’s and if it wasn’t so far from where I live I’d be a regular!