The cool part about living in LA is seeing what restaurants become the new ‘it’ restaurants in NYC while I’m gone! Well, between September and now (November), Nickel & Diner has taken over my Instagram feed with rave reviews from all the NYC food Instagrammers. Located on the SoHo/Little Italy border, Nickel & Diner is the quintessential diner with an adorable ambiance and menu to match!…
Not only does Nickel & Diner have the COOLEST ambiance, but the menu is also incredibly gluten-friendly. Anything fried is fried in cornstarch, thus there is no cross-contamination, and anything containing soy uses a gluten-free soy sauce! Was your eye immediately drawn to the fried chicken and vegetable tempura? Two classic dishes that are almost NEVER gluten-free? Amazing news! Both of these items are gluten-free! I tried the vegetable tempura and was transported to heaven on first bite. To complete my meal, I ordered the shaved vegetable salad which is one of the healthier menu items. Filled with shaved broccoli, cauliflower, sundried tomato, sliced almonds and more, this salad was filling and super tasty. My friend opted for the steak cheeseburger with nobread and it came with a side of fries that had me drooling. Other notable gluten-free menu items include the Baby Brussels Sprouts & Shishito Peppers, Slow Roasted Squash, and Heirloom Eggplant A La Plancha (uses GF soy sauce). One dish I really wanted to try was the Kale Cashew Bowl from the Breakfast menu. Unfortunately, this dish had farro mixed in with the grains, and therefore wasn’t gluten-free.
Nickel & Diner is also known for their desserts, some of which are gluten-free! I wish I wasn’t dairy-free so I could indulge in the honey flavored soft-served… my friend told me it was incredible! With an adorable ambiance and excellent attention and care for those who are gluten-free, Nickel & Diner has become a NOBREAD favorite! We look forward to going back again soon!