After 28 years as one of the Upper East Side’s favorite Italian restaurants, Petaluma is re-launching with the help of chef CJ Bivona. He’s a huge deal in the food world; he worked as the executive sous chef at one of Miami’s best restaurants (and one of my personal favorite restaurants) the YardBird Southern Table and Bar! I’m so excited that CJ is cooking in NYC now! Petaluma serves creative Italian American food with SO many gluten free options for brunch, lunch, and dinner! The staff is knowledgeable and accommodating for NOBREAD diners, too. GF people you’re in luck… you won’t have to miss out on pasta or pizza here…
To start, I ordered the shaved brussels sprouts with pecorino, red onion, hazelnut, and lemon vinaigrette. I’m seeing this salad everywhere, and Petaluma’s is one of the best I’ve tried. For those who can eat gluten, you have to try the fried pasta sliders… they look incredible and so insta-worthy. For pasta, I had the penne alla vodka with prosciutto di parma and fresh peas made with GF pasta. The pasta was high quality and cooked perfectly! I’m dying to try the lamb ragu next time! Any of Petaluma’s pizzas can be made on a gluten free crust and customized to your liking. I ordered the bianco pizza with housemade ricotta, confit garlic, and parmesan. I also requested a fried egg on top, which was a brilliant decision! If you’re craving meat, the bone-in pork chop sounds especially delicious. It’s served with butternut squash puree, cipollinis, and brown butter… amazing!
I love how flexible the menu is at Petaluma for NOBREAD foodies! I will definitely be back to try every pasta and pizza combination possible. I also NEED to go for brunch to devour the breakfast pizza with bacon, sausage, cheddar, and farm egg cream. I’m happy to say that Petaluma’s beautiful interior, GF options, and amazing food make it one of my top UES picks!