The Todd English Food Hall is New York City’s nicest deli/food center/ restaurant, and has one of the most extensive menus I have ever seen. The Food Hall is perfect for the nobread crowd; the vast menu variety means that there are plenty of gluten free options to choose from. The meat and fish dishes are inherently gluten free and gluten free substitutes such as flatbreads and pastas are on hand. I highly recommend The Food Hall whether it is for a client lunch, a quick catch up with a friend, or to grab a quick bite before or after going for a stroll in the park…
I’ll begin with the flatbreads. The list of flatbread pizzas that are offered are unique and look absolutely delicious, and I initially ignored this section of the menu. However, this section should not be bypassed as gluten free flatbreads are available upon request. The Bronx Bomber with roasted tomato sauce, caramelized onion, and pepperoni was absolutely delicious. Following the list of pizzas is The Food Hall’s list of signature pastas. All of these dishes can be replicated with a gluten free spaghetti, and the lobster tagliatelli and veal angolotti are my top picks. Unfortunately my streak of gluten free substitutes came to an end when I reached the taco and sushi sections of the menu. Sushi rice is malted with vinegar and therefore it is NOT gluten free, and the tacos are served on flour tortillas. Yes sushi is a large part of the menu, but with pages more of nobread approved options, there is no need to fret. The burger and slider list is amazing and you should ask for your burgers nobread. AVOID THE FRIES! Not only are the french fries subject to cross contamination in the fryer, but they are coated and 100% not gluten free. Lastly, if you become hugely overwhelmed by all the options on the menu, the sea bass filet and cedar plank salmon from the Ocean Grill section of the menu are my favorites.
With all the delicious options, don’t forget to supplement your meal with a few sides. The brussels sprouts, broccoli rabe, spaghetti squash, and olive oil poached aspargus are all gluten free. I found that dairy is added to a lot of the dishes on the menu, so if you are dairy free make sure you ask for your food with nocheese and nobutter. I absolutely love the Todd English Food Hall and with SO many entrees I’m still dying to try, I imagine I will be back in no time.