Since I went gluten-free, at least half a dozen people informed me that I needed to try Risotteria. It was on our list of GF restaurants, and looked like it would be good, but we never made the time. Also, it is located in the West Village, and we just don't seem to be in that area very often these days.
A couple weekends ago, Chris and I took my very good friend Carolyn and her unbearably, make-me-laugh-till-my-stomach-hurts cute daughter to go see The Little Mermaid on Broadway. It was in part a belated birthday gift to the tot as well as a going away present. You see, my two favorite TriBeCa fashionistas will soon be embarking on a southern adventure! Though I will miss them both very much, I am also incredibly excited for them, and now have a wonderful excuse to visit Texas again.
After a post-show dinner at our go-to GF joint in the theater district, Nizza (more on that at a future date), Carolyn asked if she could thank us by taking us to dinner as well. "Are there any GF places that you haven't tried yet?" Many, yes, but I thought of one in particular. Risotteria.
So far, this has been the rainiest month that I can remember. Nearly every day has been awful, wet, and cold, or at the very least dreary. I wouldn't complain, except for the fact that it's June.
If memory serves, right about now summer should be gracing us with the last few of it's more temperate days before ramping up to the uncomfortable heat and infamous humidity of NYC's July and August. We should be taking long, lazy walks, reading by the river, and drinking coffee on our balcony. Instead, most of my days have been spent rushing around under the half-collapsed flimsy of a $10 Duane Reade umbrella, freezing--still half-wet--in the presently unnecessary air conditioning that has turned my office into an icebox, and rushing home at the end of the day to stir up a big pot of soup.
But I did say nearly every day, which means there has been a handful of clear-skied days to briefly interrupt this sogginess. Yesterday was one of them.
After a long week (two, really) of working insanely late every single night, Chris felt anxious to break the cycle of working, coming home, and crashing. So we grabbed a cab and rode down to the lower east side to Pala, a pizzeria on Allen and Houston with gluten-free options.
Last night Chris (the aforementioned "food-loving, Italian boyfriend") and I went out on what was probably our first date night since Valentine's Day. It was a beautiful spring Friday in New York City, the air taking on a pleasant warmth after a few days of sporadic rain, and it felt good to walk. We were both able to leave work before 7pm--a rare occurrence for either of us--and decided to head down to Bistango, an Italian restaurant on 29th and 3rd offering options for the gluten-free.
Over the past few months, Chris and I have compiled a list of all the GF-friendly restaurants in the city that we could find, and this is the first one that we've been able to try. It's difficult to find time to go out just the two of us. We both tend to work very long hours and are often too tired to even consider anything other than falling into the comfort of our apartment at the end of the day. That and we have a furry little baby waiting very patiently for us to come home, give her lots of hugs and kisses, and take her for a walk. And I suppose there's also that pesky economy, the fact that eating at home is considerably cheaper, and that I enjoy cooking as much as I do. In any case, it felt especially wonderful to give ourselves an evening out together.
Bistango is located amidst the pubs and cute, ecelctic dining spots that line 3rd Ave. The atmosphere is classy and inviting. Clean, white tablecloths contrast against the vibrant red walls and a series of contemporary, high-contrast portraits create a funky focal point. It was slightly windy at the time that we walked up, or we would have likely opted for two of the bright orange chairs on the sidewalk outside. Instead, we headed to the back of the restaurant and settled into the table closest to the kitchen.
