Avoid "202" In Chelsea Market Nyc

[NicoleAJ]

So I went to NYC this weekend to visit a friend, and I had some fantastic meals and had no problems anywhere except for this place (I think it was on 16th and 9th in Manhattan). We called ahead and asked if they could do gluten free, and they said yes, and then I did everything right. Careful explanations, use of the Triumph dining card for the cooks, lots of questions and double-checking. It was just a simple salad with some goat cheese and plain pistachios with some balsamic and olive oil drizzled over the top. Annoyingly, they had actually stapled my order to the dining card and then thrown it away because I had to ask for it back, and it was filthy with holes in it--I've never had the experience where a waiter hasn't just given the card back without asking. But the real problem was that I was ill within five minutes of finishing the meal. I was sick for several hours, and I'm still feeling really sluggish today as well and my stomach is still off.

Though this restaurant claimed to be accomodating, they clearly had no idea about how to cater to gluten free needs. My confidence was so high because I hadn't had a single problem eating gluten free for the entire weekend, but I was sorely disappointed by this meal. There weren't many things on the brunch menu that could even be converted to gluten free meals, so I hoped that the salad would be ok. Obviously I was wrong. The truly unfortunate thing was that there were very few restrooms around, so it made that part of the illness very difficult to deal with, but the nausea, exhaustion, and all the other symptoms were just overwhelming. It's been a long time since I've experienced a glutening of this magnitude.

[mouse]

I am so sorry that you are so sick and that this really put a damper on your weekend. It is so frustrating to do everything right and have this result. I hope you feel much better real soon. Hugs.

[NicoleAJ]

Thanks for the kind words. This evening I was finally able to eat without feeling completely ill, so I'm definitely on the mend.

[powderprincess]

so sorry to hear you were sick. I am glad you are feeling better now though!

[jkmunchkin]

I'm so sorry to hear you were glutened.

Did you atleast get to go to Risotteria while you were here?

[NicoleAJ]

Yes, I did go to Risotteria, and I nearly cried when I saw the gluten free breadsticks on the table. I had such difficulty ordering because I wanted to order everything on the menu. I finally settled on pesto, mozerella risotto, which was absolutely amazing. I want to go back to the city just for the pleasure of going to Risotteria. It made my weekend.

I also went to Marseille on West 44th and 9th because I saw on CeliacChicks.com that a bartender/chef had marked up a menu, indicating which things were gluten free and which were not. I decided what I wanted to eat before I even showed up--the lamb. It was delicious, and then I had the best creme brulee for dessert. I just showed them my Triumph dining card, and the kitchen staff and waitstaff was already informed about what gluten free meant and how to cook the food. It was absolutely amazing! A bit pricey, but worth every penny.

I would highly recommend Marseille for those of you who haven't been. It seems that everyone has already discovered Risotteria, but that was my absolute favorite because I was able to eat with complete confidence.