The Williamsburg Bridge
I spent a week in a cute wee apartment in the lovely Wiliamsburg, Brooklyn thanks to Air B&B. This hipster town is full of life and not to be missed if you find yourself in New York. I am also happy to report that I found quite a few celiac friendly options on my wanderings around in the sunshine.
Caracas Arepa Bar on 291 Grand Street in Williamsburg is a Venezuelan restaurant which serves delicious gluten free arepas! Their arepas are naturally gluten free but be careful and stay away from anything fried because they fry everything in the same oil (cross contamination!!) The arepas themselves are safe as they are prepared away from the evil fried stuff. Be sure to let your server know you can’t have anything with gluten and they will help you to make safe choices. I also wrote about this in my New York City post as they have a location in the East Village too at which I ate.
Fabiane’s Cafe and Pastry on 142 N 5th St (just off Bedford) does a selection of gluten free options. They have a gluten free menu on the wall behind the counter. Gluten free options include a couple of breakfast dishes, sandwiches served on gluten free bread and some gluten free desserts. Sounds good but I was a little freaked by the sign they had placed next to some of the gluten free desserts which said “All the products gluten free are processed and packaged in a facility that we use flour and nuts.” A bizarrely put together sentence but you get the gist.
Fabiane’s Cafe
Brooklyn Wok
Brooklyn Wok on 182 N 10th St does a couple of gluten free options. Their home style chicken soup is gluten free as well as a couple of the sides. I spoke with the chef to ask if any of the other dishes could be made gluten free. She said that whilst technically some ingredients could be substituted to make them gluten free they wouldn’t really be the same. It didn’t feel like a real option. Whilst Brooklyn Wok doesn’t have much to choose from in the way of gluten free dishes it’s an option. If you find yourself in Williamsburg with friends who fancy Chinese food there is a safe option for you.
Bad Burger on 131 Grand St was a place I found on one of my runs around Williamsburg and I stopped when I noticed they offered gluten free options. They are open 24/7 for eat in or delivery! Gluten free waffles, pancakes and french toast are all day breakfast options and burgers are available on gluten free buns. Gluten free options cost an additional dollar or two depending on what you choose. Bad Burger also has a location in Manhattan.
I also saw a Yo Go Frozen Yogurt truck a couple of times just off Bedford Avenue. Their yoghurt is gluten free but double check there are no cross contamination issues with wafers or cones or anything. I’m not sure if this truck is just around on weekends but if anyone knows please let me know.
Gluten free options
Frozen yoghurt!
Not in Williamsburg but worth a mention as it looks really good and it’s very gluten free is Sun in Bloom, a gluten free and kosher bakery in Park Slope, Brooklyn. My friend told me about this place but  unfortunately I didn’t have time to check it out on this trip. Sun in Bloom’s chef and baker is celiac herself so it sounds like a pretty wonderful place if you’re in Brooklyn and you’re looking for something sweet and gluten free!
I plan to be back in Williamsburg in a couple of months time. I really liked it. Do you live gluten free in Williamsburg or have you visited and come across some awesome gluten free places that I’ve missed out? Share your experiences in your comments below…
