Last week I was in New York City for an About.com conference, and I had most of Friday to explore the city. Being a lover of food with a wish to learn more about New York, I decided to take a Food Tour of Greenwich Village through Foods of New York Tours. Granted, I had some apprehension about my food issues. Could I truly enjoy a "food tour" with celiac disease (meaning I eat a gluten-free diet) and prediabetes (meaning I eat a low-carb diet). My answer: yes, and sort-of.The Web site says "Please let us know about any food restrictions when purchasing your tickets. We will do our best to accommodate your specific needs." At the same time, they let you know that "their best" is not going to be perfect. I told them that I absolutely had to have gluten-free food, which is a line that I never cross, and also eat a low-carb diet because of pre-diabetes.
To be sure, the tour wasn't just about food. Our tour guide, Barri, a native New Yorker, did a great job weaving in local history, architecture, and "fun facts to know" (e.g. expect to pay $1500-$2000/month for a 300 sq ft apartment in a building with no elevator! Yikes!) In addition to the history of the area, we got some food history as well (e.g. the evolution of pizza).
During the tour, we did learn a lot about great places to eat and places to buy food. At eight of these places the group had an opportunity to eat some food. At seven of them, there was a gluten-free option for me. However, all but three were pretty carby. Although I tasted them, I was glad we were walking a lot!
Barri was very good about making sure the gluten-free alternative was available, and finding out about ingredients. She also pointed out a restaurant which is entirely gluten-free, Risotteria Italian Eatery. Unfortunately, it is also carb-heavy, specializing in panini and risotto.
The low point of the tour for me was a vegetarian Japanese restaurant - one of our two opportunities to sit down for awhile. We were given Bento boxes, but two of the selections had gluten (a dumpling and a sort of BBQ wheat gluten meant to be like BBQ pork). Instead of substituting something else with protein, such as tofu, I was given enough rice to send my blood sugar sky-high (so, of course, I skipped it except for a small taste).
The high point, however, was really great. We had a nice cheese tasting at Murray's Cheese Shop (where they actually have caves to age cheese under the store!). The tasting including some homemade Italian salami from the Italian market next door, plus delicious olives and pickles. My favorite cheese of the tasting was a Dutch sheep's milk cheese called "Ewephoria".
Another great stop was an absolutely charming house in the back of the Italian restaurant Palma. I've never been to Italy, but I felt as though I'd been transported there, as we walked back through a courtyard into a very Old Worldy kitchen. We got to sample a 400 year-old Sicilian recipe that the chef was working on making for the restaurant. It was a combination of cauliflower, pine nuts, onion, and currants. Yum!
The last stop on the tour was a bakery where everyone got cannoli (an Italian pastry filled with a creamy filling). I got a little cup with just the filling. I had a couple of interesting experiences in the bakery. The first was viewing the cases of beautiful pastries - literally hundreds of rows of them. I thought "wow they are really pretty!" - but I sincerely had no desire to taste them. The second experience was tasting the filling of the cannoli. It was tasty, but extremely sweet. I enjoyed the first taste - the second, not as much. So it was not only easy to throw the rest away - I actually wanted to.
I guess as time goes on we really do adapt!
In any case, I wouldn't hesitate to do a similar tour at another time. I really enjoyed walking around New York and getting to know it and its food better. But I would keep in mind that controlling my blood sugar is going to be entirely up to me.
Photo: Scott Gries/Getty Images
Related Resources:
Hi Laura. Thanks for an interesting Food Tour! Nice to hear that they can serve lowcarbers good food.
I am just back after a wonderful week on Crete, the home of the Mediterranean Diet. And wow, what great food experiences. They have really discovered the health benefits of eating a low carb high fat diet.
They use a lot of cream, butter and cheese in their cooking, not only olive oil, as we been taught through the years.
Of course they have some desserts loaded with carbs, but they are so sweet, that you are satisfied after a little bite.
We were offered a small glass of homemade liqour after every dinner, Tsikoudia, Cretes traditional alcohol. The taste is very rough, but it’s wonderful for the digestion after a meal
Hi Laura,
I really enjoyed the article! I have had to follow a gluten sensitive, candida, low carb diet for a few years and totally understand the challenges you also encounter. Most people really don’t understand how difficult it can be when we are not cooking at home. At home we can enjoy so many delicious meals!! Thanks for sharing a great idea I never would have dreamed possible!
I like the information on the site, especially the information on fruits and pesticide content. I’d like to get your thoughts on what’s worse – HFCS or artificial sweetner? Also, do you believe organic milk and red meats are better for you than their non-organic counterparts.