Meeting the Butcher's Daughter

Vegetarian + gluten-free in Williamsburg

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A couple of months back, I made plans to see a show in Williamsburg with friends — without first checking to see what was around the nightclub in the way of dinner options. Rookie mistake, I know! It’s not that Brooklyn lacks gluten-free restaurants, but the club, Baby’s All Right, is right by the Williamsburg Bridge, and the main dining attraction nearby is Peter Luger’s Steakhouse — not an option for my vegetarian friends.

Fortunately, The Butcher’s Daughter was only a 12-minute walk away. I’d never been there before but the restaurant’s self-description as a “vegetable slaughterhouse” made me curious (seriously, that’s some good marketing to carnivores). The truth is, The Butcher’s Daughter is a charming vegetarian spot — “plant-forward,” since that sounds cooler — with an ever-evolving seasonal menu that easily accommodates celiac diners. It’s not a dedicated gluten-free kitchen, but much of the menu is naturally gluten-free, and the kitchen is conscious about avoiding cross-contamination.

I was immediately lured in by the “Bacon” Carbonara, a clever, gluten-free reinterpretation of a classic that is appropriately decadent, even though the noodles that make the base of the dish are made from zucchini. Its richness is because of the real cream and Parmesan that are part of the dish, but it’s also available in a vegan version. I also had the Lychee Blossom cocktail, which was delicious.

While I wasn’t there for brunch, I ended up chatting with the servers and made plans to go back, because the gluten-free brunch options are part of what sets The Butcher’s Daughter apart. Those include spiced-pear waffles, mixed-berry scones, and sandwiches that run the gamut from the classic egg (with avocado, cheddar, and chipotle aioli) to a traditional BBQ (with mushrooms, ranch-dressed slaw and pickled onions). You know I’m looking forward to this research! In the meantime, if you find yourself in the shadow of the Williamsburg Bridge, looking for a place to eat, now you’re set. Same is true for West Hollywood and Venice (in California) and Manhattan’s Nolita neighborhood — there are Butcher’s Daughter outposts there, too.

PS Any chance you’ll be at BookCon at NYC’s Javits Center this weekend? Come by the Blackstone Publishing booth at 11:30am Saturday and get a free advance copy of my next novel, Every Lie I Told!