Times Square Lowdown

Where to eat gluten-free in New York's craziest neighborhood

Let me be the first to admit that, like most New Yorkers, I normally do whatever I can to avoid Times Square. I don’t need costumed creatures harassing me, especially not the Elmos. (They are notoriously the bad seeds of the Theatre District.) But there are times you simply can’t avoid Times Square — like when you’re going to a Broadway show. Or if you’re at a conference in one of the monolithic hotels in the area.

Last week was ThrillerFest, one of the biggest events in the crime-fiction community, and because it took place at the Midtown Hilton, I was reminded of the zaniness of Times Square at all hours. On the plus side, the statue of Canadian-American WWI hero Father Francis Duffy still guards the pedestrian plaza (see photo at top). But it’s as tough as it ever was to find gluten-free food in those massive conference hotels. To be fair, they have ballrooms and catering available, and can manage something gluten-free at a banquet. But they don’t offer much in the way of actual restaurants. The Midtown Hilton has the casual Herb N' Kitchen (mostly grab-and-go fare), and several of the area hotels have a Starbucks inside. In most cities, huge hotels like these would have multiple restaurants tucked away inside; in NYC, you’re expected to forage on your own.

So where do you eat in Times Square when you need to find something gluten-free? Let’s dive in!

• Just because the monolithic hotels are food deserts doesn’t mean that all the area hotels are equally lacking. Some are great on the gluten-free front. For example, the MOXY Times Square has Legasea, a dine-in restaurant with multiple GF options, including chocolate cake for dessert. The Knickerbocker Hotel offers all-day dining at its Charlie Palmer Steak IV restaurant, always with GF choices. (The Knickerbocker also offers gluten-free room service, if you’re looking to stay in the Times Square area!)

• My favorite dining option inside any hotel in Times Square is Friedmans, which is located inside the Hotel Edison. Formerly known as Friedman’s Lunch, almost everything on the restaurant menu can be prepared gluten-free, and there’s a dedicated GF fryer. Celiac friends, when’s the last time you had fried chicken served atop a cheddar waffle with hot Habanero honey?