GLUTEN-FREE LI

Back in May, Peter Bronski wrote a good article for Long Island Pulse called "Hold the Wheat: A Guide to Going Gluten-Free." In the article, Bronski noted that "An estimated two million Americans—1 in 133—have Celiac Disease, whether they know it or not (most, like me, live with years of pain and discomfort, undiagnosed or misdiagnosed). That means that in Nassau and Suffolk Counties, where there are some 2.85 million residents, statistically more than 21,400 people are living with CD—that’s enough folks to fill 1.2 Nassau Coliseums." Accompanying the article was a short list of gluten-free dining and shopping options.

Today, The New York Times offers Carolyn Nardiello's take on "Restaurants Offering Gluten-Free Options" on Long Island. The article mentions most of the area restaurants on the Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program (GFRAP): Emerson's in Babylon, Mama's Italian Restaurant in Oakdale, and Caffe Baldo in Wantagh as the Outback Steakhouse chain [PDF]. Nardiello seems to have a good feel for the specialties of each restaurant: rib-eye au poivre and flourless chocolate cake at Emerson's, cannoli at Mama's, garlic knots at Caffe Baldo.

The article also notes a promising development: "Fran Watins, 57, of Commack, who is on the board of the Suffolk County Celiacs Support and Awareness Group (SCC), said that next month the organization, which has 400 to 500 members, will meet for the first time with restaurant owners on Long Island who may be interested in offering gluten-free menus." Let's hope this leads to many more options, especially under the aegis of a third-party organization such as GFRAP.

Also note: The site of the April 26, 2009 Long Island Vendor Fair will be IBEW Local 25, 370 Motor Parkway, Hauppauge.

EMERSON'S RESTAURANT


















I recently had the pleasure of visiting the casually elegant Long Island restaurant Emerson's on two occasions, sampling a number of gluten-free dishes in the process.

In fact, one of the great things about this addition to the Gluten-Free Restaurant Program (GFRAP) is that one can actually choose among a variety of gluten-free appetizers, entrees, and desserts. So I've still got a lot of Emerson's menu items on my "to eat" list, but I've also managed to come up with enough favorites for an excellent three-course meal.

For starters, I was impressed by the Tuna Tartare, a succulent cylinder of sushi-grade tuna and guacamole topped by ginger.

My pick for the main course: Long Island Duck 2 Ways (pictured). Crispy on the bone or sliced and swimming in a sweet and pungent sauce, both ways were moist and very tasty snuggled alongside mashed potatoes.


















For dessert I was bowled over by the Crème Brûlée. A thin layer of chocolate syrup rested underneath the incredibly smooth custard—billed as pistachio but tasting almondy to my companion and me. The flavors complemented each other marvelously.

Located at 69 Deer Park Avenue in Babylon (near the southwest shore of Suffolk County), Emerson's is fairly close to the Babylon Long Island Railroad Station. There is metered parking on Deer Park Avenue and a large set of parking lots east of the entryway.

Photos: David Marc Fischer

GFRAP ADDS LONG ISLAND RESTAURANT!

Fans of Franco-Babylonian cuisine rejoice!

Judging from the website of the Gluten-Free Restaurant Awareness Program, it looks like Emerson's--a French restaurant in Babylon, Long Island--is now on the roster.

Here are New York Times and Newsday reviews from April 2006. Here's a Long Island Press review from June 2006.

GFRAP currently counts two other Long Island restaurants among its participants: Caffe Baldo in Wantagh (Nassau) and Mama's Italian Restaurant in Oakdale (Suffolk). Yazoo City closed early this year.