We gobbled down a bit of breakfast and hopped on a train bound for Grand Central. Once upon a time I would’ve spent the train ride dreaming of the glorious foods that New York has to offer: chewy bagels, a slice or two of pizza, deli sandwiches on Jewish rye and goodies from bakeries. Not this time, though. This would be my first gluten free visit to New York. I grew up on this food, and now I could only enjoy it as a memory.

By the time we got to Brooklyn, though, my stomach was already telling me that I should’ve eaten a bigger breakfast. I’d thrown a couple of KIND bars into my purse before leaving for the train, but I’d planned on saving those for later in the day. With all the walking ahead of us, I predicted needing one before lunch and maybe one for the long train home. If I ate one now, I would be short a bar. No one wants to be around me when I’m hungry, especially my husband.

Lucky for us, though, I spotted a Trader Joe’s. I figured I could get a couple of healthy snacks and then wouldn’t have to feel the pressure of finding a restaurant that offered gluten free food. Hah! Apparently 10:00 am is peak time for grocery shopping in Brooklyn. My growling stomach was getting louder and my head felt the woozy beginnings of low blood sugar. My husband urged me to just eat one of my bars now, fearing a low blood sugar wife on the near horizon. I walked out of Trader Joe’s tearing open my bar, slightly worried that my day’s adventures would be hampered by the hunt for gluten free dining.

Though my dreams of savoring New York favorites would be unrealized, Jordan had big plans for a slice of heaven. His brother and sister in law are serious foodies so he asked them for recommendations on where to get the best pizza. After visiting with them, we headed to Williamsburg. By now Jordan was hungry so we beelined for the pizza place. Pizza tops my favorite foods list, so this was not going to be easy for me. I would have to watch Jordan eat what I couldn’t have and yet really, really wanted. As we opened the door I reminded myself how sick I would feel if I ate the pizza. We walked up to the counter and OH! there were at least a dozen different gorgeous, hot, mouth watering pizzas to choose from. I looked at each one and thought how it would taste. The sweet savory combos, the salty spicy ones, the plain traditional pies. Oh, just a bite! But no, I’d suffered before when I’d inadvertently eaten gluten. I didn’t dare ruin a single moment of my trip for just a bite. Well, maybe just a bite of cheese and a finger dipped in the tomato sauce and maybe a taste of the sausage. OK, I tasted it and it was divine.

Now it was my turn. Jordan was game to sit through a meal with me, even with his hunger sated. Williamsburg is a hip, trendy neighborhood so I figured they’d have some progressive (i.e. gluten free) dining choices and felt pretty optimistic about getting a tasty meal. There were definitely plenty of seemingly great cafes and restaurants but so far none with many gluten free choices beyond a bunless burger or fancy salad. I inquired at two restaurants that had yummy menus to ask if they served gluten free food. Both were Asian restaurants, so I also asked if they had tamari instead of soy sauce. I was met with blank stares and answered no in both places.

My hunger was increasing I began to feel a little sad for myself as I thought about being in a place known for great food and the possibility of eating only a salad or picking up some fruit at the local market. I reminded myself (again) that this trip wasn’t about the food (for me) and kept walking and checking menus. I fingered the last bar in my purse as we passed more restaurants that didn’t work out. Then Jordan turned to his iPhone. Ah, technology! He found a short list of restaurants in the hood listed as “gluten free friendly” on Yelp. My spirits lifted as we changed course. One was a noodle place. Yay! No sandwich sans bread for this girl today! We changed course and headed to M Shanghai Bistro & Garden on Grand Street.

I hesitated momentarily as I surveyed the restaurant. The place was pretty empty, which isn’t a good sign during what should be a lunch rush. Was the place new? Is this off the beaten path? Or is the food terrible and we should spin around on our heels and just go that salad? Too late, the host spotted us. I asked if they could make something gluten free. A moment of silence, then he answered “no”. Darn! Oh, wait, he asked me to repeat myself and this time answered that yes, they could. Apparently he thought I asked if we could “eat for free”. Huh.

So we sat down and looked at our menus. I was beginning to feel excited and though many of the dishes seemed like they might not be gluten free, I figured that since they were listed as “gluten free friendly” that they could easily make adjustments and/or use tamari in place of soy sauce. When I asked the server about this, he said that they didn’t actually have tamari and that they could just leave the soy sauce out of whatever dish I chose. Huh. Soy sauce adds a lot of flavor and without it (or tamari), the food just wouldn’t taste the same. OK, time to try another approach. I asked if there was anything on the menu that wasn’t made with wheat noodles or have soy sauce. He suggested one item - a curry rice noodle dish with chicken. Sold. Whatever it is, I’ll take it.

It turned out to be delicious. This was definitely not a breadless sandwich, bunless burger or boring salad. Success! A plate of light and flavorful rice noodles with shredded crunchy green beans and small strips of chicken. I let Jordan taste a bite and savored every last morsel with a smile and feeling of great satisfaction. I could have given up, I could have ended up with something much less spectacular, but optimism and persistence paid off.