I was in gluten free heaven the last two days...New York City. My husband planned out a big super-date for us before our next baby is born, and I finally got to visit NYC. I loved it way more than I thought I would, and I've always wanted to go there. I read up on restaurants at celiacchicks.com and glutenfreerestaurants.org and had a hard time narrowing down all the options. I mainly went for the food as we didn't have time to see many sites between appointments, and I was not disappointed.

The flights were a red-eye mess, including a 5 hour delay (most of which spent waiting on the runway), but we got one good night of uninterrupted sleep, which I haven't had in a month due to everyone getting sick. The delay was on the way back so I had some decadent treats from Happy Happy Happy, a Gluten-free/Dairy free bakery, to get me through it.

I ate some avoids, but handled them fine in a stress-free state, up until the gelato at the last stop, that surely had some corn in it.

Risotteria was amazing, and the only place I visited twice. How they make their rice pizza crust is a marvel and a mystery to me. I loved it. The risotto looked fabulous too, but I couldn't resist the chance to eat pizza. The chef reminds me of Harry Connick Jr., and it's in the lovely Greenwich Village area. We loved that area for walking around and window/chocolate shopping.

Chennai House was amazing too, a sada dosa is a wonderful thing (sourdough rice/lentil flatbread), as is their fried appetizer (battered and deep fried green peppers are surprisingly good.) The batter has garbanzo's in it, but what celiac can resist? No regrets there, just glad I can't get them locally or my compliance would go way down. Hampton chutney company was great enough to add it to my dream list of impossibilities (1. National Gluten-Free Day where all food is GF for a day and (2. Hampton Chutney Co. becomes a nationwide franchise competing with McDonald's. They make chutney, sandwiches and huge dosa wraps...heaven.

What else...a really interesting place with bouncers at the door and red lights on white curtains surrounding the restaurant and bar...Asia de Cuba. I wouldn't have gone there but my husband had an appointment there and they have a GF menu so I tagged along and ate in the bar (with a seltzer water, of course!). I had a grilled pesto shrimp with roasted tropical vegetables. It was very good! Huge fresh shrimp. It was the most expensive place I went, but very interesting. I didn't make it to Rice, another restaurant with fusion cooking, but I sure covered a lot of ground and ate a lot of good calories. I wasn't brave enough to try the vegan raw food places this time around, but maybe next time. The only raw food meals I've had have made me sick, perhaps it was the Bragg's Liquid Aminos. I also didn't try any meat or steak places, but I can get that out here at Stockman's, this is rancher land, so I'll make up for what I lacked.

That's it for this blog. News on my ultrasound coming up tomorrow! Place 'yer bets, and wait for the news Can't believe I'm halfway to my due date. I certainly carry the baby like a girl, but that could just be because it's my second pregnancy. I'm just starting to kinda show. What do you think? Everyone who knows my husband says Boy, everyone who knows me says Girl. I'm not sure anymore!