DASHA® recently announced that its co-founders and owners, Dr. Darren Pollack and his wife Shannon Pollack, along with their two young children, have gone gluten-free in their household. Many people think a gluten-free diet is constricting or limiting, but the fact of the matter is, as the Pollacks can attest to, there are still many healthy, tasty and wonderful dining options available, not only in your home, but also dining out in New York City, one of the culinary capitals of the world.
Pappardella, an Italian restaurant located a hop, skip and jump away from Lincoln Center and the Museum of Natural History on the Upper West Side, offers a diverse gluten-free menu and is a favorite haunt of the Pollack family. They also offer delivery. Below, we interviewed Pappardella owner Sid Gupta about his decision to offer gluten-free dining options.
DASHA®: When and why did you make the decision to create a gluten-free lunch and dinner menu?
SID: One of my neighbors, whose wife had been diagnosed with celiac disease and whose young children were subsequently diagnosed, voiced to me one day how much he missed eating at Pappardella because we didn’t provide suitable options for his entire family. After a bit of research, we realized that it was not entirely impossible to change that. We began with a single substitute corn based noodle that could be swapped into any of our classic pasta dishes, and as our patrons grew in numbers, we expanded our offerings, eventually arriving at a full gluten-free menu.
DASHA®: What is the number one myth about gluten-free Italian food?
SID: The number one myth is that if you are gluten intolerant, you can’t eat Italian food. Thankfully, this is absolutely not true! Our menu and our client base have expanded significantly since we began offering gluten-free dining options five years ago. The proof is in the numbers!
DASHA®: What is the feedback you get from your patrons about your gluten-free lunch and dinner menu options?
SID: We have a loyal client base that is more engaged in the dining experience than the average guest, and rightfully so. We are fortunate that our guests are filled with complements and suggestions. Overall, we receive positive feedback, and we are constantly improving and expanding our selections to meet the dietary needs of our guests, without compromising the flavor and quality they expect.
DASHA®: What are some of your best gluten-free meal options?
SID: We offer all of our classic pasta dishes, as well as our pizzas, in a gluten-free version. We also have delicious garlic bread and chicken, veal and shrimp parmigiano with gluten-free breadcrumbs sides of gluten-free pasta. You can view our lunch and dinner menus on our website.
Pappardella is located at 316 Columbus Avenue (at 75th Street). For more information, visit http://www.pappardella.com/.
DASHA® wellness & spa is a luxury lifestyle brand and New York City-based wellness center created to offer a truly holistic approach to wellness. To learn more, visit dashawellness.com.
