Review: Risotteria, Manhattan

Fellow NomNomNomNYC reader, Eddie (hi Eddie!) invited Evan and I out for grub on Friday night. The only catch is, Eddie is allergic to everything. She's probably even allergic to you. But anyhow, she's got a favorite place that she goes to that serves up a gluten-free menu and since Evan and I are much more flexible in our dining habits, we went where she wanted. And this ended up being a good thing!

We went to Risotteria in the West Village, and man, it was pretty awesome. I had no clue was risotta was (soupy rice with stuff in it, like a savory rice pudding), and was honestly a bit skeptical as I eyed our neighbor's oatmeal-looking plate of it. But then the delicious breadsticks arrived and I was a-ok. We decided to go family-style and get three dishes and then just share them all, which I recommend. I got some sort of risotto with calmari in it, Evan's had green beans in it, and Eddie got a pizza with ham on it.

Readers, we couldn't finish our food. It was so good and so filling that there was enough of it left for Eddie to pack it up as leftovers and take home. There was tons of flavor in the food without being overwhelming, and it was easy to share. I imagine that this place is comfort food to the gluten-afflicted. The place has a fabulous selection of gluten-free wines and beers, and the Coca Cola comes in a little vintage glass bottle. We didn't try the desserts, but I'm sure that they're great as well.

The place was priced reasonably enough that you could come back as often as you'd like, and the staff working at the time was very sweet and helpful. They even pull the table out for you to sit down, which is nice because then you don't have to do that whole awkward squeezing-yourself-through-the-crack-in-the-tables things.

So Risotteria, you get 4 out of 4 stars, just because you were yummy. Good job!

Risotteria
270 Bleecker St
between Cornelia St & Morton St)
New York, NY 10014
212.924.6664

www.risotteria.com