I love brunch.  But I loved it a little more before I was diagnosed with celiac.  Going out for brunch just isn’t the same when you are limited to eggs and no toast (diner toast used to be a fave of mine).  Since my boyfriend, Alex makes pretty killer eggs and I have a pretty good GF pancakemix, we have been eating brunch at home lately.  THis weekend was an exception.  Even though I found an easy recipe for crepes, Alex wanted to go out and I took this an opportunity to have a gluten-free brunch not limited to eggs.  I suggested Petit Cafe, a small cafe in the West Village just below Chelsea that serves GF pancakes, french toast, and carries other GF breakfast baked goods.  We took the L to 8th ave, walked to 70 Greenwhich street to find that it was closed.  Major bummer.  What kind of a brunch place is closed at prime brunch time?  It was weird.  Luckily, Alex’s trusy smart phone directed us to Friedman’s Lunch in Chelsea Market, which was walking distance and promised gluten-free choices.

We arrived at Frieman’s Lunch at around noon (we dallied a little at a sunglasses shop) and it was packed.  The space is small, and we had to wait 5 minutes for a table.  I imagine this wait would be much longer for a party over 3.  I was slightly anxious as I did not see any gluten-free indications on the posted menu, and I really, really wanted some pancakes.  I had somehow missed the dots and note that said, “all dotted items can be prepared gluten-free” (be forewarned though that the pancakes on my menu had no dot, but were available gluten-free).  So, I ordered my pancakes, and Alex ordered the special open-faced cuban with gluten-free bread.

Friedman’s became known to me via yelp and other reviews of their gluten-free sandwhiches (most notably-the burger) and so I was especially curious about the bread they used.  Alex’s sandwhich was served on a gluten-free baguette, not made in house, but promised to be delicious.  We also inquired about their gluten-free policies, to which they promised that all items ordered GF would be prepared separately and free from cross-contamination. 

Friedman’s did not disappoint.  My pancakes were served with fresh berries (although not a compote, as the menus suggested) and Vermont maple syrup.  These pancakes (3) were fluffy and hearty, and tasted of absolutely no xanthan gum.  The syrup was high quality as well (you can tell because it’s slightly runnier than expected).  Like other gluten-free bread experiences I’ve had, the pancakes seemed to absorb the syrups rather quickly, which doesn’t allow the pancake eater to sop up extra syrup with each bite.  The pancakes were delicious, though nothing especially out of this world.  The sandwich, on the other hand was.  Alex’s open-face Cuban contained pulled pork, cheese on top of the gf baguette topped with an egg, sunny-side up.  I think it was the best sandwich I’ve ever had.  The bread was great, and not too filling, which served a good base for the most delicious combination of seasoned meat, cheese, and egg.  I can see why Friedman’s is famous for their sandwiches. 

Lastly, Friedman’s apparently was named after economist Milton Friedman, who coined the phrase, “There’s no such thing as free lunch” because they wanted to establish as reasonably priced, but delicious spot.  Their prices are absolutely reasonable for Manhattan, but gluten-free costs an extra $2.50 a dish, sad, but commonly practiced.  Anyway, it was still delicious, and I’ll definitely be back for a burger.