DAY 1
Lunch: Filaga
I love this style pizza, and this little spot in Chelsea Market exceeded my expectations for sure. There were no nuts in the pizzas we ordered, and it was fantastic. I tried the Buffalina, which was like a margarita but with Buffalo Mozzarella (this one was SO GOOD), and the Funghi Misti which was a mushroom pizza—also really good! I looked online at their menu later and realized their menu changed often and at one point they did have a pistachio pizza. That pizza was not on the menu nor on the counter of options when I went there, so I felt safe enough to try the pie! Would absolutely come back.
Drink: Pearl River Mart Foods
This spot is a small market! They also had a small kitchen inside that sold Boba Tea. I had the Thai Tea with their signature milk and boba. It was so delicious! I asked if any nuts were in the drink and the staff member said if you didn’t order a nut milk there shouldn’t be any nuts.
Coffee: Hungry Ghost Coffee
I got iced coffee with oat milk here! (Spokin verified Oatly!) They also had almond milk, but I’m not allergic to almonds. Great spot!
Dinner: Little Owl
This was a great little dinner spot! I had Eggplant Parm, the Crispy Calamari, and a Caesar salad. All delicious and all safe. I also tried some of my mom’s fries and my sister’a burger (which was incredible). They used canola/vegetable oil for their fries and calamari, and our waiter said there were currently no peanuts on the menu and very limited tree nuts.
Hotel: The Standard Highline Hotel
Great location, good service, and a beautiful view! Right in the middle of the meat-packing district, the hotel had fantastic access to great restaurants and the Chelsea market! I was able to safely order chocolate ice cream through the hotel’s room service. However, we did not have the chocolate chip cookies. They did not seem safe enough. (I believe there were other nuts in the desert making area.) there was a restaurant/bar on the ground floor of the hotel, and I was able to safely eat their guacamole (which was REALLY good!). Unfortunately, the chips fried in canola oil were fried in the same fryer as nuts.
DAY 2
Brunch: Sadelle’s
What a wonderful brunch place! The food was absolutely amazing. I went with my family, and I ate an onion bagel with cream cheese and house cured salmon (delicious!), French toast (easily on the list of top French toasts I’ve ever had), and coffee. They had walnuts in one of their salads, which is prepared at the salad station which is separate from the bagel and French toast making areas. The rest of my family had versions of eggs and breakfast sandwiches. Would love to go there again when I go back to New York!
Dinner: The Smith
Overall a nice menu! Not very exciting or out-of-this world food, but the service was fantastic. Our waiter knew what oil was used to fry things and double checked that no nuts went into the fryer. My meal also came out with a little red flag, I believe to indicate my allergy! They were definitely food allergy aware. I tried oysters, mac and cheese (which was absolutely the best thing on the menu), mussels, fries, and the vegetable bibimbap. For the most part everything was good, but my family will probably not go again as it was pretty average taste-wise.
DAY 3
Travel: Delta Airlines
My family and I had a mixed experience with Delta. While my dad and I were separated from my sisters and mom between security, and we were not allowed to board the same flight, they did eventually prove themselves thoughtful in two very telling ways. First, one of my two Auvi-Qs was in my mom’s purse and I needed it with me, for we would not be on the same plane, so one of the security officers was incredibly kind and willing to walk the Auvi-Q through and past security to hand it to me. Second, we had told the flight that I had an allergy and they made an announcement on the plane that no peanuts should be eaten. Not only that, but one of the flight attendants came and asked us if it was okay if a passenger ate almonds or not. I’m not allergic, so it was fine, and I felt very supported!
