Dining Out on Whole30
For all of those reading this partaking in Whole30 – way to go! Whether you are on your first day or last, congratulations. It is an accomplishment just to commit to beginning this venture! As I discussed in length over on Mindbodygreen, the number one mistake people make on Whole30 is not being prepared. It can be an incredibly overwhelming and daunting experience and always being prepared is essential to successfully finishing the thirty days. This concept of preparation includes meal prepping and batch cooking, always having snacks on hand, and calling restaurants beforehand to discuss menu ingredients and ordering options. To focus on the latter, I have created a list of restaurants where I have been able to enjoy Whole30 approved meals. This by no means that these are the only restaurants in NYC where you can do this, or that every item on their menu is approved, but hopefully it can be a resource for anyone on Whole30 who is looking to dine out. Let’s face it, cooking all your meals for thirty straight days is basically impossible and every once and awhile it’s nice to put on pants and eat dinner somewhere other than your couch. I will be continuously adding to this list, but for now here are some of my finds.If you have any restaurants you are looking to try while on Whole30 but unsure what you’d be able to order, please send me a DM on Instagram or leave a comment on this post and I will report back with approved dishes!Continue reading
Grab-and-Go
Bareburger: multiple locations. My go-to order: bison burger in a collard green wrap or lettuce bed with alfalfa, avocado, tomato, and a sunny side egg. (NOTE the ketchup and mustard are Sir Kensingtons, which is not Whole30 approved as they contain cane sugar).Hu Kitchen: 78 Fifth Avenue. Unfortunately, I cannot enjoy a lot of this menu since it includes large amounts of garlic & onion. But if not avoiding those two ingredients, I suggest ordering: wild meatloaf with the assorted market vegetables and the caramelized pineapple with no cashew cream. Their menu is extremely allergy friendly and lists out every ingredient used, which is very helpful for Whole30.Springbone Kitchen: 90 West 3rd Street. My go-to order: 100% grass-fed burger with bacon on a portobello mushroom cap with a side of carrot fries or root cellar salad with chicken and no goat cheese.Café Clover: 10 Downing Street. My go-to order: the loaded sweet potato and the organic Scottish salmon with steamed vegetables (NOTE: you must ask request this replacement for the sides). This menu often changes but they are extremely friendly on the phone to discuss allergies and ingredients.Little Beet: multiple locations. My go-to order: build your own bowl with base of greens, protein of avocado, and sides of sweet potato and charred broccoli with the turmeric and tahini sauce.Mulberry & Vine: multiple locations. This menu changes often, and may not have a ton of options, but the menu clearly lists all ingredients included in each item. Current go-to order: M&V Roasted chicken breast with turmeric-lemon zest cauliflower and charred avocado (ask without the greek yogurt topping).Sweetgreen: multiple locations. My go-to order: mixed kale and spinach, avocado, hardboiled egg, cucumbers, tomatoes, beets, carrots, shredded cabbage, toasted almonds, and olive oil & lemon juice.Locanut: 807 9th Avenue. My go-to order: grass-fed beef burger in a collard green wrap with a side of baked sweet potato fries.
Sit Down Restaurants:
The Smith: multiple locations. My go-to order: salmon entrée with no mousse and sub the sides with spinach and roasted cauliflower or other side vegetables (just make sure you discuss how they are prepared).L’Artusi: 228 W 10th Street. This menu continuously changes but the staff is incredibly friendly and accommodating to allergies or diets. I suggest calling beforehand and walking through the menu. Things I know they will typically always be able to make: some type of fish, most likely branzino, with roasted vegetables.Dell’anima: 38 8th Avenue. Similarly to L’Artusi, since they are sister restaurants, this menu continuously changes but the staff is incredibly friendly and accommodating to allergies or diets. I suggest calling beforehand and walking through the menu. Things I know they will typically always be able to make: some type of fish, most likely branzino, or pork chop with roasted vegetables.Strip House: 2 locations, I prefer 13 E 12th Street. This really applies to any steakhouse, but these are surprisingly some of the easiest restaurants to dine out at while on Whole30. My go-to order: filet (or whatever your preferred cut is) cooked with no butter, a baked potato, and side of steamed spinach. This applies to all main steakhouses (Smith & Wollinsky, Maloney & Porcelli, Bobby Van’s, Empire, etc.)Lighthouse Outpost: My go-to order: the big salad, side of cauliflower, and a side sweet potato (with no labne).Little Beet Table: 333 Park Avenue South. I (shockingly for how much I eat at The Little Beet) have never been here, but this came highly recommended by followers.ABCV: 38 E 19th Street. One of my favorite places for breakfast, lunch, brunch, or dinner. Who cares that it is vegetarian, it is AMAZING. My brunch order (these can all be made Whole30 approved just alert the server of a gluten/dairy/grain/legume/sugar free diet): avocado lettuce cups, the beet appetizer, the sweet potato coconut yogurt appetizer, and the sauteed mushrooms with poached eggs.High St on Hudson: 637 Hudson Street. Have only been for their brunch menu, but my go-to order: poached chicken with brussel sprouts and honey crisp apples (make aware of gluten/dairy/grain/sugar/legume avoidance for any necessary changes)