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 Speaking with Chef/Owner Guiseppe Lentini was such a delight I had to smile the whole time I spoke with him. I really enjoyed hearing the story of the development of the gluten free menu at Tini’s Restaurant, 1562 Second Avenue, New York City. Seven years ago Tini’s Restaurant started to serve rice pasta to accommodate diabetic patrons. Someone at the Today Show became aware of this menu item and the word got out to the general public. This brought people with Celiac Disease into the restaurant and that inspired Guiseppe Lentini to research Celiac Disease. His research made him aware, and surprised, at how many people have Celiac Disease but are misdiagnosed. All the people that previously had to order plain chicken breasts now could have a choice. A woman who recently ordered Penne Alfedo said she had not eaten and enjoyed this dish in 35 years. There is great pride at Tini’s that this upscale restaurant can serve 95% of its menu gluten free because everything is cooked to order.
As a Chef, Guiseppe Lentini learned his skill of cooking Italian food over 35 years through “the school of hard knocks” and many years of doing every job required to have a successful restaurant. He knows the business from top to bottom, and trains the staff to have respect for every Patron and to serve them as carefully as if they were “their Mother or Father.” There is great emphasis on getting the order right, and that is considering that there are over 120 menu items that are prepared gluten free.
As always, I really enjoyed hearing about the wonderful desserts of Panna Cotta, Cheesecake, homemade gelatos and sorbets, and my usual favorite of Chocolate Mousse. To know they are thoughtfully prepared GF, without that pan dusting of flour that ruins the often presented flourless cakes, really makes me happy.
Chef Guiseppe Lentini’s dining advice to Patrons is to ”just enjoy, let yourself go and enjoy.” With a restaurant like Tini’s we really can.
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