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Opening Hours
Today: 12–10pm
Fri:
12–10pm
Sat:
11am–10pm
Sun:
11am–9pm
Mon:
12–9pm
Tues:
12–9pm
Wed:
12–9pm
Location
145 East 50th Street
Bistango 1 Gluten Free Italian Midtown Midtown East Turtle Bay

When we visited the new Bistango at the end of the summer of 2014, located in The Kimberly Hotel, Chef Blessings Strange and staff member William Turbert were testing out a dish to add to their menu - grilled watermelon with snippets of mint and deep fried fennel, topped with goat cheese and a balsamic reduction. They put out three additional small plates at the bar, encouraging us to taste and weigh in. It was a refreshing pick-me-up for each of us, but little did we realize that there would be several more dishes headed our way. While Chef Blessings began food prep, we had the pleasure of meeting both Anthony Avellino, the manager - part of the Bistango family for twenty-two years - and Marc Mirbod, one of the owners, who first chimed in describing Anthony as being "the real salt of the earth kind of guy." and then went on to give us some insight into this recently established location.

Fred Manocherian, owner of The Kimberly Hotel, was intrigued by the eleven-year-old gluten-free program at Bistango on 29th and Third Avenue and invited the team to open a restaurant on 50th. According to Marc and Anthony, the concept behind the Bistango restaurants is "very straightforward." They want to offer a moderately priced seasonal Italian menu with uncomplicated, locally sourced food. When they joined forces with Mr. Manocherian, the goal was to "bring what was successful on 29th to their new location." They have adopted a system where there is absolutely no cross-contamination between gluten and gluten-free meals. Chef Blessings told us that perhaps the most rewarding aspect of working in the restaurant is to watch the pleasure on people's faces when they are enjoying a bowl of pasta or a pizza for the first time in years, having never been anywhere before that can serve them a great Italian gluten-free meal. Once again Marc weighed in praising Chef Blessings, "He is the brains and heart behind the menu."

While chatting, Chef Blessings continued to dish out amazing food for us to sample: A simple salad with romaine lettuce was perfectly dressed and topped with marcona almonds; an adventurous Linguine Deniro - squid ink pasta mixed with swordfish, cherry tomatoes, herbs, and a light sauce of white wine and olive oil; and perhaps the best burrata I had tried all summer long. Blessings told us it is delivered fresh from Maplebrook Farm in Vermont. Served at room temperature, the cream oozed out from the center and onto a bed of heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil, toasted pumpkin seeds, white pepper, and balsamic vinegar powder. Needless to say, we devoured everything.

It was then that Mr. Personality, William Turbert, fired up the pizza oven, eager for us to taste the gluten-free pizza dough his teammate Jeff Walawski has spent years perfecting. William described himself as "an Italian boy from Brooklyn with the accent and personality to prove it." As he entertained and utterly charmed us, he was simultaneously making two pizzas for tasting: a margarita with buffalo mozzarella and heirloom baby tomatoes, and another made with La Quercia prosciutto and their homemade ricotta. Until William reminded us, we forgot that we were eating a gluten-free dough. That's how good it was.

The simple burgundy and dark wood decor, the dozens of antique model planes from Mr. Manocherian's personal collection hanging from the ceiling, the intimate size of the dining room, the open view into the kitchen and of course the impeccable food made for an outstanding experience. The Manhattan Sideways team had an unexpected and heavenly meal, but equal to the food was the attention that we received from all the players at Bistango.

Location
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Bistango 5 Gluten Free Italian Midtown Midtown East Turtle Bay
Bistango 6 Gluten Free Italian Midtown Midtown East Turtle Bay
Bistango 7 Gluten Free Italian Midtown Midtown East Turtle Bay
Bistango 8 Gluten Free Italian Midtown Midtown East Turtle Bay
Bistango 9 Gluten Free Italian Midtown Midtown East Turtle Bay
Bistango 10 Gluten Free Italian Midtown Midtown East Turtle Bay
Bistango 11 Gluten Free Italian Midtown Midtown East Turtle Bay
Bistango 12 Gluten Free Italian Midtown Midtown East Turtle Bay
Bistango 1 Gluten Free Italian Midtown Midtown East Turtle Bay
Bistango 2 Gluten Free Italian Midtown Midtown East Turtle Bay
Bistango 3 Gluten Free Italian Midtown Midtown East Turtle Bay
Bistango 4 Gluten Free Italian Midtown Midtown East Turtle Bay

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More places on 50th Street

Lost Gem
Toloache 1 Mexican undefined

Toloache

Toloache, a bustling Mexican bistro on 50th street, shares its name with the legendary Toloache flower. According to a myth in Mexican culture, the flower can be brewed into a love potion - if someone tastes the drink once, he or she will always return for another sip. The restaurant’s food and drinks have the same effect: Many people who eat there once return time and time again. General Manager Jorge shared a story about his friend from Japan who visited Toloache on the first night of a weeklong vacation in Manhattan. He ended up returning every day that week and then again every year during his annual visit to the city. Toloache on 50th is the first of many restaurants opened in New York by chef-owner Julian Medina. Chef Julian grew up in Mexico City, where he was inspired by the home cooking of his father and grandfather. He was originally brought to New York by Chef Richard Sandoval, who appointed him as Chef de Cuisine at Sandoval’s Maya. He went on to gain experience at distinguished restaurants and graduated from the French Culinary Institute with recognition. Today, Chef Julian owns seven of his own restaurants in the city and has been featured in several publications, including Men’s Journal, The New Yorker, and The New York Times. He has appeared on shows such as "Iron Chef" and "Beat Bobby Flay. " His impressive background is reflected in the success and distinctive menu of his “first child, ” Toloache. Julian designed Toloache’s extraordinary menu to have something for everyone – the wide range of dishes include both vegetarian and gluten free options. He prides himself on using only the freshest of ingredients, whether it is white truffles or chapulines (dried grasshoppers imported from Oaxaca). These crunchy critters have gained quite a bit of media attention, including a feature on "The Today Show. " The kitchen brought out the Tacos Chapulines for the Manhattan Sideways team to photograph, and we had to admit that the insects were made to look very appetizing. We were also presented with the diverse Trio de Guacamoles, which allowed us to sample three varieties of the dip: the familiar traditional guacamole; the Frutas Guacamole, which incorporates fruit instead of typical ingredients (pomegranate, mango, and apple instead of tomato and Thai Basil instead of cilantro); and the Rojo guacamole, made with chipotle. Several of us went on to sample the Quesadilla de Huitlacoche y Trufas (made with fresh truffles), The Baja Tilapia Pescado, and the braised short rib, served with quinoa and carrots. Each dish exemplified Chef Julian’s inventiveness and ability to put small, flavor-enhancing twists on typical Mexican cuisine. The drinks were equally impressive, including Julian’s favorite “Chef’s Selection Margarita, ” made with his hand-picked bottle of Herradura Tequila. The bartender mixed a few cocktails for us to photograph and taste, including the refreshing “De la Calle, ” made with cucumber and jalapeno; the spicy “Mezcalita de Pina”; and the signature “Toloache, ” made with hibiscus and blueberries. The food is amazing and the drinks are fantastic, but what really keeps so many guests coming back is Toloache’s dedication to quality service. As Jorge informed us, “Our goal is to make every guest feel at home. They are our friends. ” Each of the servers have their own style, creating unique, yet equally enjoyable dining experiences. Guests are able to experience Toloache in a completely new light from one day to the next just by sitting at a different server’s table. It was event manager Temple who summed the restaurant up perfectly: "Toloache feels like a family – like you’re walking into Little Mexico. ”