Tula Kitchen
41 East Main St Bay Shore,New York 11706
http://tulakitchen.com/

Tula is the Sanskrit word for Balance, which is what this restaurant tried to achieve by catering to both regular eaters, vegetarians and gluten free folks alike. I went here in December for my Friend’s birthday. She is a vegetarian and also very thoughtful of my diet so this place was chosen for it’s gluten free and vegetarian friendly options. Our reservation was for 8pm, however due to a late arriving party before us we did not sit until around 9pm. There was no other table large enough to hold our table, a bit of a disappointment for my friend and her company. The hostess and staff assured us that they attempted to rush the group out but I was disappointed in waiting at the bar, and waiting for drinks, before being sat down to eat. While a nice environment I do not feel that the lay out was done effectively. The owner was the hostess this night and was very happy to hand over the gluten free menu for my reading pleasure. However, there is only one copy of the menu, which is a regular menu with gluten free items marked off by hand. The fact that products could be made gluten free is not mentioned on their website or on the regular menus themselves, an unfortunate thing given that this could draw more gluten free patrons. Menu items were a unique fusion of various cultural flavors. GF options were abundant although limited in variety, mostly to salads, in my opinion. I opted for the Almond Crusted Chicken over a bed of baby green with Sweet Apricot Sauce, paired with a Pomegranate and Blueberry Martini:

 Items were well priced for the size and amount of food you received. The food quality was perfect for my salad, perfectly cooked chicken and a great pairing of flavors. However, when I asked my non Gluten Free friends about their items (hamburgers, Pasta Dishes) they were not as thrilled and felt that the food was not cooked or flavored to perfection. When we were leaving I asked the owner why she wanted to open such a GF and Vegetarian friendly restaurant to which she responded that she just wanted a place for everyone to come, eat and enjoy themselves without being tied down by food restrictions. I think this is a great thought and perfect idea but they could improve by enhancing gf options, better and quicker seating and improved hospitality (especially at the bar).

Thus, on my Shamrock scale Tula’s Gets:
Gluten Free Options: 1