Opus opens on UES!

I just read this:

The brothers’ UES ristorante, Opus, discriminates against no diner. Celiacs can chow down on corn linguine, lentil-chickpea penne, and panzerotti — crispy half-moon pies made from gluten-free dough imported from Italy and filled with mozzarella, tomato, and mortadella.

Time crunchers can simply grab gluten-free specialty snacks (wafers, cookies, chocolate bars) at the bar. And dairy-free pizzas and plans for house-made soy and rice milk gelati will sate the most lactose-intolerant patrons.

Even insomniacs will find relief with a bar menu available until 5 a.m. every day of the week.

Now that’s what we call equal opportunity.

Opus, 1574 Second Avenue, between 81st and 82nd Streets (212-772-2220).

Does anyone know if they are really open this time?? I believe someone said they were still under construction a week or two ago...

The Strong Buzz, NY Magazine, DailyCandy, and Gluten-Free Fun (my blog, ) all reported on the grand opening so hopefully this time it is really open. I am excited about this place, it sounds fantastic.

I haven't been active on here for a while (shaking up the tree of life, I'd say), but had to write about this!
I just wrote Dannielle Kyrillos,(I recently had the Best! time doing her make up) editor-at-large of www.DailyCandy.com to thank her for this wonderful information.
Can't wait to try it!
Suzanne

I called Opus...they opened their doors last night. I can't wait to check it out. Enjoy!

I walked by yesterday and looked at the menu. They're not making GF pizza yet, but they can make most other menu items GF.

Did they say when they will starting making GF pizza?

Sounds like a pretty incredible selection! Has anyone been here yet? Has anyone found out what they do to prevent cross contamination (e.g., separate prep area)?

Well, I decided to answer my own question. I called Opus and spoke with one of the owners, who was extremely helpful in explaining how attentive they are to cross contamination. He mentioned that they use different pots for gf and regular pasta, and that pans/utensils are washed after each use, but it was also the way he discussed it that made clear this is something they're very concerned with and have worked really hard to make things safe. He also noted that most of the (not obviously gluten-filled) dishes were naturally GF. And, also very impressive, he said the reason they don't have GF pizza yet was because they hadn't yet worked out how to avoid cross contamination. That made me feel especially good about how careful they are and we know when they finally have the GF pizza that it'll really be safe.

So, I decided to go tonight, and it was delicious (and not just delicious for gluten free)! The non-celiacs I was with really liked the food too. I had a GF pasta with a veal/pesto sauce (they don't even charge extra for GF), and we shared some appetizers - artichokes with shrimp/scallops in a really delicious sauce, and a fava bean/escarole concoction that was interesting and quite excellent.

Pretty much everything on the menu except the pizza can be made GF (and most seems to be GF by default), and the menu is large. There was a lot that looked interesting and that I'm looking forward to going back to try.

The restaurant was pretty busy, which is definitely a good sign; I'm guessing all the publicity has helped. I'm already looking forward to many returns.

I went to Opus last Friday with a friend, and I'd definitely go back. We both had pasta dishes - I had the pasta with sausage and a tomato cream sauce (I think if it's not GF they serve it with a gnocchi, but I just had penne) and my friend had the veal/pesto dish mentioned above, on recommendation from the waiter, but she didn't try the GF pasta. I thought it was great - definitely better than the Tinkyada I buy myself, and it was similar in texture to the pasta that Cafe Formaggio serves out on Long Island. The service was good, if a little slow, but I definitely plan on going back.

Note: they take reservations, and if you're planning on going at a prime time, I'd make one so you don't have to wait as much (although they do have a bar you can sit at.)