TASTY TIDBITS: Joe Pipitone’s “The Healthy Italian” Gluten-Free Story
Recently, Peachy Deegan met Joe Pipitone out in Manhattan and learned about his “The Healthy Italian” Gluten-Free Story. Whom You Know has never heard of such a phenomenon and we think it is a notable idea!
Joe told Whom You Know:
17 years ago, at age 33, I had been diagnosed as having Hypoglycemia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Candida and a very long list of food allergies and intolerances. I chose to take the holistic approach to healing which for starters meant altering my food choices dramatically. My dietary protocol would be free of gluten, yeast, meat, dairy, refined sugars, caffeine and alcohol. Can you imagine a full blooded Italian following such a protocol? What, NO pasta or bread, NO wine, NO deserts or espresso?!!! I began to educate myself about alternative food choices and essentially followed a strict vegetarian diet. I also incorporated yoga, exercise and some nutritional supplements. I was well on my way to healing and eventually turned it into a lifestyle, one that I still live by with some modifications but always gluten-free.
In the summer of 2008, I began to explore what I considered a newly distinguished passion which was all around food. I spoke with my brother-in-law who has been in the restaurant business for 25 years and shared the idea of adding healthy selections to his existing menu. Two conversations and one meeting later, I created an alliance with him and his partner and became one third partner in a menu that essentially consisted of everything I had been eating for the past 16 years. The menu was well received by his clients and suddenly people with Celiac Disease began coming out of the woodwork expressing their gratitude for my being there. Although my symptoms mirrored those of Celiac, I was never tested for it. Nevertheless, I completely understand their criteria and am committed to catering to their needs. I am also addressing the Autistic community where it is recommended to have a gluten-free lifestyle as well.
I have branded myself as "The Healthy Italian" specializing in 100% Gluten-Free Italian and Vegetarian Cuisine. I have created a partnership with Keith Pollack and Ken Merlo who bring years of managerial experience in the food business and an extensive background in finances respectively. The vision of
“The Healthy Italian” is to provide “the ultimate authentic, healthy, nutritious and delicious gluten-free experience made with integrity and love”.
We are currently marketing ourselves as a 100% Gluten-Free catering company operating in NYC, Queens and Long Island. We are also expanding our concept of the "Traveling" Healthy Italian to the tri-state area. This program essentially provides the opportunity for restaurants and food related venues to host “The Healthy Italian” for a Gluten-Free dining experience. We market the event to the Gluten-Free community, manage and train the kitchen to meet the proper criteria for prepping gluten-free cuisine and meeting the standards of the The Healthy Italian. The establishment benefits by creating a reputable presence in the Gluten-Free community and additional revenue that they normally would not have.
Some of our events include a 100% Gluten-free Valentine's Day dinner, which took place in a Brooklyn apartment and was rated as a *5-Star* event by the participants, a 100% Gluten-Free "All You Can Eat Pasta Extravaganza" at Paradiso Restaurant and Pizzeria in Rockville Centre, where we created a fun & fabulous experience for the entire family and proved that you don't have to be gluten-free to enjoy our nutritious and delicious food. We participated in the 3rd Ave Street Fair in NYC and just recently appeared at Pasticcio Restaurant, a 30 year landmark institution in the Murray Hill neighborhood of NYC. We will soon be appearing at Get Healthy America, a 100% Gluten-Free food store in Plainview Long Island.
For more information, email peachydeegan@gmail.com
