When Friedman’s opened up at 1187 Amsterdam Avenue, it quickly became one of the go-to spots for hungry Columbia students. Featuring family-style cooking with a gluten-free twist, students were saddened to discover last year that the restaurant had closed for good.
Confused at first, the future of the restaurant remained uncertain as orders were left unfulfilled as what started as a temporary shut-down turned permanent by the end of the year. Thankfully, the confusion is at an end and we can confirm that Friedman’s will be reopening their Columbia restaurant a couple blocks north at 1241 Amsterdam Avenue.
Founded in the Chelsea Marketplace in 2009, Friedman’s was envisioned as a simple family-run restaurant. Named after economist Milton Friedman’s famous assertion that “there is no such thing as a free lunch,” Friedman’s evolved significantly when one of the early founders, Vanessa Phillips, was diagnosed with celiac disease.
Wanting to create a haven for her fellow celiac-sufferers, Vanessa ensured that the Friedman’s menu was intrinsically gluten-free. Controversial at the time, history has now proven her correct, and the gluten-free Friedman’s has skyrocketed in popularity, becoming one of the most popular restaurants in the city to serve an expressly gluten-free menu.
Since founding Friedman’s, Vanessa has since moved on to greener pastures and now operates Feel Good Food with Chef Tryg Siverson. Friedman’s, however, is as strong as ever. Now boasting nine different locations across Manhattan, Friedman’s has become the premiere location for gluten-free dining in New York.
The new location will be replacing Flat Top, which previously operated at 1241 Amsterdam Avenue. Flat Top was a popular new-American cuisine restaurant that served angus beef burgers, steaks, and fish. Popular for brunches uptown, Flat Top was forced to closed during the pandemic and the space has remained vacant since. Sadly. it appears that Flat Top is gone for good, as there are no other locations listed online. Hopefully, Friedman’s will make for a sufficient replacement.
