NOBREADNYC, Gluten-Free Guide To Restaurants, Debuts Oct. 1

On Wednesday, October 1, former JP Morgan analyst Nicole Cogan will launch NOBREADNYC.com, a New York City-based guide to gluten-free menu options for restaurants all over the city.

For gluten-sensitive diners, NOBREADNYC will offer guides to more than 250 of New York City's best restaurants, along with restaurant profiles and mini reviews. NOBREAD will also offer customized gluten-free menus, offering gluten-free substitutions for each item.

As an analyst, Nicole spent years in the financial sector, taking clients to meals where Cogan herself would constantly need to explain her gluten intolerance to restaurant staff, and eventually resorted to keeping her own detailed blog of restaurants' gluten-free options.

"When I worked in finance, client entertaining was the best and worst part of my job," Cogan told The Daily Meal. "It was the best because dining at restaurants and socializing was when I was happiest, but it was also the worst because not only did I not know what I should order, but food was typically ordered by one person and I was forced to eat whatever was brought out."

Cogan has already locked down a number of her favorite gluten-free dishes in New York City.

"Catch and other EMM Group restaurants are favorites amongst clients, so I was very eager to go over their menus. Also, I love Italian cuisine and miss my pasta eating days, so I have to say the best part about NOBREAD has been discovering which Italian restaurants have gluten-free pastas.

"Del Posto's gluten-free pasta is a total game changer and I could eat their pasta for breakfast. My meeting with chef Gabe Thompson from the Epicurean group has been one of my favorite meetings to date; L'Artusi and L'Apicio are two of my favorite restaurants in New York City and I was amazed to see all the gluten-free options on their menu. I did a private tasting of chef Gabe's handmade GF pasta at L'Apicio one afternoon, and went back to the restaurant the next night with 10 friends so they could experience how amazing it was."

Although NOBREAD is currently exclusive to New York, Cogan already has expansion plans in the works.

"The response to my website and the custom gluten-free menus in New York has been amazing from both the restaurants and my followers, and I've realized my vision can work with any allergy and in any city," said Cogan. "Plans are in the works to expand to Los Angeles and San Francisco, and NOBREADNYC will expand next summer to include the Hamptons and Montauk."

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Karen Lo is an associate editor at The Daily Meal. Follow her on Twitter @appleplexy.