Harold Dieterle's Comeback Is a Gluten-Free Italian Restaurant

Wheat-averse diners and Paleo fans may be pleased to know that chef Harold Dieterle — the chef behind acclaimed, now-closed restaurants like Perilla and Kin Shop — is back to open an entirely gluten-free Italian restaurant, bar, bakery, and ice cream shop. Tali & Tali Dolce will debut at 77 Lexington Avenue at 26th Street around September 12, serving lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.

Tali, a take on the word “Italian,” falls under newish E.E. Hospitality umbrella (Hill and Bay, E&E Grill House), the group that’s assigning Dieterle to tackle Italian cuisine — a difficult genre to make gluten-free. Look for dishes like Meyer lemon spaghetti, yellow squash ravioli, or spaghetti and meatballs on the menu, as well as a panini with gluten-free bread, coffee, and gluten-free pastries in the pasticceria. The bar will offer eight taps that include one for cider, dry rose cider, prosecco, wine, and rosé, also 100 percent gluten-free.

It’s a big project for Dieterle, two years after he closed Perilla and Kin Shop in 2015, the remaining of his three West Village restaurants. Back then, he said he was feeling “a little beat up and a little tired” after over a decade in the restaurant industry. At the time, the winner of Bravo TV's inaugural Top Chef season mentioned that he'd "like to maybe do some consulting work, and perhaps eventually get into a fast-casual concept.”

After a salad collaboration earlier this year, he’s back in business. Stay tuned for updates.