House made vegan cheese is available as are soy and rice milk.

Here are some of the sandwich offerings:

The Club- grilled tempeh bacon, smoked tofu, balsamic toasted tomato, tomaine, pickled red onion, tarragon basil pesto and roasted garlic mayo.

Smoked Ruben- grilled house smoked tofu, sweet and sour pickled cabbage, swiss cheese, basil, horseradish russian mayo.

Melt- Spicy tofu & vegetable salad, pickled carrot, baby arugula, cheddar cheese and dijonaise.

BLT- grilled homemade tempeh bacon, balsamic rosted tomato, roamine, basil, mint and roasted garlic mayo.

Currently, vegan puddings and ice cream are the only gluten-free dessert options, but I hear they are planning to expand the list!

I contacted the Natick, MA location to inquire about measures taken to decrease the chance of cross-contmaination. I was told that the pizza is prepped on a clean, separate surface and is placed on a pizza-sized foil sheet so it never comes into contact with the oven surface. These crusts are prepackaged and the seal remains intact until an order is placed.  The ‘regular’ pizza  is pressed into the pan as opposed to being tossed in the air, in hopes of decreasing the presence of airborne wheat flour.  Also, specially designated utensils and pizza cutters are used for the gluten-free pizza. 

In addition, we’re waiting to hear more from the California Pizza Kitchen corporate office in regards to the issue of potential cross-contamination of toppings and shared pizza sauce ladles.  At this time, I was told that they are “working on their kitchen procedures in regards to gf pizza”, and that I should “stay tuned”!  Well, let’s hope to hear back from them soon.

Regional Italian cuisine is also featured on the menu with the region of west central Italy, known as Lazio, being highlighted over the next few months.

Until December 31, 2010, all profits from side dishes will be donated toward Haitian relief efforts through the Stand With Haiti Fund.

Be sure to check out the Cooking Classes with James Beard award-winning Chef Jody Adams which run regularly and feature seasonal favorites!

b. good gluten-free burger

Yet another place to buy a burger with a gluten-free bun!   b.good, where food is made “by people not factories” emphasizes fresh foods that are free of chemicals.  Burgers and  turkey burgers are made with meat that is ground in-house. 

There are six signature burgers to choose from, or you can build your own.  The buns are made of a tapioca and rice flour base and are free of dairy (contain soy, egg and yeast).

The  potato and sweet potato “fries” are actually baked and are gluten-free. They are hand-cut on-site and coated with olive oil and baked till crispy.  Salad and seasonal vegetables are available too and are sourced from local, organic growers.   Even the milkshakes are made with your choice of locally made ice cream or non-fat yogurt.  Fruit shakes (contain dairy) are offered as well.

We had a fun experience at this casual, family-friendly burger joint and appreciated the quick service and the fact that the kitchen is open to viewing so we could see the server change his gloves when preparing our order. We’ll definitely be back!

Pepperoni Pizza

With locations in Belmont, Cambridge and Needham, MA, Stonehearth Pizza is a sure bet for those of us avoiding gluten!  We really appreciate the large variety of gluten-free menu choices listed within the standard menu and we also appreciate their efforts to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.  The menu includes appetizers, salads, pasta, pizza and desserts!  How about Bard’s Tale beer or Original Sin hard cider to go with your meal?  Yes, they have that too!  Six tempting salad choices are available and all of the dressings are gluten-free and the vinaigrettes are dairy-free as well.  Tinkyada rice pasta is used for the pasta dishes and the meatballs (contain dairy) are gluten-free too!  On our visit we enjoyed the nitrate-free pepperoni pizza.  The gluten-free pizza crust was thin and delicious and also dairy-free (contains egg and soy lecithin).  There are four gluten-free signature pizzas available.  The toppings for these are kept in a dedicated gluten-free area of the kitchen.  However, other toppings are also naturally gluten-free and some gluten-free customers choose to eat these as well, once they understand the extent of precautions the staff maintains to prevent cross-contamination. 

To get a better idea of these precautions, Stonehearth’s Jonathan Schwarz graciously filled me in.  Only rice flour is used to stretch the standard and gluten-free pizza dough. This eliminates air-born wheat flour in the oven and on the topping options out on the line.  The gluten-free pizzas are baked in their own pan and specially designated gluten-free pizza cutters and pasta utensils are used. 

Aside from having a marvelous gluten-free menu, Stonehearth Pizza is also known for being an environmentally concious restaurant where local and organic foods shine.  We’ll definitely be back for another visit!

Flourless Chocolate Dome

PF Chang’s China Bistro is very accomodating when it comes to special diets such as gluten-free, dairy-free, vegetarian and other food allergy needs. They have a gluten-free menu and upon request can print out a dairy-free one.  Some of the dishes are naturally gluten-free while others must be modified.  This, of course, makes it very important to alert your server or even ask for the manager to be sure you get the correct recipe. 

Some PF Chang franchises use square plates vs. round to make it easier to differentiate between the gluten containing and the gluten-free dishes.   Listed on the gluten-free menu are appetizers, soups, entrees and noodle dishes. Some that are gluten and dairy-free are the Singapore Street Noodles (can be ordered without shrimp and egg), Philip’s Better Lemon Chicken, Lettuce Wraps and the Dali Chicken.  PF Chang’s gluten-free sauce contains garlic, ginger, rice wine, Sichuan powder, salt, sugar and wheat free soy sauce.  The marinades for the chicken, shrimp, scallops and calamari are gluten-free but contain cornstarch.  A most rich and delicious Flourless Chocolate Dome (contains egg and dairy) is offered for dessert.  And gluten-free beer is available too!

We have eaten at the Peabody, Ma. location a number of times and appreciate the servers attention to our food concerns.  My kids love the Chang’s Spicy Chicken which is very spicy with a sweet and sour sauce. This dish can also be made less spicy.  Another good thing is that we can order brown rice or white rice. 

Stay tuned for more gluten-free items to be added to the menu in March of 2010!  Some of these additions include Beef with Broccoli, Mongolian Beef, Hong Kong Beef with Snow Peas, Pepper Steak, and Fried Rice.

Rang Indian Bistro, located in Stoneham, offers both Northern and  Southern Indian cuisine.   Although they do not have a gluten free menu, they do state that they cater to customers with special dietary needs such as vegetarians and gluten free diners.  They do not use  preservatives or msg and they grind their own spices.  Passage to India  in Cambridge and Salem and Monsoon Bistro in Maynard and Acton are all under the same management as Rang Indian Bistro.

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