You’re also able to customize your own fruit blend if you so desire!

Vegetarian and vegan wraps are offered as well.  Gluten-free brown rice wraps or nori are available for those of us needing gluten-free, however, I suggest you call ahead as the brown rice wraps are a hit or miss item, but the nori is always plentiful in supply. Or, you can forgo the wrap and have the fixings in a salad form instead.  There is one item on the wrap menu that is available in a raw form, the Nori Wrap.  It is made with rice, carrots, red cabbage, sprouts and avocado and is served with gluten-free tamari soy sauce.

This cozy cafe is the perfect place to enjoy healthy food on a warm summer day. Don’t wait too long before you visit~they’re only open seasonally from April to early November.

The menu includes a selection of naturally gluten-free items such as the salads, which can be made more substantial with the addition of tuna or chicken salad, grilled chicken, salmon or steak tips.  Other items can be modified to suit your needs. After speaking with Chef Kevin, I suggest you call ahead before your visit so he can be sure there are gluten-free options available to you (i.e. gf bread).

We finally made it to Popovers on the Square and it was so worth the drive!   This European style bakery cafe is located right in Market Square.  Here you’ll find scrumptious gluten-free rolls for the sandwiches as well as gluten-free pizza. 

The menu features an assortment of signature sandwiches which are served on a gluten and dairy-free bun that is made in a local dedicated gluten and dairy-free facility. All sandwiches can be  made gluten-free with the exception of the Teryaki Chicken, which has a gluten containing sauce.  Salad choices are plentiful too and you can even choose gluten-free croutons!

For dessert, we chose the Chocolate Mousse Cake and the Chocolate Covered Marshmallows.  The cake contained a mousse filling atop a flourless chocolate cake and was covered in ganache.  It was highly recommended and I can see why!    There were six gluten-free desserts offered on the day of our visit.   They ranged from cookies and cakes to novelty items like the Chocolate Covered Marshmallows which were served on a skewer and decorated with patriotic colored sugar dots to celebrate Memorial Day.  Even though it was a very busy holiday weekend the service was outstanding and left us feeling confident that we could have a relatively safe meal at this establishment.  Nuts are commonly used here, but the staff was well versed in the recipe ingredients.  

Chocolate Covered Marshmallows

Also worth noting is the One Enchanted Evening offer which gives you the opportunity to take in a show at the Seacoast Repertory Theatre and includes a gift certificate to Popovers!

This restaurant’s Caribbean inspired cuisine will have you coming back for more.  You’d have to make multiple visits to partake in the wonderful array of creative  dishes and tropical drinks.  Doesn’t the Plantain Encrusted Cod sound interesting?  This fresh cod is coated in a chili and plantain crust and is topped with a mango vinaigrette and served with grilled banana and sweet potato hash. Other specialties include BBQ Mahi Mahi and Polenta Napoleon. The Blue Mermaid is launching their own line of specialty products including their signature Fire Roasted Salsa. Be sure to try some on your visit.

Brunch is served on Sundays.  And don’t miss out on the lively Special Events!

As of August 2010, the Old Stove Bake Shoppe is no longer a retail store. They are now a special order bakery only.

Flatbread Gluten-free pizza + whoppie pie= a very happy boy!

Recently, we had a nice lunch at the Flatbread Pizza Company  at their Bedford, Ma. location.  It’s great to be able to visit a restaurant where the family can get gluten-free pizza but this place is also great because the franchise supports local farms, uses organic and natural ingredients, free range meats and nitrate free pepperoni.  Upon entering, we immediately viewed a board of the daily specials and listed on one side were gluten-free choices!  Of course my kids

Gluten-free caramelized onion, mushroom and sundried tomato pizza

were thrilled when I told them they could order a gluten-free whoppie pie!  In fact, once we were seated all thoughts of pizza left their minds and they only wanted the whoppie pie!  So we compromised by ordering dessert at the same time as the pizza.  It was quite a treat for them. 

Though their website does not have a gluten-free menu, it is listed on the regular menu at the restaurant.  The gluten-free pizza crust is purchased from Mommy’s Muffins and is dairy, egg and soy free.  A gluten-free pizza can be substituted for any of the regular pizzas except for the bbq pork pizza because it contains beer. Speaking of beer, you can have a glass of Redbridge with your meal. And as far as dessert goes, there is ice cream for those that can have dairy or the whoppie pie which is dairy and soy-free (contains eggs).  The server also offered us a whoppie pie topped with ice cream and hot fudge sauce.  Maybe next time!