Organic, local foods are offered whenever possible. The sandwiches are available on a gluten-free focaccia bread (wheat based breads are served here also). They do a fine job altering traditional recipes into gluten-free versions such as the Spinach “Tabbouleh” Salad where they replace gluten laden couscous with quinoa. The Lasagna is made from layers of zucchini, spinach, cashew cheese, mushrooms and a basil marinara sauce, while the Butternut Angelhair is a pasta dish made by using the squash as the ‘pasta’.  Both of these entrees are raw as well.  Another dish that I haven’t yet seen at any restaurant (in a gluten-free version, that is) is the Panzanella with Rosemary and Almond Pesto.

For dessert there are usually a few chocolate based items and cheesecakes offered (however, most seem to contain nuts). At the time of this writing, there was a nut-free ice cream on the menu.  Hopefully, I’ll make a trip out there soon to try this healthy, innovative food as I hear the menu changes seasonally!

Closed Sundays

We recently had the pleasure of visiting the American Girl Bistro located in the Natick Collection in Natick, Ma.  By making reservations online, we were able to specify the need for a gluten and nut-free lunch. While there is no menu to view ahead of time, upon arrival, we were pleasantly surprised to find that gluten-free pizza (crust is also dairy-free) was offered!  Also, a nice surprise was the fact that the kitchen was tree nut and peanut-free!

The gluten-free appetizers included Fresh Fruit Plate (must omit the mini muffins) with yogurt dip, Salad Skewers, and the Veggie Platter with Ranch Dip and a Dill Dip. For entrees, there was the Roast Salmon with Potato (must substitiute potato for orzo), Chicken Lemon Caper with  Garlic Mashed Potato (must have chicken prepared without flour coating), and of course, the pizza. To designate the gluten-free dishes, two American flags were placed on top of the food.

The dessert menu was large (with lots of cupcakes, brownies, cookies, etc) but the gluten-free choices were limited to mostly ice cream.  A variety of milk shakes, an Ice Cream Sundae, a Banana Split and a Raspberry Sorbet with Fresh Fruit were available.

Overall we had a great experience. The food was tasty and the staff was phenomenal in their effort to accomodate food allergies. We appreciated how our tenacious server made numerous trips to the kitchen to verify menu ingredients and potential substitutions.  The only desire I have is that they take advantage of the ever increasing number of  local gluten-free bakers. In this day and age, there is no reason not to have a gluten-free muffin, brownie, cookie or bread on a menu!

Ice Cream Sundae

Louisa's Pizza World

Louisa’s Pizza World in Reading, Ma is now offering gluten-free pizza crust! This crust is also free of dairy, soy and nuts (contains eggs) and is made in a dedicated gluten-free facility.

On our visit we tried the plain cheese pizza . It was terrific!  Keep in mind that the crust is available only in the small, or personal size, which is about 7 inches. We were happy to learn that employees use a dedicated gluten-free tray for this pizza and staff training was included before implementing the pizza on their menu.

Also on the menu were plenty of salads (naturally gluten-free, or modifiable) and Ken’s Dressing packets, displaying ingredient lists.  There is no dedicated fryer, but they will bake French fries in the oven for you!

Delivery available. Closed Sunday.

I’m  pleased to see they’ve recently added a  gluten-free menu !  This menu offers selections for lunch and dinner, including seasonal soups, salads, entrees and dessert (a few raw choices offered too). Be sure to inquire about the suggested wine pairings to accompany your meal. There is also a nut-free menu which clearly acknowledges that they “cannot accomodate”  severe tree nut allergies.  Not sure what to say about that.  An allergy is an allergy whether it is severe or mild.  And the severity of a past nut reaction is no indication of what could potentially occur with a future reaction.  

On a more positive note, those with peanut allergies will find solace in the fact that True Bistro does not use peanuts in any of  their dishes! 

Open for lunch (Tues-Fri), dinner and brunch.

Take-out available.

Not Your Average Joe’s has had a gluten-free menu for sometime now, but they recently revamped their menu to include gluten-free buns!  The buns are both gluten and dairy-free (contain egg whites and soy) and are made in a dedicated gluten-free, tree nut and peanut-free facility.  There are three different sandwiches to go along with the buns and also offered on the menu are plenty of entrees, salads and appetizers too.

The childrens’ menu features Grilled Salmon, a Sirloin Burger or a Grilled Chicken Sandwich with a choice of vegetable, fresh fruit (nice to see!) or mashed potato (avoid the fries here, no dedicated fryer!).

On our visit we tried the Turkey BLT with the greens and the kids had the Sirloin Burger.  One of whom didn’t care for the choice of sides or the thought of  ’eating a cow’ and ended up with only a plain roll- thanks Joe for not charging us $9 for that one roll!  Their meal also came with a Hoodsie, but raspberry sorbet could be substitited if dairy is an issue.  Most of the items at Joe’s are made to order so accomodating other food intolerances may be possible.   

Be sure to ask for the gluten-free bread for dipping in their flavored oil prior to your meal.  We were not aware of this treat until reviewing the menu later which reads  ”Each meal begins with a gluten-free version of Joe’s legendary bread and dip.”  Oh well, I guess another visit is necessary! 

UPDATE:  Since this post was written, there has been a change in the bun purveyor. They are currently using Buckwheat’s  Gluten-Free Burger Rolls which are made in a dedicated facility. 

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!

Raspberry Oatmeal Bars, Shortbread Cookies and Brownies are usually offered, however, on your visit you might get to try something else that Dee has concocted.  If you do, let us know!

The coffee is freshly roasted on-site and gluten-free.  A ‘Coffee of the Day’ is featured, while supplies last.  A sampling of the varieties include; the Kona Coffee, Viennese Roast and the Costa Rican La Amistad.  Organic coffees are also offered such as the Organic Papua New Guinea, Organic Ethiopian Yirgacheffe and the Organic Bali Blend. If you prefer decaf try the Guatemalan Decaf or the Sumatra Organic Decaf.

Tea is offered here too and is avaiable either hot or cold. All teas are organic!  Fresh fruit is also offered daily.

So. G. Coffee Roasters is commited to purchase from farms that use sustainable and fair labor practices.

Andrina’s Pizzeria

We tried the standard  cheese pizza and also the Romano (white pizza) Specialty Pizza.  Both were cooked perfectly with a crispy crust.  There are many other Specialty Pizzas including a Chicken Pesto, which is made with a nut-free pesto.  

Free delivery to Arlington and some areas of Winchester, Belmont, West Medford and Lexington.

Stay tuned…breakfast will make its debut in August of 2010.

Open daily and year-round with seasonal outdoor seating.

Recently, we had the opportunity to tour the plant of the soon to be opened ALLCANEAT FOODS, LTD.  Baker and owner George  has been creating tempting dishes at Fresh Start for years and has now formulated delicious recipes to allow people living with diet restrictions to feel like regular folk.  This plant is a dedicated gluten, soy, nut and sesame-free facility!  In addition, they will offer dairy-free and sugar-free products too!  I was also glad to hear that they will have no GMO ingredients, artificial flavorings or colorings in their products. 

To decrease the risk of outside cross-contamination, they have a strict employee policy of no outside food containing allergens allowed (for example, no peanut butter sandwiches on gluten containing bread for lunch) and they will have an on-site lab for product testing as they are commited to coming in under the pending FDA standard of 20 ppm gluten. 

Kindhearted (and business savy) George does not have any food restrictions but met many customers with special dietary needs so he took it upon himself to formulate incredibly tasty treats to fill the needs of this customer base.  He plans to offer breads, cakes and sweets as well as an extensive amount of dishes including fresh pasta, parmesans, meatballs, meatloaf and croutons.  The full list runs the gamut from breakfast foods through dinner.  He will also have weekly meals available for purchase so you can load up on dinners for the week. Wouldn’t that make life easier!

We sampled cookies, brownies, pound cake, flourless chocolate torte and sandwich bread.  The rice flour/tapioca based sandwich bread tasted great whether plain or toasted.  Offered in the future will be quinoa and multigrain loaves.  All were wonderful tasting and very much “too good to be true”.  My kids kept whispering to me, “Is this gluten?” And when I told them repeatedly that the food was safe to eat, my daughter proclaimed “This is the best day of my life!”      

ALLCANEAT FOODS, LTD will house a retail store, online mail order as well as a cafe!  I am so eager to return this spring to try more of the fantastic edibles from this enterprise.