And they are willing to accomodate special diets including gluten-free! By calling ahead a day or two before your visit (or even hours before, if not the busy season), Chef Bryant can go over your needs and collaborate with you to come up with some scrumptuous dishes!

On our serendipitous visit, we noticed some gluten-free choices in the case (segregated to one side). These were the Risotto Cakes (contain cheese) and the Gluten-Free Coconut Chicken. But, we also discovered that there are many daily offerings that are made gluten-free such as the Broccoli Salad, Haddock and Steak Kabobs. However, Chef Bryant still advised us to call in our orders ahead of time so he could personally oversee the process and ensure safe cooking practices.

Closed Tuesdays

This newly opened eatery is tantalizing us with some imaginative dishes we don’t often see in the suburbs. Some include the house-made sage & apple sausage patties used in their breakfast sandwich, or the Mango Coconut Chicken, Pulled Pork Tacos entrees and many soups such as the Roasted Veggie, Lasagna Soup, Butternut Pear Soup, Country Onion Soup topped with pumpkin bread croutons, or the French Onion Soup topped with toasted bread and Gruyere cheese (dairy-free cheese is available too!).

Moving on to the diverse baked goods we can choose from Corn Muffins stuffed with fig jam, cinnamon drizzled Banana Coconut muffins, Blueberry muffins and numerous pies (Blueberry, Dutch Apple, Coconut Chocolate Ganache Pie, to name a few..).  Carrot Cake, Rice Crispy Treats, Chocolate Crackle Cookies and peaNOT Butter bars are just a sampling of what might be offered on any given day. 

Find them in Millis, MA at the Roche Brothers Plaza.

Phone:  (508) 376-1163

Surprisingly, this Italian restaurant doesn’t offer gluten-free pasta but does serve many hearty entrees (most feature meat,  but hopefully vegetarians can be accomodated with the Wild Mushroom Risotto).  Also on the menu are Assaggi or “small plates”, Antipasti and Salads. The latter have the option of being prepared with some protein such as Rosemary Hanger Steak, Wood Grilled Salmon, Giant Grilled Shrimp or Rosemary & Garlic Grilled Chicken.  We were pleased to see the nice selection of sides, especially the Truffle Parmigiano Fries.   However, upon further investigation, we discovered these are cooked in a shared fryer and therefore  NOT an option for my family.

Oh well, I do think it is still worth the trip to check out this magnificent, two-storied restaurant with roaring fireplaces.  Sometimes, ambiance is as much of a draw as the cuisine!  If you plan to visit, be aware that reservations are only allowed for parties of seven or more.  Call ahead seating is available for smaller parties.

The Tew-Mac Tavern, located within the Tewksbury Country Club , is quite accomodating when it comes to helping customers with food concerns as each dish is made to order.

The impetus for our visit was the successful substitution of a gluten-free meal during a function I’d attended.  How surprised I was to discover that the Tew-Mac tavern actually had a gluten-free menu (not available online)! Though the selection is limited, there are salads,  seafood, chicken and vegetarian options.   The real prize here though seems to be the daily specials, some of which are gluten-free!

Our eggplant dish was listed as one of the daily specials and noted as gluten-free. It consisted of thinly cut eggplant slices that were ” battered” with egg and parmesan cheese. Between each layer was fresh mozzarella cheese and tomato slices. This was topped with a balsamic glaze. Delish!  I wish they’d include this every day on their standard gluten-free menu!  Other dishes that have been listed as daily specials include the Seared Herb Crusted Salmon (farm raised salmon served on a cauliflower puree with fingerling potatoes and lemon butter sauce), Tuscan Pork Chops (2 grilled center cut pork chops topped with cipollini onions braised in a red wine & honey reduction served with mushroom risotto) or the Lobsters & Steamers (Yes, gluten-free, obviously, but still worth mentioning.  This includes 1.25 lb pre-cracked lobster and 1 lb of Maine steamers and an ear of corn).  It’s best to call ahead to know what the daily specials are, or to find out what’s in the pipeline for a future visit.

Seasonal outdoor dining is available on their patio with incredible views of the golf course while charming fireside dining is available during the off-season.

The burgers and sandwiches are made with rolls from a dedicated gluten-free bakery (Gillian’s) and are also dairy-free (contain soy, egg whites and yeast).  Fries are available and these are cooked in a dedicated fryer! Important to note is the Morningstar Farms Veggie burger, which is not gluten-free.  This was erroneoulsy pulled over from their standard burger menu and, I was told, will be removed from the gluten-free menu.  Let’s hope they find a suitable replacement.  A veggie burger is always a welcome menu item and often a necessity for some!

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

The Blue Moon Grill in Wakefield, Ma offers breakfast and lunch daily with many gluten-free friendly choices..including pancakes!  These pancakes (contain milk), are generously served (three per order) and are available in the following flavors;

Plain, Apple Cinnamon, Banana Nut, Blueberry, Cranberry, Strawberry, Strawberry Banana, Chocolate Chip, Raspberry and Corn.  These are prepared on a separate, designated gluten-free griddle! 

Also offered on the menu are a plethora of omelettes, frittatas and house specialties which are gluten-free.  We tried the Irish Eggs Benedict which was somewhat like a traditional eggs benedict with hollandaise sauce,  but corned beef hash was substituted for the Canadian bacon and potato skins took the place of the English muffins.  Feeling rather gluttonous after this meal, there was no need (nor desire) to eat the rest of the day!! 

This cozy restaurant tends to get quite busy. We did well going  after the  morning rush.  If inclement weather presents, you’re encouraged to leave your cell phone number at the door if there is a wait.

The Blue Moon Grill

The pizza crusts are brought in from a dedicated gluten-free bakery and are also egg and dairy-free (contain corn starch).  The gluten-free pasta dishes are  prepared with rice pasta and gluten-free cornbread and crostini (the latter contains corn starch, eggs & dairy)) are also on the menu!  Weekly specials are also offered and are sometimes gluten-free as well. Some examples of past specials include;  Pesto Chicken- chicken sauteed in a cream pesto sauce served over pasta, Cilantro Chicken- chicken and peppers with a cajun cilantro lime cream sauce, Buffalo Chicken Dip- a spicy and cheesy dip served with crostini and Chicken Satay- a marinated and grilled chicken satay in peanut sauce served over jasmine rice.

Care is taken to decrease the risk of cross-contamination by preparing gluten-free orders in a separate area of the kitchen, using dedicated utensils and wearing gloves.  The specially prepared dishes are flagged with a toothpick to alert servers (and customers).

Don’t miss the weekend entertainment!

 Our visit to Trattoria Bella Mia in Beverly began simply as a way to see the entertainment scheduled for the night ( Just The Two of Us), but it quickly turned into a meal when we were told gluten-free linguini was available to substitute in most of the pasta dishes!

Our meal began with the tasty Roasted Pear and Gorgonzola Salad (a mesculin mix with an orange vinaigrette topped with roasted pears, gorgonzola cheese and walnuts.  Next, however, we did not end up choosing pasta for our entree!  Once we saw the words ’white chocolate’ on the menu, we decided to go with the Jumbo Sea Scallops which were served with asparagus, white chocolate risotto (yum!) and drizzled with a Limoncello sauce.  Our server was great to check with the chef regarding our choices and made note on the check to avoid flouring our scallops before searing.

There are plently of other modifiable entrees to choose from. Most items are made to order and, as already mentioned, most of the pasta dishes can be served with  gluten-free pasta (with the exception of the lobster ravioli and tortellini).  If you’re planning on the gluten-free pasta, I suggest you call ahead to be sure they have it available.

Opps! Sorry we didn’t ask about dessert. Our meal was so satisfying that something sweet wasn’t desired (the white chocolate risotto took care of that matter)!