Gluten Free Living in a Non-Gluten Free World: Where You Should Eat And What You Could Try

Delicious Vodka Rigatoni- A Review of Palermo’s Restaurant and Pizzeria

Ever since I can remember, one of my ultimate favorite pasta dishes has been Vodka Rigatoni. Sadly, gone are the days that I can enjoy my favorite meal from local Italian restaurants as many deter away from making a gluten free equivalent. The pasta of course is a big no-no and is full of gluten but the vodka can be as well, as many vodkas are distilled from wheat. Despite the overwhelming availability of gluten free pasta as well as vodka distilled from either corn or potato, a number of Italian restaurants have not quite caught on to the flexibility of altering dishes to be gluten free friendly.

Much to my surprise, after some googling I stumbled upon Palermo’s Restaurant and Pizzeria in Bordentown, NJ who offers an extensive gluten free menu.

Palermo's GF Menu Pg 1
Palermo’s Gluten Free Menu Page 1
Palermo's GF Menu Pg 2
Palermo’s Gluten Free Menu Page 2

Their menu offers a variety of dishes from pierogies and gnocchi to pizzas and burgers. When ordering gluten free at a non-gluten free restaurant I still approach eating with caution as many are sure to insert warnings on their gluten free menus indicating that there is always a chance for cross contamination. Although I appreciate honesty, this disclosure never leaves me at ease when eating out. When I do though, I try to make sure that everyone seems knowledgeable and understands my sensitivity so they might be a bit more careful (fingers crossed). During my round of 20 questions with the staff at Palermo’s, I was informed that the chef actually has a family member who has Celiac which immediately assured me that he understands the necessity for careful preparation and handling and also realizes the consequences of contamination.

I must admit with little one these days we mostly indulge in take out because of both the frigid winter we’ve been having and the brutal cold/flu season, so tonight was no exception. The food is always ready in a timely fashion and the staff couldn’t be friendlier, by now of course recognizing my husband as the gluten free family. As you can see, my Vodka Rigatoni was perfection! Gluten free rigatoni in a creamy vodka sauce with prosciutto!

Vodka Rigatoni
Vodka Rigatoni

Although I can appreciate and understand hesitation in allergy free cooking, I can’t help but hope other Italian restaurants would tackle the gluten free obstacle that exists and make many past and future patrons very happy. Hopefully someday we all can be treated to our classic Italian favorites when eating out at any local restaurant, but for now, I’m very appreciative of restaurants like Palermo’s who are making great attempts to make gluten free eaters feel welcomed!

TIP: Some restaurants may not have gluten free menus however they may still be able to accommodate by either swapping out pasta or changing a sauce so don’t hesitate to ask, it certainly can’t hurt to make a quick phone call before you stop in.

Sincerely,

Lindsay

A Hidden Gem- A Review of Wildflour Bakery/Cafe

After nearly three years of eating gluten free, I have finally found a completely gluten free restaurant where I could dine worry free of being “glutened”. The hidden gem I’m referring to is Wildflour Bakery/Cafe in Lawrenceville, NJ, home to a number of tasty gluten free pastries as well as a full service breakfast and lunch menu.

After a potential gluten incident on Valentine’s Day, my husband suggested a lunch at the Wildflour Bakery/Cafe. I was so excited to try out the newly advertised restaurant and eat worry free. With little one in tow we enjoyed one of the most relaxing lunches I’ve had in quite some time. I started off with the Pink Smoothie with strawberries, bananas, almond milk, orange juice, and agave.

Wildflour Blog Pics (2)
Pink Smoothie

Next up, I ordered the special which was an open faced sandwich made with their homemade baguette topped with eggplant spread and a little bit of mozzarella cheese. Along with my sandwich came a small house salad of mixed greens dressed with their house vinegarette and a cup of the sweet potato bisque soup. The bread was amazing and the eggplant spread was quite tasty too! One thing I have noticed in the past is that many gluten free breads tend to almost disintegrate when used in sandwiches, this one certainly surpassed this standard. It maintained it’s form as a baguette without falling apart and without getting soggy. It was delicious! Another item that I’ve never been able to order at a restaurant is soup as many of them do contain a source of gluten. The sweet potato bisque certainly was a welcomed surprise and hit the spot!

Wildflour Blog Pics (4)
Eggplant Baquette with Sweet Potato Bisque

My husband decided to order a bowl of the sweet potato bisque soup as well along with the grilled cheese sandwich which was served with a small salad. The orange sauce that you see on the side was a red pepper dipping sauce called muhammara. This was certainly as delicious as it looked (I tried a bite!). Dan is normally a “gluten eater” but has eaten his fair share of gluten free meals over the years, the least favorite of which has been our trials with breads, so he’s a pretty tough critic in that area in particular. That being said, he loved it too! In fact, he even said that had he not known that the sandwich had been gluten free he would’ve thought that it had been made with his glutenful bread.

Wildflour Blog Pics (6)
Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Our little girl had brought her own meal however certainly was eager to try one of the delectable desserts we eyed up when we walked in. Although we were quite full from our sandwiches, we ordered a couple treats to eat there and take with us for later. Little one picked out a chocolate chip cookie while Dan and I picked out the cranberry scone, brownie, and Brazilian cheese puff. My apologies but my daughter and I couldn’t wait to dive into our desserts so no pictures there but I did include pictures of the brownie and cheese puff. The scone tasted amazing and the texture was perfection! Little one gobbled up half the cookie before I could even try a bite and boy were her tastebuds right, it was delicious! The brownie was very fudgy and reminded me more of a flourless chocolate cake than a brownie, but still quite tasty! Finally, one of the highlights of our meal was the Brazilian cheese puff which was incredibly light and fluffy, two words that do not typically describe a gluten free item.

Brazilian Cheese Puff
Brazilian Cheese Puff
Brownie
Brownie

Wildflour Bakery/Cafe offers so much variety from sweet and savory crepes to special order cakes and breads and at such reasonable prices. To explore all of the options that they have to offer and menu pricing, here’s a link to their menu. In addition to the amazing food options I should definitely mention that the staff was incredible, overwhelmingly welcoming and knowledgeable, truly going out of their way to make you feel comfortable and enjoy your experience.

It certainly was refreshing to stumble upon a restaurant that I felt welcomed by both the staff and the food. All in all, we all left with full bellies and I in particular with dreams of our return!

Sincerely,

Lindsay

Eating Gluten Free in a Non-Gluten Free World

Welcome to a travel guide for the gluten free eater!

Here I’ll document my daily journeys and travels through the eyes of food. With a restrictive diet, it is a well known fact that eating out is no easy feat. However, it’s my hope that with this guide all of my readers will feel a bit more courageous in stepping out into a non-gluten free world but still be able to follow their gluten free diet.

1 5 6 7