Friendly Dining Options
Glutenfreesafari.com: "gluten free . . . made fun!"
The thing is about eating gluten-free, it's generally not a lifestyle choice. It's a necessity. Restaurant meals, however, are generally social events. You may be on a first date. You may be at a business lunch or a job interview. You may be a guest at a large charity dinner. You may be with a large group of people, many of whom you don't know well. Or you may just be with your family or close friends, and they might be just a wee bit weary of hearing about your special diet.
So where do you go to eat, sans hassle? ("Sans" means "without" in French; forgive the occasional digression!)
You might try the restaurants and/or grocery stores below! The restaurant list is a compilation of (1) restaurants with gluten-free menus; (2) restaurants that offer specific gluten-free items (such as rice pasta as an alternative to regular wheat pasta, or a gluten-free hamburger bun); (3) restaurants that have been accommodating about making food gluten-free: they have been nice, they have been happy to bring out items so that labels could be perused, if necessary, or asked the chef to give a complete rundown on ingredients. Please note that though they were accommodating once, that doesn't mean that they always will be(!)
I've dined at every restaurant (or one in the same chain, such as Garlic Jim's Pizza) listed. If some of my GF friends have recommended it -- or a reader -- I'll let you know!
As to the grocery store list: while many grocery stores now carry gluten free items, I have only listed those I know that have a pretty decent gluten free section -- or where one can find quite a few gluten free options in general.
One of the most important things that you can bring to any dining-out or shopping experience as a GF epicurean is the right attitude. Remember to smile, and have a little fun when navigating the treacherous shoals of dining out when GF. Please see my "Living gracefully gluten-free in a gluten-centric world" page for tips on how to keep you, the restaurant, and your dining companions happy and healthy.
If you have particular restaurants where you've had a great experience or that advertise gluten-free menus, please let me know; I can be reached at glutenfreesafari at gmail dot com.
U.S.A.
California
San Mateo
Mimi's Cafe
www.mimiscafe.com
(650) 574-8767
Massachusetts
Worcester . . .
Wild Willy's Worcester
317 West Boylston St
Barber Ave
Worcester, MA 01606
(508) 459-2088
Washington (state)
Bellevue . . .
Garlic Jim's (GF pizza available)
(425) 643.8586 (Eastgate location)
(425) 455.JIMS (5467) (Bellevue Way location)
Federal Way . . .
McGrath's Fish House
http://www.mcgrathsfishhouse.com/
(253) 839-5000
Issaquah . . .
Issaquah Coffee
http://issaquahcoffee.com/
(425) 677-7118
Kirkland . . .
Cafe Veloce (GF pasta available)
http://www.cafeveloce.com/index.php
(425) 814-2972
Seattle . . .
Cafe Flora
(206) 325-9100
Garlic Jim's (GF pizza available)
(206) 524.JIMS (5467)
Tacoma . . .
Garlic Jim's (GF pizza available)
(253) 286.JIMS (5467)
Friesenburgers
http://www.friesenburgers.com/
(253) 203 - 6753
Azteca (near Tacoma Mall)
A member of one of my gluten free groups writes that there is a gluten free list in the kitchen, though it's not an actual GF menu. She mentioned that she ate the fajitas with the black beans, and said that she couldn't eat either kind of tortilla (even the corn), but that the chips and salsa were o.k.
Vancouver . . .
The Old Spaghetti Factory
www.osf.com
(360) 253-9030
University Place . . .
El Toro Mexican Restaurant (near Trader Joe's)
A member of one of my gluten free groups writes that this restaurant caters to special needs, and suggests the vegetable fajitas.Woodinville . . .
Pasta Nova (GF pasta available)
www.pastanovaitaliano.com
(425) 483-3716
Canada
Saskatchewan (province)
Regina . . .
The Green Spot Cafe (fantastic, incredible scones -- they don't make the GF scones every day, though, so check!)* * *
A note on cross-contamination: Just about every restaurant everywhere is also going to be preparing wheat items; this means that there is always the risk of cross-contamination via an unwashed knife, oil used to fry breaded items; a toaster oven used for both gluten and non-gluten items; grills and pans previously used for gluten items -- the list goes on and on. At one upscale co-op naturally-focused grocery chain in the Pacific Northwest, in fact, none of the deli items -- even those which do not have gluten-containing ingredients -- are labelled as gluten-free because of the risk of cross-contamination in the kitchen.
Hence, eating out is always going to be a bit of a gamble. Therefore, no one should construe this list as asserting that those who don't wish to ingest gluten will, in fact, not be ingesting gluten when they eat at any restaurant on the list, and this blog owner cannot be liable for any adverse experiences that may result.
Copyright, Karen Fleur Tofti-Tufarelli, 2010-11, all rights reserved
Use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which you may view, here.
So where do you go to eat, sans hassle? ("Sans" means "without" in French; forgive the occasional digression!)
You might try the restaurants and/or grocery stores below! The restaurant list is a compilation of (1) restaurants with gluten-free menus; (2) restaurants that offer specific gluten-free items (such as rice pasta as an alternative to regular wheat pasta, or a gluten-free hamburger bun); (3) restaurants that have been accommodating about making food gluten-free: they have been nice, they have been happy to bring out items so that labels could be perused, if necessary, or asked the chef to give a complete rundown on ingredients. Please note that though they were accommodating once, that doesn't mean that they always will be(!)
I've dined at every restaurant (or one in the same chain, such as Garlic Jim's Pizza) listed. If some of my GF friends have recommended it -- or a reader -- I'll let you know!
As to the grocery store list: while many grocery stores now carry gluten free items, I have only listed those I know that have a pretty decent gluten free section -- or where one can find quite a few gluten free options in general.
One of the most important things that you can bring to any dining-out or shopping experience as a GF epicurean is the right attitude. Remember to smile, and have a little fun when navigating the treacherous shoals of dining out when GF. Please see my "Living gracefully gluten-free in a gluten-centric world" page for tips on how to keep you, the restaurant, and your dining companions happy and healthy.
If you have particular restaurants where you've had a great experience or that advertise gluten-free menus, please let me know; I can be reached at glutenfreesafari at gmail dot com.
U.S.A.
California
San Mateo
Mimi's Cafe
www.mimiscafe.com
(650) 574-8767
Massachusetts
Worcester . . .
Wild Willy's Worcester
317 West Boylston St
Barber Ave
Worcester, MA 01606
(508) 459-2088
Washington (state)
Bellevue . . .
Garlic Jim's (GF pizza available)
(425) 643.8586 (Eastgate location)
(425) 455.JIMS (5467) (Bellevue Way location)
Federal Way . . .
McGrath's Fish House
http://www.mcgrathsfishhouse.com/
(253) 839-5000
Issaquah . . .
Issaquah Coffee
http://issaquahcoffee.com/
(425) 677-7118
Kirkland . . .
Cafe Veloce (GF pasta available)
http://www.cafeveloce.com/index.php
(425) 814-2972
Seattle . . .
Cafe Flora
(206) 325-9100
Garlic Jim's (GF pizza available)
(206) 524.JIMS (5467)
Tacoma . . .
Garlic Jim's (GF pizza available)
(253) 286.JIMS (5467)
Friesenburgers
http://www.friesenburgers.com/
(253) 203 - 6753
Azteca (near Tacoma Mall)
A member of one of my gluten free groups writes that there is a gluten free list in the kitchen, though it's not an actual GF menu. She mentioned that she ate the fajitas with the black beans, and said that she couldn't eat either kind of tortilla (even the corn), but that the chips and salsa were o.k.
Vancouver . . .
The Old Spaghetti Factory
www.osf.com
(360) 253-9030
University Place . . .
El Toro Mexican Restaurant (near Trader Joe's)
A member of one of my gluten free groups writes that this restaurant caters to special needs, and suggests the vegetable fajitas.Woodinville . . .
Pasta Nova (GF pasta available)
www.pastanovaitaliano.com
(425) 483-3716
Canada
Saskatchewan (province)
Regina . . .
The Green Spot Cafe (fantastic, incredible scones -- they don't make the GF scones every day, though, so check!)* * *
A note on cross-contamination: Just about every restaurant everywhere is also going to be preparing wheat items; this means that there is always the risk of cross-contamination via an unwashed knife, oil used to fry breaded items; a toaster oven used for both gluten and non-gluten items; grills and pans previously used for gluten items -- the list goes on and on. At one upscale co-op naturally-focused grocery chain in the Pacific Northwest, in fact, none of the deli items -- even those which do not have gluten-containing ingredients -- are labelled as gluten-free because of the risk of cross-contamination in the kitchen.
Hence, eating out is always going to be a bit of a gamble. Therefore, no one should construe this list as asserting that those who don't wish to ingest gluten will, in fact, not be ingesting gluten when they eat at any restaurant on the list, and this blog owner cannot be liable for any adverse experiences that may result.
Copyright, Karen Fleur Tofti-Tufarelli, 2010-11, all rights reserved
Use of this site constitutes your agreement to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which you may view, here.
Gluten free pancake breakfasts?
 Creative Commons image credit, below.
January 9th: Hi there. Does anyone know of an organization offering pancake breakfasts (a community fundraiser, a lodge breakfast, a museum event, etc.) where gluten free pancakes are offered? Or, do you belong to an organization that would like to spice up your pancake breakfast with a Gf offering? I'd love to know! Please use comment form, below or comment here, on blog entry for this item
Issaquah Coffee: find a welcoming coffee shop, gluten free pastry next to Gilman Village! See Creative Commons attribution link, below.
Feature (December 14, 2010)
The best discoveries are often spontaneous and serendipitious. Stopped in to Issaquah Coffee over the weekend, post-writer's get-together. Was looking for someplace just like it: one-of-a-kind, cozy, perfect for grabbing a latte/ matte, catch-up coffee. Didn't even ask about gluten free pastries; was watching my friend's child. Then, started talking with a nearby patron about this site, and, "voila" the magic words, "gluten free pastry" were uttered. Soon I was up at the front, quizzing about the gluten free offerings. They vary, but I was told that they're likely to have at least one gluten free pastry item every day. Who does the GF baking for Issaquah Coffee? Flying Apron, a Seattle producer of many gluten free items. I've been eating Flying Apron fare for years, and it's luscious! I've had various cookies and muffins when I used to stop in at their tiny location near 45th and Brooklyn, in the University District (I think they've moved since). I even ordered an entire gluten free cake at one holiday and froze the leftover for several weeks, nibbling when I needed a chocolate fix. Sipping on an Americano (excellent, by the way -- truly -- I'm a coffee snob), I talked with Crystal -- the patron I'd met -- about Twitter (I'm a neophyte -- my address, "gfsafari and glutenfreesnob"). Took some excellent photos of Issaquah Coffee's Christmas/holiday decorations -- but I have yet to download the photos. So, in the meantime, go to their website, because it's warm and inviting and great -- with a delectable cup of espresso on the front! Issaquah Coffee, (425) 677-7118. Copyright, Karen Fleur Tofti-Tufarelli, 2010-2011, all rights reserved |
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