I knew Christmas was going to be difficult. Any holiday requiring the gluten-intolerant to eat from another's kitchen in the spirit of tradition is a glutening waiting to happen. If you have young kids and need not to be in the same relative's house the entire visit, the likelihood that you'll have to eat out increases.
I will say this: I did not get glutened at Carlos O'Kelly's. My sister, our hostess, chose this restaurant thinking that I could always eat plain beans and rice. It has worked before. I know some people won't even walk into a restaurant that doesn't have separate food preparation for gluten free food. When I feel like I have been glutened but can't put my finger on the source, it could be my own fault for going into places like Chipotle and the Whole Foods sushi fridge where I can't be sure there hasn't been cross contamination. When I told the server that I need to eat something wheat-free, he was friendly, attentive, and concerned, and he went for the manager as he couldn't say which food items I could eat.
The manager told me that all the food came from premixed and usually frozen packages that do not list their ingredients. There was no notebook on site listing ingredients. I could order water and lettuce. The other salad vegetables were part of a mix that could have contaminants.
I don't blame the manager. If he was telling me the truth, he had no tools to tell patrons what they were really eating. We were a large party, and I didn't want my disease to inconvenience others the way this and places like it inconvenience me, so I ate nothing while my family chowed down. I asked the manager to deduct what the average meal costs, essentially comping my invisible dinner. I didn't raise my voice, and he was more than happy to do this.
In fact, for the type of casual dining restaurant it is, the place was fine except that no one could tell me if there was one single thing that was safe for me to eat. We left the waiter a good tip, my son was happy, my sister was a little embarrassed but she has issues, and I wouldn't tell people who live without food allergies or intolerances not to go there.
Still: EVERY RESTAURANT SHOULD HAVE A LISTING OF ITS INGREDIENTS AVAILABLE. Period.
This is a CHAIN with nearly 50 locations in the Midwest. Chains tend to have mass produced copies of employee manuals. It should be easier for a place that mass produces its menu items to list their contents than it is for a fine dining locale, like Ming Tsai's Blue Ginger, to list those of an ever-changing menu.
I called the Ft. Wayne/Allen County Department of Health and am awaiting a return call from its public information officer. The person who answered the phone thinks a policy may have gone in effect after January 1, a few days after our visit ended, encouraging restaurants to have this information available. Not requiring but merely encouraging. Their mayor isn't named Bloomberg, though I believe that an Indiana Democrat would be an East Coast Republican.
I have also contacted the restaurant via its website survey and will add its comments should I receive a response. I am hoping I can change Carlos O'Kelly's status from Shame to Improved. We all have the right to know what we are putting in our bodies, whether it's tofu or taco salad.
May 6, 2009
GF Hall of Shame: Wellshire Farms
A series of articles in the Chicago Tribune reveals how Wellshire Farms was selling gluten-containing items as gluten free, knowingly:
11/21/2008 Children at risk in food roulette
12/31/2008 Store pulls 3 'gluten-free' items
1/24/2009 Chain pulls 'gluten-free' items after illness
These articles are no longer free to view as they have been archived, but many local libraries have free internet access for their members.
It's hard enough to swallow, pardon the pun, that an item meant for the consumption of those with Celiac Disease, wheat allergies, and a variety of intolerances and other illnesses exacerbated by gluten, should be purchased because the product promises not to harm those people specifically, only for those people to be harmed despite their best efforts. This isn't aunt Sally trying to make a gluten-free turkey dinner and accidentally using the spoon that touched the wheat flour gravy to stir the GF corn starch version. This is more like the evil person in our lives who thinks we made this up to be special, and they're going to catch us in a lie by slipping some real breadcrumbs into our Glutino-topped fish broil.
Specifically, the company allowed 200 ppm (parts per million) gluten, when the standard is 20 ppm. It was enough to make people ill. Rather than apologize for making these people sick, as that would be admitting liability, the company issued an explanation of why it thought it was okay to allow gluten in a gluten free product.
The company's website now offers a food allergy page, where you enter your allergy, and a long, unorganized list of products they would like you to buy appears.
Attention Wellshire Farms; I don't care about your jumbled long list. I don't care that the website said you were offering a coupon, though when I clicked to see how you were trying to win back the gluten free community, I was redirected to the home page.
You POISONED people because you thought a little of that poison was okay.
Repeat after me: "SORRY."
When you screw up, people don't want to hear why you screwed up. They don't want to hear you explain why you weren't really responsible for your actions. They want an APOLOGY.
Prior to this travesty, I was a customer of other Wellshire Farms products. I try to maintain an organic kitchen, especially where meats are concerned. I figure we were spending between $30-50 a month minimum on Wellshire Farms products alone in a month. The explanation in lieu of apology/recall (it was Wholefoods that took care of its customers by pulling the items) states that contamination is unavoidable, and I have to assume that includes in every product the company wants us to buy. More importantly, I would rather spend $500+ a year on products from a company that can apologize.
Or doesn't need to.
11/21/2008 Children at risk in food roulette
12/31/2008 Store pulls 3 'gluten-free' items
1/24/2009 Chain pulls 'gluten-free' items after illness
These articles are no longer free to view as they have been archived, but many local libraries have free internet access for their members.
It's hard enough to swallow, pardon the pun, that an item meant for the consumption of those with Celiac Disease, wheat allergies, and a variety of intolerances and other illnesses exacerbated by gluten, should be purchased because the product promises not to harm those people specifically, only for those people to be harmed despite their best efforts. This isn't aunt Sally trying to make a gluten-free turkey dinner and accidentally using the spoon that touched the wheat flour gravy to stir the GF corn starch version. This is more like the evil person in our lives who thinks we made this up to be special, and they're going to catch us in a lie by slipping some real breadcrumbs into our Glutino-topped fish broil.
Specifically, the company allowed 200 ppm (parts per million) gluten, when the standard is 20 ppm. It was enough to make people ill. Rather than apologize for making these people sick, as that would be admitting liability, the company issued an explanation of why it thought it was okay to allow gluten in a gluten free product.
The company's website now offers a food allergy page, where you enter your allergy, and a long, unorganized list of products they would like you to buy appears.
Attention Wellshire Farms; I don't care about your jumbled long list. I don't care that the website said you were offering a coupon, though when I clicked to see how you were trying to win back the gluten free community, I was redirected to the home page.
You POISONED people because you thought a little of that poison was okay.
Repeat after me: "SORRY."
When you screw up, people don't want to hear why you screwed up. They don't want to hear you explain why you weren't really responsible for your actions. They want an APOLOGY.
Prior to this travesty, I was a customer of other Wellshire Farms products. I try to maintain an organic kitchen, especially where meats are concerned. I figure we were spending between $30-50 a month minimum on Wellshire Farms products alone in a month. The explanation in lieu of apology/recall (it was Wholefoods that took care of its customers by pulling the items) states that contamination is unavoidable, and I have to assume that includes in every product the company wants us to buy. More importantly, I would rather spend $500+ a year on products from a company that can apologize.
Or doesn't need to.
GF Dining at Lilli and Loo, New York City
One of the foods I miss the most since my Celiac Disease diagnosis is Asian food. Soy Sauce lurks in almost everything, as does msg, and a variety of foods are cooked in the same wok, which I doubt gets cleaned for my special meal despite assurances to the contrary. And did I mention that wheat gluten is its own dish?
Lilli and Loo comes to the rescue, and even has printed a separate GF take out menu. In fact, check out their website - the gluten-free selections get top billing! The menu selection is pan-Asian, with Thai, Chinese and Japanese all finding a place on the menu. My weakness is for noodles, so I ordered the Singapore,with a request to make it less spicy. It was everything I expected it to be - salty, noodle-y, like plain old New York Chinese takeout. I have eaten there several times before, and the only thing I regret is that I don't try other dishes. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?
They now offer dumplings - remember those? I promise myself next time to try them as well as the tempura. When was the last time you had that? Should I feel health-conscious, maybe I'll try the spicy beef salad. Even the steamed dishes have potential, with 4 sauces, including a pomegranate teriyaki. What, I don't have to order the white sauce?! On the other hand, maybe I'll throw caution to the wind and try something, anything, from the section of the menu called "Crispy." Sometimes you eat to live, sometimes you live to eat.
Lilli and Loo devotes a page of its GF menu to explain how they serve their GF patrons. It is almost a manifesto. There is also a promise that there will be more dishes coming soon!
The restaurant offers alcoholic beverages, including gluten free beer, and takes major credit cards.
Lilli and Loo is located at 792 Lexington Ave (between 61st and 62nd Streets), New York, 10065. Call at (2120 421-7800 or fax at (212) 421-8700.
Attitude to GF Patrons: 9
Variety of GF Foods: 10
Quality of GF Foods: 10
Kid-Friendly Food: 10
Kid-Friendly Attitude: 10
Overall grade: A
Lilli and Loo comes to the rescue, and even has printed a separate GF take out menu. In fact, check out their website - the gluten-free selections get top billing! The menu selection is pan-Asian, with Thai, Chinese and Japanese all finding a place on the menu. My weakness is for noodles, so I ordered the Singapore,with a request to make it less spicy. It was everything I expected it to be - salty, noodle-y, like plain old New York Chinese takeout. I have eaten there several times before, and the only thing I regret is that I don't try other dishes. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right?
They now offer dumplings - remember those? I promise myself next time to try them as well as the tempura. When was the last time you had that? Should I feel health-conscious, maybe I'll try the spicy beef salad. Even the steamed dishes have potential, with 4 sauces, including a pomegranate teriyaki. What, I don't have to order the white sauce?! On the other hand, maybe I'll throw caution to the wind and try something, anything, from the section of the menu called "Crispy." Sometimes you eat to live, sometimes you live to eat.
Lilli and Loo devotes a page of its GF menu to explain how they serve their GF patrons. It is almost a manifesto. There is also a promise that there will be more dishes coming soon!
The restaurant offers alcoholic beverages, including gluten free beer, and takes major credit cards.
Lilli and Loo is located at 792 Lexington Ave (between 61st and 62nd Streets), New York, 10065. Call at (2120 421-7800 or fax at (212) 421-8700.
Attitude to GF Patrons: 9
Variety of GF Foods: 10
Quality of GF Foods: 10
Kid-Friendly Food: 10
Kid-Friendly Attitude: 10
Overall grade: A
GF Dining at Bob Lobster, Plum Island Newbury MA
Don't go to Bob Lobster if you're hungry now. Don't go if service with a smile is essential to your sense of well being. Don't go for the fries, as they are not fried in separate oil.
You should go to Bob Lobster if you like lobster, steamed, with butter. Steamed clams, with butter. Richardson's ice cream for dessert. No beer, no wine.
You might also like to try the gluten free Lobster Corn chowder that was listed as such on the menu.
Better yet, in the freezer, pick up a gluten-free Lobster Bake, Stuffed Haddock, Stuffed Scallops... you get the picture. These are made with Glutino Crackers, heaps of yummy seafood, and a bit of cream to moisten it enough without drowning the sweet lobster, of which there was plenty.
Now let me back up. It was one of those odd spring days in Boston where the mercury rises 40 degrees higher than the day before and you have to remember which box your shorts are stored in. It was the perfect day to go to Plum Island for biking, birdwatching and the beach. For $5 a car, we could park in one of two areas and enjoy one beach as the others were closed due to the nesting of the endangered piping plover. There are no food facilities at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge , where we decided to decamp. The only beach open was at Parking Lot 1, but the open toilet was not nearby - a warning to those of you with small bladders. I biked to Parking Lot 4, where the toilets were open and the observation tower overlooks a tidal pool off the Plum Island Sound. This is about 6 miles round trip starting from the gate. My husband and son turned back a mile before me because the beach couldn't wait any longer. Impatient beach! I enjoyed some lovely white species of crane without the whining of a wave-happy 7 year old before heading back. This is New England, where the water isn't warm even in August. I did walk into the ocean up to my ankles, and I may not go in to the Atlantic again this far north, ever.
We waited until dusk to leave, as that is when the park closes, and ours was the last vehicle in the parking lot. What can I say, I am always the last one to leave a good party, too! The first food choice coming back is the Plum Island Grille. At 8:00 pm, with more than an hour wait and no blatantly GF options, we decided to go back up the Plum Island Turnpike to Bob's. Their wait was 45 minutes, and they were already open past their posted hours. After a prematurely hot day (though not steamy), with a healthy bike ride and some daydreaming on the beach as the sky darkened, we felt like a trip to the salad bar at Stop & Shop would be a buzzkill. I had no idea that we would discover a place that had even heard the word gluten before. Oh, lowered expectations. Oh, faith in humanity, restored!
I will be back. I will try the soup next time, and the frozen GF bakes, and any GF shellfish that doesn't bite me back.
Bob Lobster is located at 45 Plum Island Turnpike in Newbury, MA 01951. Their phone is 978-465-7100. They also take major credit cards, which was a lucky thing as it turned out. We are considering calling for take out next time and bringing it to the beach for a kick-off lunch, but we'll have to return on the way back to pick up a few more lobster bakes.
Can't get there? They ship!
On a scale of 1-10:
Attitude to GF Patrons: 8 - no hostility, but you night get ignored they're so busy
Variety of GF Foods: 5
Quality of GF Foods: 10
Kid-Friendly Food: 10 (not GF stuff though)
Kid-Friendly Attitude: 10 - they just clean up the mess, no questions, no dirty looks
Overall grade: B+
You should go to Bob Lobster if you like lobster, steamed, with butter. Steamed clams, with butter. Richardson's ice cream for dessert. No beer, no wine.
You might also like to try the gluten free Lobster Corn chowder that was listed as such on the menu.
Better yet, in the freezer, pick up a gluten-free Lobster Bake, Stuffed Haddock, Stuffed Scallops... you get the picture. These are made with Glutino Crackers, heaps of yummy seafood, and a bit of cream to moisten it enough without drowning the sweet lobster, of which there was plenty.
Now let me back up. It was one of those odd spring days in Boston where the mercury rises 40 degrees higher than the day before and you have to remember which box your shorts are stored in. It was the perfect day to go to Plum Island for biking, birdwatching and the beach. For $5 a car, we could park in one of two areas and enjoy one beach as the others were closed due to the nesting of the endangered piping plover. There are no food facilities at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge , where we decided to decamp. The only beach open was at Parking Lot 1, but the open toilet was not nearby - a warning to those of you with small bladders. I biked to Parking Lot 4, where the toilets were open and the observation tower overlooks a tidal pool off the Plum Island Sound. This is about 6 miles round trip starting from the gate. My husband and son turned back a mile before me because the beach couldn't wait any longer. Impatient beach! I enjoyed some lovely white species of crane without the whining of a wave-happy 7 year old before heading back. This is New England, where the water isn't warm even in August. I did walk into the ocean up to my ankles, and I may not go in to the Atlantic again this far north, ever.
We waited until dusk to leave, as that is when the park closes, and ours was the last vehicle in the parking lot. What can I say, I am always the last one to leave a good party, too! The first food choice coming back is the Plum Island Grille. At 8:00 pm, with more than an hour wait and no blatantly GF options, we decided to go back up the Plum Island Turnpike to Bob's. Their wait was 45 minutes, and they were already open past their posted hours. After a prematurely hot day (though not steamy), with a healthy bike ride and some daydreaming on the beach as the sky darkened, we felt like a trip to the salad bar at Stop & Shop would be a buzzkill. I had no idea that we would discover a place that had even heard the word gluten before. Oh, lowered expectations. Oh, faith in humanity, restored!
I will be back. I will try the soup next time, and the frozen GF bakes, and any GF shellfish that doesn't bite me back.
Bob Lobster is located at 45 Plum Island Turnpike in Newbury, MA 01951. Their phone is 978-465-7100. They also take major credit cards, which was a lucky thing as it turned out. We are considering calling for take out next time and bringing it to the beach for a kick-off lunch, but we'll have to return on the way back to pick up a few more lobster bakes.
Can't get there? They ship!
On a scale of 1-10:
Attitude to GF Patrons: 8 - no hostility, but you night get ignored they're so busy
Variety of GF Foods: 5
Quality of GF Foods: 10
Kid-Friendly Food: 10 (not GF stuff though)
Kid-Friendly Attitude: 10 - they just clean up the mess, no questions, no dirty looks
Overall grade: B+
April 28, 2009
GF Pizza and Desserts at Mozzarelli's in NYC Madison Square Park
I needed a nosh on a mild spring eve after taking advantage of the Morgan Library's free Friday night exhibits, music and vino. In a walking mood, my friend Alissa and I strolled down 15 blocks to the Madison Square Park area. The line at Shake Shack wasn't bad, but it wasn't quite milkshake weather, and I had issues trying to make a gluten-free meal from their menu, so made our way to Mozzarelli's at 38 23rd Street, just east of the park. Alissa, who has no issues with wheat, was quite the sympathetic friend and only ordered from the gluten free offerings.
We each had a slice of cheese and a slice of sausage pizza, which my non-Silly (Silly Yak for you newbies) friend pronounced to be pretty good. She doesn't share my New Yorky need to fold a slice, and like all GF pizza, these were not foldable slices; on the other hand, their square shape distinguishes them from the restaurant's non GF slices to help avoid confusion. Once I got over myself I did enjoy the pizza, the crust of which was thicker than a typical NYC slice. More importantly, I did not suffer from heartburn after eating this pizza, the ultimate test of a GF product for me. I would guess it was low on potato flour or starch, and it had a texture that allowed for a bit of crisp on the bottom and a bit of chew on the inside. The crust, quoting from the menu, consists of a "secret blend of brown rice and beans."
I did not try out the pasta dishes, but they go beyond the spaghetti-and-marinara fare. The dishes are penne-based, from baked ziti to penne goat cheese primavera. The menu indicates that there is a 10 minute wait for pasta to be prepared. Only in New York are you warned that you might have to wait for your food to be cooked fresh.
The menu lists a variety of desserts, not the usual ice cream that is the only sweet solace of the gluten-free diner. I settled on a rainbow cookie cake. For those unfamiliar, a rainbow cookie is a layered cake-like cookie with very bright layers of pink, yellow, and green, which may be flavored and which may be just marzipan, with a chocolate frosting. I brought mine home and ate it the following day, and it had dried out a bit. That is the price paid for glutting myself on pizza to the point of loosen-the-belt fullness! The menu lists a tiramisu brownie I hope to learn more about, as well as carrot cake, a chocolate truffle and a biscotti chocolate chip cookie. The real temptation, however, is a baker's shelf full of cookies by My Dad's Cookies, out of Nanuet NY. Having filled my freezer with Shabtai non-gebrochts, I had to pass, but I won't make that mistake twice! My weakness is for a crunchy cookie with a creamy sweet frosting, and that was one of several varieties set out to taunt my waistline. One of the hardest lessons you learn living with Celiac Disease is not to go crazy with the GF sweets. If I can't get home to freeze something I try not to bring it home as it may not make it home at all. On the other hand, when the sweet tooth becomes bloodlust, I'll be on a 6th Avenue train for a fix.
Mozzarelli's (212) 475-6777) is located at 38 East 23rd Street in Manhattan. They also offer free delivery with a $15 minimum order .
My Dad's cookies is located at 119 Rockland Ctr #377, Nanuet NY.
On a scale of 1-10:
Attitude to GF Patrons: 10
Variety of GF Foods: 10
Quality of GF Foods: 9+ (I'm holding out for a slice I can fold!)
Kid-Friendly Food: 10
Kid-Friendly Attitude: 10
Overall grade: A
We each had a slice of cheese and a slice of sausage pizza, which my non-Silly (Silly Yak for you newbies) friend pronounced to be pretty good. She doesn't share my New Yorky need to fold a slice, and like all GF pizza, these were not foldable slices; on the other hand, their square shape distinguishes them from the restaurant's non GF slices to help avoid confusion. Once I got over myself I did enjoy the pizza, the crust of which was thicker than a typical NYC slice. More importantly, I did not suffer from heartburn after eating this pizza, the ultimate test of a GF product for me. I would guess it was low on potato flour or starch, and it had a texture that allowed for a bit of crisp on the bottom and a bit of chew on the inside. The crust, quoting from the menu, consists of a "secret blend of brown rice and beans."
I did not try out the pasta dishes, but they go beyond the spaghetti-and-marinara fare. The dishes are penne-based, from baked ziti to penne goat cheese primavera. The menu indicates that there is a 10 minute wait for pasta to be prepared. Only in New York are you warned that you might have to wait for your food to be cooked fresh.
The menu lists a variety of desserts, not the usual ice cream that is the only sweet solace of the gluten-free diner. I settled on a rainbow cookie cake. For those unfamiliar, a rainbow cookie is a layered cake-like cookie with very bright layers of pink, yellow, and green, which may be flavored and which may be just marzipan, with a chocolate frosting. I brought mine home and ate it the following day, and it had dried out a bit. That is the price paid for glutting myself on pizza to the point of loosen-the-belt fullness! The menu lists a tiramisu brownie I hope to learn more about, as well as carrot cake, a chocolate truffle and a biscotti chocolate chip cookie. The real temptation, however, is a baker's shelf full of cookies by My Dad's Cookies, out of Nanuet NY. Having filled my freezer with Shabtai non-gebrochts, I had to pass, but I won't make that mistake twice! My weakness is for a crunchy cookie with a creamy sweet frosting, and that was one of several varieties set out to taunt my waistline. One of the hardest lessons you learn living with Celiac Disease is not to go crazy with the GF sweets. If I can't get home to freeze something I try not to bring it home as it may not make it home at all. On the other hand, when the sweet tooth becomes bloodlust, I'll be on a 6th Avenue train for a fix.
Mozzarelli's (212) 475-6777) is located at 38 East 23rd Street in Manhattan. They also offer free delivery with a $15 minimum order .
My Dad's cookies is located at 119 Rockland Ctr #377, Nanuet NY.
On a scale of 1-10:
Attitude to GF Patrons: 10
Variety of GF Foods: 10
Quality of GF Foods: 9+ (I'm holding out for a slice I can fold!)
Kid-Friendly Food: 10
Kid-Friendly Attitude: 10
Overall grade: A
March 30, 2009
GF Dining at Stone Hearth Pizza in Cambridge
Pizza was never a significant part of my life until I moved to Brooklyn. I could generally pass on a slab of refined carbs used to support pools of grease from fatty cheese and pepperoni of uncertain origin. This was before I had a slice of cheese and a beer on a hot New York night.
Now I live in Massachusetts and I have Celiac Disease. The first kills the craving for a NY slice, the second makes it impossible anyway. Beer has either wheat or barley, and sometimes both, and I have yet to try a gluten free beer that I would mistake for something straight from the tap. When I want pizza, it's the archetypal slice I crave, and I know I may never taste it again. I have not found its GF substitute, but I did manage to achieve the comforting buzz that comes from devouring a slice with a longneck.
It had been over a year since I last enjoyed that breakfast of champions, beer and pizza. Finding ourselves in Cambridge, we decided to seek out Stone Hearth Pizza, at 1782 Mass. Ave in Cambridge, a few blocks before Porter Square coming from Harvard Square. Stone Hearth Pizza is food with dogma: its menu shows the local farms, food producers and breweries it patronizes, with a significant portion of its products coming from New England. Organic, sustainable, and local items assure diners that their carbon footprint will not swell with a visit to the restaurant.
The restaurant is small, and we had a wait that was taxing for my son. We were eventually seated at a table meant for 2, and I worried equally about spills and cross contamination from my non GF family. There was definitely immaturity in the waitstaff, whose attitude was pleasant but not altogether there. I got the sense that the waitress may not understand the seriousness of the needs of the celiac patron. I would have expected her to point out GF selections, or really to say anything to indicate that it has registered with her that I can't eat wheat, but she did not trouble herself in this way. I still managed to come out unglutened.
The gluten free items on the menu are a dollar more per item, but celiacs are used to paying more for what everyone else takes for granted. The meatball poppers were what you would expect, meatballs in red gravy. I expected more flavor, but someone had a light hand with the spices and herbs. The margherita pizza had a very thin crust, and unlike an Amy's pizza, it didn't cause me heartburn afterward. It needed more spice as well, either basil or oregano, to marry the fresh mozzarella to the tomato, but it was still good despite being a bit on the bland side. I ordered a large so that I could enjoy the leftovers throughout the week. Of course, when having pizza and beer, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Bard's Tale brought out the sweetness in the pizza sauce, so I would probably add something savory or salty to the pizza next time for a more rounded palate.
It was a pass on dessert - after a slice I don't want a bowl of ice cream. I would like to see GF cheesecake or tiramisu on the menu. The two non GF dessert options were cookie and tiramisu, with ice cream comprising the other 3 options, so I didn't feel as excluded as I would if there were cakes, pies, and ice cream sandwiches that weren't GF.
The place is kid-friendly, as a pizza joint should be, with a kid's menu and young patrons' artwork on the wall. My son found his ice cream sundae to be a little too low on hot fudge, but he didn't need a sugar high so close to bedtime anyway.
The restaurant has locations in Belmont and Needham, with addresses and hours available on the website. The website is lacking information about its gluten free options, however. There are appetizers, salads, pizza, pasta, desserts, and beer that are all available gluten free. Effort is made to avoid cross-contamination, but I didn't note a specifically GF kitchen area. On a scale of 1-10:
Attitude to GF Patrons: 8
Variety of GF Foods: 8
Quality of GF Foods: 8
Kid-Friendly Food: 10
Kid-Friendly Attitude: 10
Overall grade: B+
Now I live in Massachusetts and I have Celiac Disease. The first kills the craving for a NY slice, the second makes it impossible anyway. Beer has either wheat or barley, and sometimes both, and I have yet to try a gluten free beer that I would mistake for something straight from the tap. When I want pizza, it's the archetypal slice I crave, and I know I may never taste it again. I have not found its GF substitute, but I did manage to achieve the comforting buzz that comes from devouring a slice with a longneck.
It had been over a year since I last enjoyed that breakfast of champions, beer and pizza. Finding ourselves in Cambridge, we decided to seek out Stone Hearth Pizza, at 1782 Mass. Ave in Cambridge, a few blocks before Porter Square coming from Harvard Square. Stone Hearth Pizza is food with dogma: its menu shows the local farms, food producers and breweries it patronizes, with a significant portion of its products coming from New England. Organic, sustainable, and local items assure diners that their carbon footprint will not swell with a visit to the restaurant.
The restaurant is small, and we had a wait that was taxing for my son. We were eventually seated at a table meant for 2, and I worried equally about spills and cross contamination from my non GF family. There was definitely immaturity in the waitstaff, whose attitude was pleasant but not altogether there. I got the sense that the waitress may not understand the seriousness of the needs of the celiac patron. I would have expected her to point out GF selections, or really to say anything to indicate that it has registered with her that I can't eat wheat, but she did not trouble herself in this way. I still managed to come out unglutened.
The gluten free items on the menu are a dollar more per item, but celiacs are used to paying more for what everyone else takes for granted. The meatball poppers were what you would expect, meatballs in red gravy. I expected more flavor, but someone had a light hand with the spices and herbs. The margherita pizza had a very thin crust, and unlike an Amy's pizza, it didn't cause me heartburn afterward. It needed more spice as well, either basil or oregano, to marry the fresh mozzarella to the tomato, but it was still good despite being a bit on the bland side. I ordered a large so that I could enjoy the leftovers throughout the week. Of course, when having pizza and beer, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts. Bard's Tale brought out the sweetness in the pizza sauce, so I would probably add something savory or salty to the pizza next time for a more rounded palate.
It was a pass on dessert - after a slice I don't want a bowl of ice cream. I would like to see GF cheesecake or tiramisu on the menu. The two non GF dessert options were cookie and tiramisu, with ice cream comprising the other 3 options, so I didn't feel as excluded as I would if there were cakes, pies, and ice cream sandwiches that weren't GF.
The place is kid-friendly, as a pizza joint should be, with a kid's menu and young patrons' artwork on the wall. My son found his ice cream sundae to be a little too low on hot fudge, but he didn't need a sugar high so close to bedtime anyway.
The restaurant has locations in Belmont and Needham, with addresses and hours available on the website. The website is lacking information about its gluten free options, however. There are appetizers, salads, pizza, pasta, desserts, and beer that are all available gluten free. Effort is made to avoid cross-contamination, but I didn't note a specifically GF kitchen area. On a scale of 1-10:
Attitude to GF Patrons: 8
Variety of GF Foods: 8
Quality of GF Foods: 8
Kid-Friendly Food: 10
Kid-Friendly Attitude: 10
Overall grade: B+
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