Takito Kitchen

2013 West Division Street Chicago, IL 60622
(773) 687-9620

Description:  Takito Kitchen offers a simple menu of appetizers, shared dishes, and tacos in a casual setting.  As the menu indicates, many items are gluten free.  As ever, you must be wary and willing to ask questions.  The listed rice crackers option were noted by our server to NOT be gluten free and the crackers brought with the delicious crab cerviche also contained gluten, although we had to ask to bring this to light.

That said, Takito offers a good agave-based drink menu, mixed and straight up.  The crab cerviche was fresh and delicious.  Both the fish and beef tacos were flavourful, and the gluten-free corn chips and salsas were addictive.  We were able to eat on the patio in what appears to be a dynamic neighbourhood of Chicago, Wicker Park.  Indeed, there was a street festival underway during our visit. 

In sum, the food was good, the service was friendly, the price was quite reasonable, and I wouldn’t hesitate to return. 

The Daily Grind

601 Somerset St.
Ottawa
613-233-2233

Description:  Sniff sniff.  What's that smell?  Ah, the fair nose of baking xanthum gum and tapioca flour.  Yes, The Daily Grind is an informal, cafe/restaurant that serves decent food from a completely gluten-free menu.  Now, they don't go overboard splashing gluten-free all over their website.  Like some other GF establishments, they emphasize their quality and good taste first, so as not to scare away the gluten-loving.

The food itself is good.  We opened with the nachos, which were simple and fine.  Meat was optional, and we skipped it, but I wouldn't mind a few more vegetables or any beans.  I had the Creole shrimp special, and it was a healthy mix of vegetables and rice and had a nice little zip.  My dinner mates had the blackened salmon and the BBQ swordfish.  The salmon had a nice jerk spice while the swordfish really made me think (happily) of spare ribs.  Such a meaty fish, that sword guy.   As a side note, I had a very nice Bard's beer with my dish, but non-GF beers are also available (and are the only non-GF items in the house).

For dessert, I had a yummy Sweet Marie bar.  The cross table exchange program yielded a very good macaroon and chocolate mint cookie.  The chocolate cupcake was also very good, but frankly could have used some dairy.  The Daily Grind does have a number of vegan baked goods.  This will make many happy, but I favour dairy fat over substitutes, and am occasionally frustrated that GF products are grouped with other dietary limitations.  However, that did not stop me from bringing home a small pile of other baked goods--I mean, it's not like I'm that picky.  

Service here is casual but friendly.  One generally orders at the counter. The Daily Grind has the comfortable appearance of a relaxed, non-corporate cafe, with mismatched furniture and walls lined with local art.  

If I were to review this as a non-celiac, I would consider it a decent, inexpensive local place but not a destination restaurant.  However, as a celiac, I am emphatically appreciative of what they do, and of how comfortable I am eating there.  Thanks, guys.  I plan to be back.  

Bard's

Ah, the great Bard.  Well, I don't know what iambic pentameter is supposed to taste like, but this was poetry enough for me.  Don't let the 'sorghum malt beer' throw you off.  The contents are exclusively water, sorghum, and hops--none of that nasty gluten stuff.  It is perhaps most like New Grist, although perhaps a little darker and slightly sweeter.  It was very good, and kudos to the Daily Grind for stocking it.

Custom House Tavern

500 South Dearborn Street

Chicago, IL 

(312) 523-0200

Type of cuisine: Bistro

Date of Review: June, 2012

Description:  When I think of a tavern, I sometimes think about a dark place with a few glass brick windows, lots of old wood, and mediocre food.  Well, this ain't that.  This is a yummy, upscale establishment which aims to create fresh American cuisine.  The menu is neither short nor epic, but there is a good selection for both the GF eater or the gluten-inclined.  The exception would have to be dessert, where the options on this particular evening were ice cream or cheese.

The waiters are helpful and the fresh nature of the menu seems to lend itself to a comfortable gluten-free meal.  This was my second occasion to visit, the previous experience also being great.  To their credit, the restaurant had a small, warm gluten-free corn muffin in lieu of bread.  With salted butter, it was a real treat.  As an appetizer, I started with grilled octopus with fresh orange and an aioli, which was a surprisingly fresh combination.  For a main, I had the duck with a rhubarb compote.  It was cooked perfectly and was simple enough to enjoy the duck flavour, although the non-GF version typically comes with a peppercorn and breadcrumb crust.  I think I  preferred it as I received it.  As a side--one orders vegetables separately here--I had a scrumptious pistachio-topped asparagus in a garlicky oil.  No kissing after this dish!  Dessert, as noted, was ice cream, in this case a single fennel cardamom scoop which was quite interesting (and expensive).  I had a pinot noir followed by a Cote de Rhone, both reasonably suited to the duck with fresh fruit.

The service was excellent and nicely paced (for a North American).  Water refills were plentiful and the gluten issue was handled adroitly.  The decor is clean and bright, and the little booths are both comfortable and noise dampening, so that conversation was easy.

The Custom House makes great food.  They are arguably a five out of five egg institution, being knocked down only for the dessert limitation.

Green's Amber Ale

It takes a trip south of the border to meet a new friend.  Well, a fermented friend in a little brown bottle, at least.  Hello, Green's Amber Ale.  This little number is a blend of millet, buckwheat, rice, sorghum, hops, and yeast.  It is smooth, substantial, and has a pleasantly short bitter ending.  I might just be feeling expansive, but I wonder if there is a note of honey in there--though I should be clear it isn't sweet.  This GF beer is very good.  So would I drink another?  Yes.  Then another?  No, but only because I'm a lightweight.

Redbridge Beer

While rice has long served as the obvious gluten-free grain, Redbridge is another reminder of why rice should play a subordinate role in prepared foods.  A mixture of sorghum, corn syrup, hops, and yeast, Redbridge is very similar to New Grist, although the latter also uses rice.  Redbridge is clean and easy to drink, having subtle complexity but none of the unpleasant aftertaste that a rice-only product can produce.  It is surprising that Redbridge is made by Anheuser-Busch, who also brought us Budweiser, an unquestionably vile product.  (We once made beer-bread with Budweiser, thinking cheap was fine.  Wrong. Very wrong.)  Redbridge is a very respectable GF beer.  It is available in the USA, but presently not in Ontario.

Kashmir

279 Newbury Street
Boston, MA 02116
(617) 536-1695




Description:  Indian food is generally celiac friendly, and that was true of Kashmir as well.  The menu is quite varied, and although the waitress knew nothing of gluten free dining, she was happy to inquire about issues.  Of note, the papadums are deep fried in shared oil, and they are not a GF option.

For this meal, we stayed fairly traditional and ordered a lamb dish (Gosht Vindaloo), some saag paneer, and chicken tikka.  The lamb was good but too salty and the paneer was less lively than others I've had.  The chicken tikka was creamy and delicious, although the sauce was far more plentiful than the chicken.  For dessert we had the rasmalai, which was fragrant and delicious.  The food, overall, was respectable but in no way outstanding.

Service was friendly and quick, and water refills were frequent.  The decor was pleasant, with nice size windows despite the basement location.  My bench was not entirely comfortable on account of oddly slopped padding.

Kashmir is a decent place and likely a safe option for the gluten free diner, but you can do better in Boston with a little planning.

The Hour Glass

183 Cedar St.
Sudbury, Ontario
705-674-5277

Description:  Every item on the menu can be made gluten free?  Somebody here must be celiac.  And indeed, the owner is.  But this means that the whole gamut of appetizers, pastas, and main dishes (from steaks to fish to burgers) is available.  And that makes this a rare restaurant, not least of all because this is Sudbury, not Toronto.  The menu is perhaps a little broader than is theoretically optimal for quality and freshness, but I'm not the one trying to make an income from a restaurant in Sudbury.  As a minor note, there is an additional charge for some items to be rendered gluten-free and charges to add garnishes to some other items.  Knowing the prices of gluten-free items, I don't object, although there is always the risk of seeming to nickel and dime the customer.

This cheesecake is gluten-free, as is the whole menu.

And the food?  Only one of our party had the house salad, which was very good.  All three of us had the fish and chips, this being so rare an option for the GF diner.  And....?  Excellent.  The fries were very good, thin and crispy.  The haddock was fresh, the breading crisp, and none of it was oily.  And mmmmmm, battered fish in tartar sauce.  Being unoriginal, we also all had the cheesecake.  This was obviously made on site, and tasted as fresh as such.  The crust was delicious, the filing rich, and the the portions healthy. 

Service was friendly and efficient, with generous water refills.  The setting was comfortable, with black linens that offered a touch of upscale without feeling overly formal.

In sum?  There is no question that a restaurant with a full GF menu will evoke positive feelings in a celiac diner.  That said, the food was wonderful, and our non-celiac diner agreed that this was an excellent restaurant.  I very much hope to return. 

Prairie Bistro

at The Enjoy Centre
101 Riel Drive, St. Albert
Alberta
780 651-7361

Description:  I typically think of cosmopolitan urban restaurants when I think of gluten-free foods.  But why shouldn't wholesome, natural, gluten-free food sprout up in outer suburbia?  Such is St. Albert, and this is the home of Prairie Bistro.  As part of the still developing Enjoy Centre, the bistro sits in part of a large, open, nursery complex.  Sitting at one end of a tall greenhouse structure, it is light, airy, casual, and contemporary in design.  It would be a delight to visit any time of year.  (Okay, anything outside of a tornado, as there is a lot of glass.)

A light and airy atmosphere.

The menu is not extensive, but uses products from the greenhouse and local farms.  Sitting comfortably with an infant (again, the setting is casual), we went through three lunch courses.  To start, we had a salad of beets, goat cheese, candied pecans, and greens, which was fresh and delicious. My comrade-in-forks took on the cheese crepe with arugula, tomato, artichokes, and pesto.  I was informed it ranked about 6/10 as a result of undue complexity.  My pork with apples, cabbage, and a vinaigrette was a very nice lunch dish, although too light for what I would want for an evening meal.  For dessert, there were two GF options, a flourless chocolate cake and--cue the happy dance--a gluten-free carrot cake made with pecan flour.  We ordered two of the latter and I ate 1.5 of them, having to come to the aid of my companion.  The cake was very good, being not too sweet and having a delicious cream cheese icing. 

Gluten-free carrot cake.  Oh.  Yes.

Service was friendly and prompt.  As already noted, the space is a delight.  As an added frill, our drink menu came in a 1937 edition of Maclean's magazine.  We were utterly engrossed in the update on cancer care, on the $1200 (!) cost of a flight from London to Johannesburg, and on the challenges of Jewish emigration to Palestine.  Plus ca change. 

While being a little out of the way, Prairie Bistro was a very pleasant visit, and I wouldn't mind a bit if my travels led me back.

On a side note, there is a grocery store downstairs called Amaranth which was well-stocked with gluten-free goods, including baked goods from a local place called La Crema Caffe.  Trying one of La Crema's quiches, I found them to be tasty, light and to have a nice crust, which isn't easy with GF ingredients.

Hillside Music Festival

Guelph Lake Conservation Area
Guelph, Ontario

Okay, Hillside is not really about the food, but I look forward to the food every year. This festival is granola crunchy in tenor but the music ranges from rock to hip-hop to country and folk. Every year, I am introduced to new bands, and typically a couple of CD's leave the festival with me (this year, Kim Churchill and Adverteyes, both great). Online ticket sales are typically brisk, so don't wait around if you are considering a weekend pass.

What about the food? Well happily, there is real gluten-free variety.  This is one of the rare events where I don't need to pack food, and I love that.  Bye-bye, Popeye lunch pail!  So prepare for African peanut stew and gluten-free cookies from Green Table Foods, enjoy pure teff injera from Laza Catering, gobble down gluten-free sausages and grilled corn from Sausage Brothers, and snack on yummy home-made chips from Studs N Spuds (though verify no co-fried contaminants with each visit).  Dessert?  How about all-corn tortillas and chocolate from Chocosol?  Pass me no napkin; I'm gonna lick these fingers.

So, yep, hanging out all weekend and listening to tunes is nothing to complain about.  But doing it while feasting on delicious gluten-free food?  Fabulous!  Check it out each July.

Amsterdam Beer

Okay, it's not all from Amsterdam, but that's where I encountered it.  Given the challenges of finding gluten-free grog, I take it when I can get it.  I tried three o' the fellas.

Yummiest, yummier, and yum.

The first, Mongozo Premium Pilsener, brewed in Belgium for a Dutch company, is the closest thing to 'real' beer I shall likely encounter.  It tasted like real beer, so much so that I thought "Molson?"  But I was told by a current real beer swiller that it was more of a Heineken, and as it has been a while since I have partaken of the real stuff, I must defer.  But here is why it might taste that way:  it contains barley malt.  I can tell you it took me a bit of surfing before I had the confidence to drink it.  The brewery indicates that they have a process which removes the offending protein, and they have it tested by an independent lab.  They even provided a pdf from said lab to another web denizen.  They have won kudos from at least one actual organization and have a GF seal with a registration number.  All of it could be bunk, but I chose faith and really enjoyed it.  I don't obviously react (in the short term) to gluten, and did not react negatively to this drink.  I would probably drink this all the time were it available, but I would also actually invest in a test kit to set my mind at ease.  The fear is just too ingrained at this point.

The second, a Riedenburger Gluten Free from Germany, I found to be very similar to the sorghum-based brew of New Grist, although it is actually millet based.  It had a nice malty flavour, a good presence, without an unpleasant aftertase.

Finally, St. Peter's Gluten Free Beer from the UK, gets a few points for having a nifty old bottle. It certainly wasn't a bad pint, with a pleasant bitterness and just a slight but not prolonged aftertaste. I wouldn't say no to another although I'd prefer either of the first.

Bottoms up!

Proeverij 274

Prinsengracht 274
Amsterdam, Netherlands
+31 20 4211848

Description:  The is a great little restaurant, and we actually returned to it on a second occasion rather than risk disappointment at another establishment.  The menu lists a moderate number of dishes and local fair is used.  The dishes are just off the traditional track, but stop well before reaching too trendy.  The wait staff was exceptionally friendly, and well tolerant of a 6 month old, although we are always careful not to disturb fellow patrons.   

We were thus able to try a handful of dishes.  A starter of white asparagus with chive sauce and poached egg was excellent the first night, as we caught the tail end of the local season.  The second night I had a delightful herring with beets and a vodka jelly, while my comrade-in-forks was exceptionally pleased with the cold lentil soup, which was a new take on gazpacho with a little island of diced tomato and cucumber topped with raita floating in the centre.  For the main, I reprised a variation on beef, which was done to tender perfection and accompanied by tasty vegetables on both occasions.  My fellow diner had a succulent guinea fowl with raison-wine sauce and a creative but not off the wall poppy-seed croquette accompaniment.  Dessert for me was a delicious chocolate mousse, while the rhubarb cake was good. 

As noted, the staff were patient regarding gluten inquiries, and they were wonderfully friendly without being overly intrusive.  The restaurant itself is in an old building (an unremarkable fact in Amsterdam) with plenty of beautiful wood and a warm, homey, intimate feel.  We debated whether this restaurant was 'just' excellent or was outstanding, but the consensus was that anything short of outstanding would be unfair.  If you are in Amsterdam, eat at Proeverij 274.

Amsterdam

We have had the great fortune to visit this lovely city in the Netherlands, as well as some nearby cities on day trips.  It is a great place, although it is not as good as others in terms of gluten-free dining.  The prevalence of celiac disease is lower here, although underdiagnosis likely contributes to this.  In fact, the whole darn country seems slim and fit, so maybe they all have it.  At any rate, gluten awareness, while not terrible, does not match my Canadian, American, or other experiences.  I encountered no gluten-free bakery, although others have reported fresh products at one chain. 

Keizersgracht, Amsterdam.  If only home were this pretty.

Conversely, English is almost universal, so communication is easy.  Furthermore, several health food stores, as well as the ubiquitous Albert Heijn, have excellent GF supplies.  The latter also has a clear GF symbol on its GF products, which I much appreciated.  In addition, more than one restaurant had a GF list they would consult on inquiry. 

Words to watch out for? Tarwe, rogger, and gerst are wheat, rye, and barley. I did get burned on malt on one occasion. If you are reading labels, beware barely malt, gerstemout. Finally, haver is oats.

Don't worry, all Dutch cheese is fat free. 

You won't suffer for food, however.  The selection of Dutch cheeses is excellent.  The olives are the good ones the Europeans don't export to us North Americans, and the wine is a wee spot better priced than that of the LCBO.  Our typical lunch (left) also included fresh little red currents, which I have rarely encountered in my Golden Horseshoe shopping.

Kalendar

546 College Street
Toronto, Ontario
416.923.4138

Type of cuisine: Brunch
Date of Review: October, 2010

Overall Quality Ranking: Good

Cost: Moderate
Gluten-Free Menu Options: Reasonable
Gluten Free Diner Comfort ranking: Comfortable

Description:  Fortunately there was no line-up for this pre-matinee brunch visit.  A seat was available and our server was with us quickly.  The menu was typical for brunch, with omelettes, French toast, and so forth, but also included some salads, wraps and naan bread open sandwiches.  We started with fresh orange juice, a nice sunny start.  This morning three of us had omelettes, with two having the delicious (if a bit salty) smoked salmon.  The chevre and snow pea omelette was also very good.  Each came with delicious, GF-friendly, herbed home fries and fruit (with toast for those so inclined).  The French toast was very good, with good fresh bread, although the side of ham was declared quite tasteless by two diners. 

Service was zippy and friendly.  The restaurant itself is quaint, with lots of wood, old chandeliers, and ornamental flourishes in the plasterwork.  By one popular measure, it has been declared the most romantic place for a first date, and some of that may be attributable to the decor.

This was a tasty bite, and I'm curious to check out dinner when the opportunity presents itself.

Quatrefoils

16 Sydenham Street
Dundas, Ontario
905-628-7800 

Type of cuisine: French
Date of Review: September, 2010

Overall Quality Ranking: Excellent

Cost: Expensive
Gluten-Free Menu Options: Good
Gluten Free Diner Comfort ranking: Comfortable

Description:  Yes, you can get darn good food outside of Toronto.  After apparently struggling with regulations and sinking a pile of money into the establishment, Quatrefoils is now earning kudos from its patrons. 

The menu is tight, not unnecessarily long.  It met my preference for a focused, fresh sampling with good food turnover rather than an 8-page "please everybody" menu.  No, the menu is not vegetarian focused, but yes, a vegetarian could find a satisfying meal here with a soup or salad and gnocci.  Otherwise, fish and meat reign and most of the menu can accommodate the gluten-free eater. 

The four of us shared a nice Domaine des Anges 2006 Ventoux, which matched our food nicely.  For those inclined, the crispy rolls were very nice.  As an appetizer, we tried the heirloom tomoto salad with arugula and pesto, which was perfectly ripe and a perfect room temperature.  The Foie gras torchon, which I took without the toast, was well portioned (i.e. small) and came with cherries, lettuce, and a sherry jelly--no toast required.  It was a delight. 

Foie Gras Torchons - That'll be three slices of Yum!

For the main, I had the flank steak and frites--something I'm frequently tempted to do when the fries are not cross-contaminated--and was happy on both accounts.  The steak was excellent and the frites top notch, although I'm afraid cholesterol pills don't come as a side.  A fellow diner went with the duck with an orange sauce, and had no regrets.  It was nicely done and nicely accompanied.  One tablemate did have the lightly herbed gnocci with sweet baby squash and found it satisfying but not overly heavy.  Another had the rack of lamb with home made lamb ravioli and declared himself a very happy and contented diner, though he was generous enough to share.

Settling in for the final chapter, two of use shared the baked chocolate mousse, which was rich and excellent.  Our partners shared the blueberry lemon cake and were equally happy.

Service was top notch.  Making everything from scratch, the kitchen had no difficulty with gluten avoidance.  The physical space was clean and refined, with interesting sconces evoking both a nod to Hamilton metal working and an update on the traditional crystal variety.  It is evident they dropped some coin on the place.  The patio was also beautiful, and I hope to return in warmer days.

Quatrefoils is a great restaurant.  May it thrive and grow roots in this great community. 

Bangkok Spoon Deluxe

57 King St. West
Dundas, Ontario
905-628-8808

Type of cuisine:  Thai
Date of Review: Sept, 2010

Overall Quality Ranking: Okay

Cost: Moderate
Gluten-Free Menu Options: Reasonable
Gluten Free Diner Comfort ranking: Comfortable

Description:  Taking over from the Deluxe Restaurant, which closed in 1979 and sat empty for over a quarter century, Bangkok Spoon Deluxe retains a piece of that history while largely moving on. 

The menu is fairly extensive, but in a rare letdown, gluten-free eaters can not have either the green or red curry, as the kitchen uses a gluten containing oyster sauce in them.  Similar to other Thai and Vietnamese restaurants, some of the dipping sauces are also a no go.  Noting that, we started with a green mango salad.  This was generally reviewed as being good, although one diner found it a little heavy on the fish sauce.  We also shared the Mieng Goong, a wrap-it-yourself shrimp, ginger, peanut and lettuce affair which was quite tasty and fresh. 

For main dishes, we shared the (gluten-containing) green curry chicken, which was good but lacked a spicy punch.  The stir-fried scallops were a little plain, though generous.  Conversely, the pad Thai, while tasty, was a little short on protein content.  The tiger shrimp with pepper, orange and cashew nut in a chili paste was good but perhaps not as flavourful as hoped.  The sticky rice and coconut rice were both very good.  We washed all this down with a reasonably priced (for Ontario) Yellow Tail Shiraz.  The desserts, which in our case were largely ice cream, were considered quite tasty, with actual coconut chunks in the coconut flavour.  Remind the waiter not to give you the complementary cookie.

The service was pleasant, timely, and helpful, and the restaurant was well staffed.  The decor is a departure from the old days of the diner, having a clean, bright, and modern look.

Bangkok Spoon is a decent restaurant, and I would return if it came up.  It is unfortunate that the curries are off limits for the gluten averse, and the spice level might have been overly diluted for us North Americans.  If you live in the area, consider Pomelo as an alternative.  

Harbord House

150 Harbord St.
Toronto, Ontario
647-430-7365

Type of cuisine: Pub
Date of Review: Sept, 2010

Overall Quality Ranking: Excellent

Cost: Moderate
Gluten-Free Menu Options: Somewhat restricted
Gluten Free Diner Comfort ranking: Cautiously Comfortable

Description:  A self proclaimed gastro pub, Harbord House takes it's food more seriously than most North American pubs.  The liquid refreshment is not the only draw here.  Although the menu is a little tight for gluten free eaters, it appears quite appealing on the comfort food side, and you don't pay top dollar.  Note that the fries are off limits on account of floured foods sharing the same oil.

First, if you are of the persuasion, the bread was rated as good.  The oysters were also fresh and yummy.  For an appetizer, I tried the buffalo mozzarella salad with chorizo.  A touch on the too cold side, this was nonetheless a fruity, fresh, and tasty start.  A culinary comrade took up with the cobb salad and was pleased.  Oddly, perhaps, it included onion rings, but these were light and crisp. 

Part of the team continued on with the tomato soup, which was reported to have a rich roasted tomato flavour with hints of garlic.  The arctic char with hazelnut gnocci and pickled radish was chosen by three diners, and rated highly by all.  I went with the halibut, which came with chorizo and a smokey harissa sauce, and I cleaned the plate with delight.   

Service was friendly and patient, although our waiter was quite busy.  The decor was comfortable while not being overly dark.

In sum, this would be a fine place to have in your neighbourhood.  Although the menu is somewhat restricted for the GF eater, the food is prepared with care and the prices are reasonable.  Cheers.

Sejuiced

1958 4th Avenue West
Vancouver, BC 
(604) 730-9906 

Type of cuisine: Vegetarian
Date of Review: May, 2010

Overall Quality Ranking: Good

Cost: Inexpensive
Gluten-Free Menu Options: Somewhat restricted
Gluten Free Diner Comfort ranking: Cautiously Comfortable

Description:  Sejuiced is not an obvious place, and as our retail advisor indicated, it was a bit of a hidden gem.  Located in a small space alongside other store fronts, it is unobtrusive enough that you might not think to enter.  The theme here is organic and vegetarian, with plenty of juicing going on.  But it seemed to offer GF options, so we gave it a go.

My dining partner went with the “Ecstacies of Freshness” salad with a piquant Super (veggie) Burger.  Both fit the bill and fulfilled the vegetable craving.  On placing my order at the counter, the server knew about the soy sauce issue and helped me to steer clear of danger.  I ventured the Swami-G bowl with tahini sauce, crispy fresh vegetables, tofu, and brown rice.  The sauce was simple and I could have used a bit more spice or mouth flame, but the combination was comfortably filling and I left suspecting I’d gained a couple of years of healthy life.  They also have GF bread on hand, from a bakery I did not recognize.  The bread was mouth-sucking dry—average for mass-made GF bread—but the very fact they had it in store scored them points. 

If you are looking to extend your shopping or business efforts with a healthy fill-me-up, give these guys a try.

Salpicon

1525 N Wells St.Chicago, Il
312-988-7811 

Type of cuisine: Mexican
Date of Review: June, 2010

Overall Quality Ranking: Excellent

Cost: Moderate
Gluten-Free Menu Options: Good
Gluten Free Diner Comfort ranking: Comfortable

Description:  This was our second visit to Salpicon, and we would certainly return.  A more upscale Mexican restaurant, Salpicon offers a good variety for the GF eater.  Typical to many Mexican establishments, corn often serves as a safe alternative flour for wheat.

To get into the Mexican groove, I went for a straight-up tequila.  A Cuervo Reserva de la Familia Anejo, it had a nose of ripe strawberry and caramel.  In the mouth,  it was rich and reminiscent of a good scotch, rounded out with an oaky smoothness.

We tried three appetizers.  The first was a trio of tamales, a soothing and homey corn grain set out in three  sauces.    The second was a soft shell crab.  Pan fried, it was very garlicky but fairly oily with a texture short of satisfyingly crisp.  The third was a another trio, thick tortillas with shredded chicken and three different spicy mole sauces. 

As a principal plate, the pork in a traditional sauce was both earthy and spicy hot and was nicely offset by simple rice, pineapple, plantain, and sweet potato.  We also tried the two vegetarian stuffed peppers, one with cheese in a tomatillo sauce and one with a tomato red pepper sauce.  Both were very good.  Finally, we shared the flan for dessert. It was light and not overly sweet and was served under a lacy sugar dome.

Service was friendly and well paced, with plenty of water refills and check-ups on our well-being. Salpicon is renovating its first floor at present, but the second story was still a pleasant space, if rather loud.

Mexican food is often a good option for the GF eater, and if you have a hankering for something different from tacos and burritos, Salpicon offers a great experience.

C5 at the Royal Ontario Museum

100 Queen’s Park
Toronto, ON

416-586-8000

Type of cuisine: Bistro
Date of Review: June, 2010

Overall Quality Ranking: Excellent

Cost: Expensive 
Gluten-Free Menu Options: Somewhat restricted 
Gluten Free Diner Comfort ranking: Cautiously comfortable

Description:  Heading to a place like C5 at the ROM brings expectations, and these were largely met, with a couple of minor food demerits.  On this Saturday evening, the restaurant was fairly empty, although it is a good size restaurant.  The menu has a good variety of options with a few restrictions for those who must go gluten free.  Some group offerings are also included, although we did not partake.

For the GF lovers, the bread was rated highly, and looked great.  Good tasting bread often looks good too, it seems.  The amuse bouche this evening was pickled watermelon rind with watermelon juice and watercress.  It sounds odd, but it worked, and I’d love to pop one of these guys after a good run.  Appetizers were varied.  Two of us chose the charcuterie, which had  a nice variety of meats and pates, although the GF eater’s marker of a really good restaurant—a bit of GF cracker or sliced apple in lieu of toasts—was not provided.  The mushroom green salad with mushroom puree was a hit, and the soft-shelled crab salad was delicious without being oily.  For a bottle, we opened with a Gruner Vetliner Austrian white, which was full bodied and worked nicely against any lingering Austrian wine bias.

We sampled some breadth of the mains.  My boar on the fatty side even for non-industrial beast.  Nevertheless, it was delicious, not overly gamey and came with a soothing pear and maple celeriac hash and salty-zippy little boar pancetta bits and wilted greens.  I’d do it again.  One fellow diner had the bass, which was good and garlicky.  Another had the lamb two ways with a yummy goat cheese mash.  The lamb chops were a bit tough but the braised lamb was rich tasting and wonderfully tender. Our fourth member went with the surf and turf, which appeared as prawn terrine and steak with a bright piri piri dressing (a parsley, chili, and onion salsa encountered in Argentina, but reportedly more of Portuguese or Mozambique origin); it was ranked highly.  The accompanying wine for this round was an Argentinian malbec with a fruity nose but which was thin on the palate.

With great fortitude and in the name of research, we hit the dessert menu.  The chocolate log with dark chocolate and rhubarb did not last very long.   The chocolate and butterscotch pudding with little donuts contributed to silence at the table while the lemon olive oil cake with honey sorbet and marscapone cream was graded delicious.  Two of us also shared a cheese plate with fabulous Quebec numbers accompanied by addictive candied nuts and dry fruits.

The wait staff was very friendly and helpful, from dietary issues to wine recommendations.  Service moved along at an appropriate clip.  The physical space, were it studied, might actually prove good for the brain.  As the upper part of the Libeskind’s Crystal, the walls bent off at wonky angles and the windows were large and afforded great light and satisfying local views.

C5 puts a hip name on a hip space.  The service is great and only a couple of minor food slips keep the restaurant from being outstanding.