Gluten Free Spokane

Usually when a new restaurant opens up, its not the best time to test out their awareness and dedication to serving gluten-free guests. But it had been a few months since Fraiche Bistro started serving up contemporary French cuisine at 14 N Post Street downtown Spokane, so we decided it was time to venture in… Continue reading »

I’ve heard a lot of good things about this little Vietnamese and Chinese food joint in the “International District” out on Sprague Ave., but a few barriers had always kept me from trying it. First, Asian food, at least the kind you find in many American towns, is usually soy sauce laden, a big no-no… Continue reading »

A shopping trip at Grocery Outlet is sort of like a treasure hunt. It’s not the kind of store you can reliably run to for a specific item you might need, although the new downtown store near Browne’s Addition seems to have more variety than the other two Spokane stores. Grocery Outlet is typically more… Continue reading »

Every Thursday downtown Spokane’s Taste Cafe dedicates a section of their deli case to gluten-free baked goods. They are amazing, and you don’t want to miss out on another Thursday.  I’m serious.  But this review is about their salads and other savory selections. One of the co-owners of Taste is gluten free, so the items… Continue reading »

Pilgrim’s Market, Coeur d’Alene’s organic, natural, and gluten-free food central, is hosting a gluten free cooking class the evening of March 29 that promises guidance on how to make some simple gluten-free dishes and desserts. The chefs from Namaste Foods in Sandpoint will be demonstrating a range of gluten free recipes. For those of us… Continue reading »

Lindaman’s has been a cozy lower South Hill fixture for gourmet soups, salads, entrees, desserts, and drinks for as long as I can remember. Over the past couple of years, they’ve expanded their offerings to cater to Spokane’s ever growing gluten-free community.  And they’re getting better at it all the time. This warm and inviting… Continue reading »

Our first impression of our inaugural dinner outing up north to Opa! wasn’t what we’d expected from a north Spokane restaurant tucked in amongst the Newport Highway’s strip mall chaos.  The atmosphere was much more genuine, warm, and comfortable than I had imagined.  It felt like we’d stumbled into an authentic family run restaurant with… Continue reading »

Gone are the days of watching your dinner companions eating warm bread in front of you, while you wait for your meal. Downtown Spokane’s Wild Sage, hands down one of the city’s most renowned restaurants, now bakes their own gluten-free bread in house, making it one of the best gluten-free friendly fine dining destinations as… Continue reading »

Looking for a tasty local treat for your gluten-free sweetie this Valentine’s Day?  Well you’re in luck.  Spokane’s Hallett’s Chocolates made-from-scratch chocolates and candies are all built from the ground up with no gluten ingredients according to Halletts.  You can order directly from their web site or visit their factory on the North side or… Continue reading »

It’s great to see new Asian markets popping up around Spokane, but one of our favorites for authentic and inexpensive gluten-free Asian ingredients is the “Best Asian Market” (formerly known as the Bay Market). It’s a short drive or bike ride from downtown Spokane at 2020 E Sprague Ave, and the shelves are stocked with… Continue reading »

One of the reasons I love the little coffee house in my neighborhood is the service. The owners of West Central’s Indaba make each gourmet cup of coffee personal. As a fan of really strong eat-it-with-a-spoon coffee, they really hit the mark there. They don’t have drip, but they press or aero press individual mugs… Continue reading »

I first tried downtown Spokane’s Red Robin gluten free offerings several years ago and have had mixed feelings about the experience ever since. I was impressed by the printed menu with an expiration date and specific GF items listed.  And their attention to cross contamination detail: they used a separate fryer for the fries.   But… Continue reading »

Spokane is starting to feel like one of the best places in the West to live gluten free. Restaurants are becoming more GF and celiac friendly with separate menu items and designated gluten free preparation areas. Wild Sage bakes gluten free buns and breads in house. We even have a gluten free brewery on the… Continue reading »

White box pies was one of the first gluten-free establishments I tried in Spokane. I needed a dessert a few years back, and was excited to find them. They had just moved to their location on division, and I remember the peach/berry pie well. The flakey crust came as a surprise. My guests did the… Continue reading »

Originally published at Foodbeat NW. Italia Trattoria is one of those places where it feels like you’ve come home for dinner. And not just to your home or your grandma’s home; it’s like coming home to Italy. You could easily be in Santorini, at a small restaurant, full of loud Italians, but with food so… Continue reading »

When I review a restaurant, I usually go in stealth mode. I might make a phone call, to check gluten free awareness, or quiz the host or hostess about menu items, but I don’t announce this site from the top of my lungs on approach. So, when I was called by the Spokane Tomato Street,… Continue reading »

As I stepped in the front door of this decidedly neighborhood bakery, the loud chatter from the tables was an immediate comfort. People were steeped in their conversations, and were not paying any attention to my strange behavior: digging for my camera, the uncomfortable scan of the case, desperately looking for something gluten free. It… Continue reading »

One of the things I love about the Mercado del Pueblo, a wonderful Mexican market, deli, and bakery a few blocks across the river from downtown, is the smell of freshly cooked Mexican food combined with the warmth of the store and all the traditional ingredients. It feels like you just might be in Mexico,… Continue reading »

Noodle Express on Sullivan is a fast food subsidiary of the Mustard Seed. I love anything that comes from the Mustard Seed. I ran into the Valley Noodle Express one afternoon just to check if they had any gluten free options. The manager at the register frowned and replied “no, we don’t”. Ok, bye, bye.… Continue reading »

Happy hour is made “happy” by good food and good company. A cheap drink and eats without friends might be easy on the wallet, but it leaves something to be desired in the social category. As a celiac, it can be hard to find a good happy hour that doesn’t leave one asking a million… Continue reading »

Sante Restaurant & Charcuterie is well known for its exquisite dinners served with a creative showing of ingredients and flavors. But have you tried them for breakfast?  The coffee, roasted by Spokane’s Four Seasons, is brewed thick, and the pace is un-rushed. If you enjoy watching people or just like feeling connected to downtown, grab… Continue reading »

Agave is one of those places that reminds me that we are squarely in Spokane. You know that feeling: getting better and sort of trendy, but still missing something. It’s spo-trying. Which I appreciate; it’s better than not. Even the ambiance is a bit half-hearted, pleasant, but not posh and lent a bit of eeriness… Continue reading »

Technically not a restaurant, the deli case at the Main Market Co-op (the exact spot my car would sit for an oil change when it was a Goodyear auto shop), is full of some gluten free favorites.  On my last visit I gently asked what was gluten free. Since the gf indication on the signs… Continue reading »

We usually decide to go out to eat on a whim. I’d like to think it’s because we are spontaneous, but the real reason usually has to do with the fact that we don’t want to cook because the kitchen is dirty, or we are tired. This time it had something to do with the… Continue reading »

I love steak. I have always loved steak. My mom was vegetarian while I was growing up, and there was a point when I tried to be vegetarian too. I eventually gave up, with the excuse that I was anemic and needed the red meat for the iron. Not that I would eat it every… Continue reading »

I jump at every chance I get to go to Sante. It is not an inexpensive indulgence but is generally regarded as the best restaurant in Spokane by bloggers and reviewers. There are a few particular things I like about Sante. The flavors are complex. Even after a few bites, I can’t quite tell what… Continue reading »

Mexican food can be naturally gluten free. Corn tortillas, meat, veggies, salsa, cheese….. need I go on? It’s the additives in taco seasoning and the flour tortillas that make it not so good for us celiacs. Taco Del Mar does a good job. Not only do they have a gluten free menu (online), but the… Continue reading »

When in Sandpoint: http://www.ivanos-sandpoint.com/gluten-free.html It’s amazing!

When I first share with someone the restrictions of my diet and life as a celiac, their eyes open wide and they make a comment like “Wow, that must be really hard for you.” My typical response is that not only is it worth it, it is fairly simple if I pay attention. I have… Continue reading »

My mother and I are alike in more ways than we can count. We laugh alike, we have to be careful not to wear the same fleece and we share most of the same music. But we are two totally different people when it comes to food.  Her main food choices come from the grain… Continue reading »

Breakfast can be tricky, but the veggie omelet at Hucks, with those potatoes, mmmm. Good food and good people watching out the front window. And the coffee, let’s say that I am a happy girl. This week, while ordering my omelet, I discovered the gluten free list attached to the outside of the deli case.… Continue reading »

I owe a few people in my life right now, for many things, but mostly for my bamboo floors. When I purchased this house two years ago, it did not have much character. The bathroom was disgusting. The trim had been textured and every inch of the house was the same beige-pink-blah color. It had… Continue reading »

Vin Rouge, up on the South Hill, does not have a gluten free menu. This usually makes me nervous, since a printed menu is a clear statement to me that they get it. But the Prawns are worth the risk. Ok, not much of a risk since every time I order it the server checks… Continue reading »

I get gluttonous around my Birthday. The end of august triggers a sense of entitlement that washes over me whenever I walk past a store front with some bling in the window.  Doesn’t matter what it is, cute clothes, artsy jewelry, bikes, burgers or barbecue, you name it. Other times of the year I can… Continue reading »

I tried it again today, Europa that is. Though I was pretty sure I was not going to give them another chance, by chance a work meeting was scheduled there before I could protest, and it would have been rude to boy-cot the meeting because of a disturbing run in with one server a while… Continue reading »

The first smell of grilling out in the summer, mmmm, re-connects my brain to my taste buds after a long winter of stove cooking.  I have a barbecue, a big one, a house-warming gift from my dad many years ago. I love using it in the summer, the house is cooler and there are fewer… Continue reading »

After not eating out for a while, trying to save money and get gf creative at home , I have had the pleasure of eating out several times this week. This time I was invited to share a meal with two people who are very special to me. After a garden tour with a glass… Continue reading »

Maybe it is time to rethink my position on salads. I have been to Wild Sage once before, and was blown away by their dinner menu. We ordered steak and seafood and shared it all. The food was delicious, as is to be expected from Wild Sage. But this second time was for lunch, and… Continue reading »

I was having a typical conversation with a friend about some typical girl stuff last week when she asked if I knew of any good gluten free restaurants for her co-worker that has been recently diagnosed with celiac. “You know, other than Europa.” Europa? Seriously? The last time I had been there the server was… Continue reading »