There aren’t too many places for GF sandwiches in Baltimore. That is okay though when you have a place like Flying Avocado to go to. I usually order the Roasted Turkey and Pesto sandwich. This comes with sliced turkey breast, pesto, roasted red peppers, goat cheese and field greens.
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Flying Avocado
29 JunGrano Emporio
27 Jun
In the wonderfully quirky neighborhood of Hampden, which is in the northwest area of Baltimore, there are two great options for GF pasta. Grano Emporio and Grano Pasta Bar are located just blocks from each other. If you are a party of two or less, I would recommend dining at the Pasta Bar which is a charming, casual option for dinner. For more than two people, head over to Grano Emporio which has a more extensive menu. This time, I started with caesar salad which is topped by GF plantains. I then had the Farfalle con Piselli e Pancetta with GF pasta.
This had peas, pancetta, caramelized onions and lots of flavor!
Woodberry Kitchen
26 Jun
Even if they didn’t have a gluten-free menu, Woodberry Kitchen would be one of my favorite restaurants in Baltimore. So the fact that they do makes it that much more amazing. The chef”s wife has celiac so you know you are good hands when you go there. While perusing the menu, I munched on the GF bread that they brought me.
We ordered the ladyfinger popcorn to start, which at $1.00 is a steal. These mini kernels are perfectly dressed with butter and salt.
I then ordered the zucchini dip which was served with GF crackers and radish.
For my main dish, I had the special steak which was nice and tender. Then came dessert. Whenever I go there, I typically get one scoop of their homemade vanilla ice cream (without the cookie). However, this time around, they had a flavor on the menu that was too good to pass up… homemade peanut cream.
Cinghiale
24 Jun
We lived in Baltimore City for three years and came to love the area. There are so many great options for GF dining there and it is just a city with a lot of personality. We had a great time visiting our old stomping grounds while taking in the Blue Angels flying over the area in celebration of “Sailabration“, an incredible event that the city put on to commemorate the Bicentennial of the War of 1812. After reminiscing and catching up with friends, we headed over to one of our favorite restaurants, Cinghiale. This spot offers GF pasta and the servers are always knowledgable about what is safe to eat. I ordered the gluten-free pasta with the Cinghiale Ragu. Even though I don’t have a picture of it, trust me when I say that it was wonderful.
The Standard Grill
24 Jun
One of my favorite salads is the chopped salad at The Standard Grill. With chickpeas, feta, peppers, onions and more, it is always a great option for a light lunch prior to walking on the High Line.
Tu-Lu’s Gluten Free Bakery
24 Jun
When I found out there was a gluten-free bakery just a 1.5 mile walk from where we were staying in New York, I knew that I had to go. Tu-Lu’s Bakery is located in the East Village and is now one of my permanent stops for anytime I return to the city. I tried one of the mini-cupcakes since it was just so darn cute.
A lot of times, frosting is kind of crusted over when I try cupcakes. However, this consistency was wonderful, tasting like it had just been prepared moments ago. I also ordered a cinnamon sugar donut for obvious reasons.
I don’t even think I ate donuts before I was diagnosed with Celiac, but if they all had tasted like this, I would have indulged much more often. The third item I ordered was my favorite… Coffee Cake.
This was unbelievably good. If only they could open a bakery in Santa Barbara so that I could eat this everyday. If you are in New York, I insist that you go to Tu-Lu’s. While you are at it, bring me back some coffee cake!
Pappardella
23 Jun
We were going to meet a friend in Central Park after a race, so we headed to a place called Pappardella since I had read that they were gluten-free friendly. They had a GF menu with tons of exciting Italian offerings. I was still pretty full from lunch, so I took it a bit easy. The first thing I ordered was the Bruschetta with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil. I then ordered the GF garlic bread served with marinara.
This was amazing. Seriously. I am still not sure that it was GF because it was that good. My last dish was the carpaccio di manzo. 
This was all right. The entire time I was eating it, I was contemplating ordering a second portion of the garlic bread. This restaurant was a great find with GF pizza, pasta, panini and more on the menu!
Risotteria
22 Jun
I have a tradition every time that I go to New York City. Once I take the train in from New Jersey, I head right to Risotteria for some gluten-free goodness. Located in the heart of the village, this is a special spot us GF folk. As you peruse the menu, you are served unbelievably wonderful GF breadsticks. This particular visit, I started with the caesar salad.
Any place that serves salad with crispy gluten-free croutons is all right by me! We then split two items. The first was the Mozzarella, Tomato and Pesto Panini.
This panini was amazing. The bread was perfectly crisp and the ingredients were simple, but flavorful. We also had the Mozzarella Pizzette with garlic.
Their crust is very thin and crispy. One of my favorite things about Risotteria is there is a little flag that perches in your GF food when it is served to you.
As a celiac, there is sometimes that moment when you get served something at a restaurant and you are not sure if it is truly GF or not. Being served your food with this flag takes away the fear that there might have been miscommunication between you, the server or the kitchen. You can stop worrying and start enjoying!
Varka
21 Jun
On our last night in New Jersey, we ate at Varka a wonderful Mediterranean restaurant located in the town of Ramsey. Our table shared a Greek Tomato Salad which had tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, onions, olives and feta. We also split the Green Salad. For my main dish, I had the Dover Sole.
This was incredibly fresh and tasted great. I made sure that they did not dust the fish with flour, which they didn’t. The fish was served with the vegetables of the day which on this day were green beans, tomatoes and onions.
We also ordered the Gigantes to share. They had a nice flavor to them and were finished quite quickly.
Sicilian Sun
21 Jun
One of my favorite things to do while home is to order in from Sicilian Sun and play cards with my grandparents. I always start with the Tossed Salad which has a light and tasty vinaigrette. They also offer gluten-free pizza. This time, I had a cheese pizza with garlic that had a nice and crisp crust.
gluten-free in sb 