by Cindy Tabacchi

Created on: June 01, 2009

Eating out while following a gluten free diet can be challenging. Items that you wouldn't expect to contain gluten are sometimes made with wheat. Some restaurants coat their cut potatoes in flour before frying to get a crispier exterior. Seasoning blends sometimes use flour as a carrier, and sauces are extremely risky. Evaluating menu items can feel like navigating a mine field. Asking how things are prepared can be helpful in determining what is safe to eat, but the gluten free menu options can be limited.

Within two months of moving to Bellingham, Washington, I have found three places that I can get delicious gluten free foods. Well, technically I didn't find them on my own. A coworker of my husband who follows a wheat free diet passed along her knowledge of where it's safe to eat. It is so nice to be able to eat at restaurants without having to make any special requests or inquiries about how things are prepared. These gluten free offerings are available as part of these restaurants' regular menus.

For freshly baked gluten free bread that I can take home, I go to Avenue Bread in the Sunnyland area of Bellingham. They also serve a variety of sandwiches that they will make on gluten free bread or gluten free English Muffins when requested. They have plenty of seating, so going there for a weekday lunch date with my husband is a special treat.

For the best gluten free pizza I have ever eaten, I go to Boston's The Gourmet Pizza Restaurant and Sports Bar. I can have dinner with my family and enjoy delicious freshly made gluten free pizza with my choice of toppings. Boston's has a full menu featuring a variety of items, not just pizza, so everyone can find something they like. There are some fairly good frozen pizzas on the market that can be baked at home, but they don't compare to the gluten free pizza at Boston's.

Bellingham's Community Food Coop is a wonderful cooperative grocer carrying a variety of natural and organic foods. Their in-store bakery/deli has numerous gluten free items, and they are all clearly marked as being gluten free. They have some unbelievable gluten free desserts, as well as salads, rolls, enchiladas, frittata and soups. There is a dining area within the store making this a great place either to stop in for a delicious gluten free lunch, or to pick up items to take home for dinner.

Bellingham is a great place to dine gluten free.

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