British Beer Company - Framingham, MA

British Beer Company has a very large Gluten Free menu. I've always been able to find something here that I enjoyed. It's not a GF foodie place, but there are many options. Though I've tried almost all of their salads (which I've found to be full of fresh veg and good protein), I've ordered their pizza a few times and it's been nothing to blog about...until now.

I've recently given up cheese and you might be wondering why, after I've stopped eating cheese, do I care to not only order, but write about the pizza? I mean isn't pizza all about the gooey cheesy stuff? Well, not for this gal any longer. I was swayed to try out BBC pizza again because of the buy-one-get-one pizza deal that even applied to the GF counterparts. I thought that GF Hubs might like to have some and/or enjoy it for the next day's lunch. Here are the results:
1. the shaved steak and veggie pizza is dynamite, even sans cheese. They really loaded the pizza with veggies and shaved steak. It was like eating a Philly cheesesteak with a little red sauce. I would order this pizza again and again - no cheese necessary.
2. the BBQ chicken pizza was redeeming, but the sauce was very sugary. I might order extra red onion and add avocado to the white meat chicken to make it a bit better. (I *may* have added the avocado to the left overs...)

Gluten free pizza hinges largely on how well they handle and bake the crust. While I can't speak for the Walpole, MA location's improvements, I can say that the Framingham people handle the crust adeptly. It's thin crust, but not crispy. As far as crusts go, there are many that take the cake over BBC's, but BBC sure can top a steak pizza like nobody's business!

Two and a half stars out of five.

Uncommon Grounds - Watertown, MA

I haven't eaten pancakes outside my own kitchen since...well, I can't remember that point, but I was young. Today changed that. Uncommon Grounds in Watertown, MA made me my very own gluten free blueberry pancakes with real maple syrup! These pancakes did not disappoint! One of the best parts: the blueberries are served on top, not in these fluffy cakes, which makes them all the more delicious in my opinion. Perhaps my favorite option is that you can order the pancakes either solo, double, or as a triple stack. Those of us who aren't used to eating them (ahem...me) had trouble finishing the ambitious two I ordered because they were so filling.

Uncommon Grounds has all kinds of traditional breakfast fare, like eggs and omelettes, that are naturally gluten free. Breakfast, for me, is usually a safe bet yet always lacks something because I have no toast options - well, not at this place. They serve up Udi's multigrain toast (my wonderful Hubs ordered it with his meal) alongside eggs, homefries, and any meat you might like. Having such great bread translates into being afforded delicious sandwiches in the afternoon hours. I can't wait to go back and try one.

I highly recommend Uncommon Grounds, but it has limited seating and fills up quickly. So if you have gluten-free tiny humans, you might want to be there early.

Three and a half stars out of five.