Wicked - Dedham, MA

Hands down my favorite GF pizza place. All class, all flavor, all-the-freaking-time. I cannot seem to get enough of this place and because it's not in Boston or Cambridge, I definitely don't get out there enough.

Last night the Husband and I went on a post-holiday date to see The Hobbit and have dinner at Wicked. I have had almost all of their pizzas and a few other options from the dinner menu. Although I am always tempted by their dinner menu, which I imagine would be equally delicious, I cannot pass up the opportunity to eat pizza that tastes like real pizza. There's just enough chew in the crust to make me question if they actually gave me the GF version.

This time around we started with two new appetizers: their spin on a clams casino and parmesan rosemary flatbread. First, the clams casino, a dish I've always wanted to try but never had a GF opportunity to, was served not in the clam shell but in cremini mushrooms. The mushrooms brought an earthy flavor and paired well with the clams, bacon, and cheese. What I loved most? It wasn't overly bacony or cheesy. All the flavors really shone - it might have been the accompaniment of lemon that took it over the top. Second, the rosemary-parmesan flatbread was tasty, though I think they need to rethink the dipping sauces that are served with it. The flatbread had hints of cheese, garlic, and rosemary. By itself, it was quite good - the texture was fabulous. I wasn't a huge fan of the olive oil or red sauce it was served with as dipping sauces, but it really didn't need them.

The main course is always the pizza and after much hemming and hawing, I chose to try out a new one - the Steak Florentino. This was a killer pizza and probably ties in the butternut squash and blue cheese one for my all time favorite. The steak was perfectly cooked (med rare) and tender. The roasting those tomatoes before they hit the pizza - genius. Other toppings included caramelized onions, a high quality parmesan, herbs, and a good drizzle of truffle oil. Seriously, who doesn't love truffle oil? I will be eating this pizza again and again. The Husband gave it high praise too. I've never seen him enjoy a GF pizza so much.

Oh, and did I mention that this place had GF beer? Yup. I chose to pop some bubbly before dinner, but I've had the Estrella Daura that they serve and it's a nice pick for pizza + beer.

Five stars, for sure. Go eat at this place now. It's located in Legacy Place in Dedham, MA. And in case you missed the first link to it, click here to get to their website. While I've not been there (yet), they also have a location in Mashpee, MA.

The Kinsale - Boston, MA

There is little else that bothers me than restaurants that go through the "effort" to mark items as "gluten free" and then don't do this thoroughly.  The Kinsale tries to give you a head's up on what's gluten free which I appreciate, but only marks about three items as such. If you look at those items you can deduce a fair number of other options that can be safe for a gluten free diner. For instance, their mixed grill is marked "GF" and it includes their steak tips (marinated, not in BBQ sauce), turkey tips, banger sausages, and colcannon potatoes. Yet, the steak tips entree, the turkey tips entree, the bangers & mash, and the side of colcannon potatoes - all of these aren't marked as "GF." Some of these might have an easily left to the side sauce (or so it seems), but it seems a shame that they wouldn't mark items with an asterisk that could be gluten free with a few alterations. Upon further discussion, you can discover a few other options that can be made safely for someone eating gluten free. 

So, aside from the digging you have to do on your own, this place gets some major props for having not one, but TWO gluten free beers. Um...one of those being Bard's (not my favorite, but not undrinkable) and the other being on tap!! I don't know if they always have a GF rotating brew, but last night I finally was able to try the much lauded but difficult to find Dogfish Head Tweason'ale!!!! Um, YUM. Finally a more complex gluten free brew - oh, did I mention that it was ON TAP?  I was pretty excited and damned happy to say the least. I will be reviewing the actual beer in a separate post on gluten free beer...more on that later.

In the end, I had an average turkey burger with fresh avocado and a spicy aioli - nothing to write about. This was paired with a side salad and I ordered a separate side of the colcannon potatoes. The potatoes were easily my favorite. Colcannon potatoes are a combination of spuds, cabbage, and speckled with carrots. I would totally go back for more of those. Next time, I think I may stick with Irish food at the Irish Pub. Another diner ordered the bangers & mash (aka colcannon taters) and was quite pleased. When I go back for another pint of Tweason'ale, I'll be having some sausage with those potatoes! 

Food - two and a half stars out of five.

Beef - five stars, period.

Kitchen On Common - Belmont, MA

A friend of mine recently had a small soiree for her birthday at Kitchen On Common located in Cushing Square, Belmont, MA. This was my second visit to Kitchen On Common and it was no less delightful than the first. This gem of a place is tiny, but delivers big time on flavor. Some bonuses: 1. Chef Jon Kokubo's seasonal menus offer local, fresh ingredients. 2. The food is prepared to order, so if you have any allergy, it seems that Chef Kokubo can handle it. 3. It's BYOB and if you forget that, there's a wine shop right next door (quite convenient!)

Onto the food...

For starters I ordered a salad of roasted ruby beets, radish, baby spinach, crispy shallots, sweet candied pecans, and a crazy-good vinaigrette. The flavors were fresh and earthy and paired well with my Albarino (bought next door). I could have eaten a bowl full of this and called it a day. That being said, my entree was so good that I was happy I did not further indulge. The half chicken is pan roasted as it is ordered, so it takes a little while. The wait is worth it for the perfectly crisped skin and the juicy chicken that follows. Nicely cooked and seasoned chicken is one of life's best delights. Wanting my meal to be both gluten free and dairy free, I kept the brussel sprouts but subbed maple roasted carrots for the potatoes that come with the chicken. I was a big fan of the roasted brussel sprouts and I did like the carrots, though I found it difficult to taste the maple.

This is a great place for an intimate dinner party and a cute place for a date. It's perfect for four ladies wanting to enjoy great food alongside great company, without the fear of having to be slighted because of an allergy.

My only complaint: the Chef's wife had made these awesome GF chocolate peanut butter cookies the last time I was there and they were sold out this time around! Kitchen On Common is definitely a great find for gluten free and dairy free diners.

Four starts out of five.

The Red Lentil - Watertown, MA

If you asked me a few years ago if I'd ever think that vegan, gluten free food could be considered a "foodie find" I'd probably have laughed in your face. After my visit(s) to The Red Lentil, I can honestly say that gluten free and vegan absolutely can be foodie finds given the proper, loving treatment. In fact, I posit that this type of cuisine can be completely addicting and deceptively dairy free.

My first trip to The Red Lentil started with one of their most popular appetizers: Gobi Manchurian. This dish starts with cauliflower dipped in chickpea flour battered, then deep fried; it is then combined with peppers, onions, and a delightfully spiced tomato sauce. This dish is on almost every table I've seen in that restaurant...and is always a part of my dining experience. If it came by the bucket-full, I would totally order the largest bucket. It would make converts out of any non-believers in good veg fare.

If I'm seeking a lighter dinner, I generally opt for the greens of the day. My last experience was a combination of collards, chickpeas, onion, tomato, and garlic. My only critique: if you're billing yourself as a vegan/vegetarian restaurant, don't use pre-diced garlic; the real deal would be way better and bring a lot more flavor. Still, it was a delicious dish and I would order it again.

On the more substantial end, there are tomato and mushroom ragout over polenta or pistachio and herb encrusted tofu with tasty corn cakes. These dishes are topped with "creams" of different flavors and though they are made with cashews, you'd swear it's the real thing.

Other notable finds: they always have a gluten free and vegan dessert. Their dessert chef is something of a wizard. The first time I ate one of his cakes I really didn't believe it was dairy free. I asked the kind waitress to check, then double check, and following two confirmations of it being dairy free, I demanded to know what trickery was used to make it so scrumptious. Since then, I just enjoy each bite and secretly hope that the chef will give me private cooking lessons one day...

This restaurant is quite unique and is definitely worth a visit. I enjoy that the gluten free and vegan entrees are clearly marked and I like that there are always daily specials to choose from. For the foodie - there are occasional tasting menu nights!

Three and a half out of five stars.

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.

Troquet - Boston, MA

It's been a while since I've reviewed and I owe quite a few, but two needed to jump the queue. You'll see the second post shortly. My birthday was Friday and this review tells the tale of a romantic birthday evening out with the hubs.

Troquet. I'd never heard of this place, but the hubs did some excellent reconnaissance on French restaurants and found it. It's located on Boylston Street in the Theater District. What a gem. When you walk in you are greeted by the pleasant hostess and if your table isn't ready, you are offered to sit at what might be the cutest bar in Boston. I'm pretty sure there were no more than nine or ten chairs around their square bar. The cocktails looked delicious and I was eyeing one with gin and St. Germaine. Alas, we were called to our table and since this place is ranked as one of the top 100 Wine Restaurants in the nation by Wine Enthusiast I decided that I'd rather dive straight in with some vino.

As soon as we sat, we were asked which of us ate gluten free. The server was quite knowledgeable in describing which appetizers and entrees were safe for me to eat (in their entirety) and which dishes could be altered to be safe.  Out of the entire menu, I believe there were only three that could not be adjusted.

One feature of the menu that isn't run-of-the-mill is that you can order your wines by the 2oz or 4oz glass. Perfect for those of us, myself included, who enjoy flights of wine.

Due to the array of gluten free options before me and due to them all sounding equally delicious, I had a difficult time deciding between appetizers and entrees. Luckily for me, the hubs was overly willing to order my second choices off the menu so that we could both enjoy a smorgasbord of options. In the end, I settled on a braised octopus dish for a starter and their signature roasted suckling pig entree. Gluten-free-by-proxy hubs ordered the duck confit with soft duck egg salad and the Painted Hills ribeye for his main. Every last bite of every last dish was amazing. The flavor combinations used were terrific and sometimes surprising. For example, one cut of my pork (there were three different cuts) was served with a snappy celery root slaw. The slaw cut through the richness of the pork and complimented the flavor. Additionally, the octopus was served with escargot, black garlic, crispy speck, and a veggie sauce - it was perfect harmony. The hubs' dishes were no less impressive - is there anything better than duck lardoons, duck meat, frisee, duck egg on a salad? Perhaps a meticulously executed bordelaise sauced ribeye steak.

Dessert course is always tricky for the gluten-free. While Troquet was willing to offer me selections of sorbet, ice cream or part of the desserts that were safe, what caught my eye was their cheese course. When you select the cheese course you're in for a treat. They have many gluten-free cheese and they are all wheeled over to you on a cart for you to choose. The cheeses were served with pear and quince gelee, sliced apple, and GF candied nuts. After the cheese course, we were served two house-made caramel cups complete with a candle to blow out. What an amazing way to end a meal....or so you think.

A lovely couple seated next to us heard it was my birthday and offered me a glass of their incredible super Tuscan.

Thanks to the hubs for another unforgettable birthday at a new favorite restaurant!

Five out of five stars.

http://troquetboston.com/