Gluten Free Pittsburgh
Hi Everyone
I’m in Pittsburgh now. All that time of counting down has finally ended, and now I’m here, and I’m happy and relieved. But, more on that later. What I want to talk about it gluten free resources in Pittsburgh.
I just started my job at Gluuteny. It’s a great little bakery in Squirrel Hill. Everything is baked fresh every morning, and I can tell you that from personal experience, it has some of the best tasting gluten free goods. The lemon loaf is my personal favorite. I highly recommend this bakery, and I’m so excited to be working there. I love baking, and I love being a part of a gluten free environment. Not only do we have fresh baked goods, we also sell cookies, cake, and bread mixes. They are the same ones I use to make everything in the kitchen. I made a lot of cookies yesterday, and even just the batter smelled amazing. I need to drop in on my day off and try them out myself! Check them out if you’re in the area.
I’ve been looking around at the Giant Eagle website to see what they have for gluten free foods. If you are familiar with Pittsburgh, you probably do most of your grocery shopping at this store. They’re all over the place, and seem to have the widest variety. I’m really depending on them to have what I need!
I found this resource on their webpage, and WOW it’s thorough. There’s a table of contents on the first page, and it covers EVERYTHING. Asian food, baby food, energy drinks, frozen meals, kosher, organic, rice, soup…!! It’s 163 pages, so I wouldn’t suggest browsing, but it’s in PDF form and will allow you to search for words. So, I was looking for Glutino products, and could easily search for them. This is a great resource for the gluten free grocery shopper.
http://www.gianteagle.com/media/media/pdf/GiantEagle_GlutenFreeProducts.pdf
I of course have to mention the East End Co-op. I don’t know much about the people, or their personal goals, but I do know that it’s in a good location, and carries a good deal of gluten free products. They have a gluten free guide on their site that lists their products by aisle, but I found it to be easier to just ask someone who works there if you’re looking for something in particular. I picked up a bag of Katz gluten free challah bread the other day, a brand that I haven’t seen on the shelves before.
Lastly, Eat ‘n Park. I can’t tell you enough how much I love eating here. It’s a family restaurant, so very relaxed, and there’s something for everyone. EVEN WHEN YOU’RE ON A GLUTEN FREE DIET. You can replace anything with a gluten free bun. Sandwiches, burger buns, toast. And it’s great. Good taste, consistency, and yes, even stability. It’s best fresh, of course. If you have left overs, don’t be surprised if the bun crumbles a bit, but fresh is really great. In the menu they provide an easy to read section that lists their gluten free selection, some with what needs to be changed (w/ gluten free bun, w/o seasoning, w/o crackers, etc). Also, their fries are fried in the same frier as everything else, so they are not 100% gluten free, although a batter is not directly added to the fries, so it’s up to you to decide what risks you are comfortable taking. I personally don’t mind when things are fried together. But make sure your server knows that you are gluten intolerant, even if you order something with the gluten free bun. They have a lot of employees, and not all of them understand the severity of celiac’s disease, or what it entails. If you’ve been gluten free for a while, you know already that the safest thing to do it just ask. Don’t expect your server to warn you of cross-contamination.
That’s all I have for now. Happy eating!
