When my husband and I lived in Winnipeg,MB, Canada, I used to walk to a nearby Italian deli and restaurant. The name of the deli eludes me, but the restaurant attached to it was Mona Lisa Restaurante on Corydon Ave.
Because the deli sold gluten free pastas and soups, they served gluten free pasta dishes in their restaurant.
You will go in and be seated in a restaurant with lovely decor and warm friendly service. Make reservations for evening dining - it gets busy. Ordering gluten free will take a little longer, but it is well worth it.
You can also eat in the deli, and have a capuchino, expresso or ristretto, along with a number of delicious lunches or snacks.
If Franco is serving, you may get into a passionate discussion about the European soccer league, or the bocce league that plays in the small bocce strip next to the deli.
In the summer, sit outside on the patio and enjoy watching the pedestrian traffic go by as you eat in leisure.
I am a steady customer at La Riviera Trattoria Restaurant, 421 Piaget Avenue, Clifton, NJ 07011.
I was recently diagnosed with Celiac and didn't know what to do, or where to go. So I told Maria, Chef's daughter about my disease, and she too was diagnosed with this disease.
Maria and her father Franco started putting together a GF menu for their restaurant. It is great!!!
Franco made me a stuffed artichoke, gluten free bruschetta, mozzarella and roasted peppers, gluten free pasta marinara, grouper livornese (made with gf vegetable broth), and a cold zabaglione for dessert.
It was great to finally eat some of the foods that I thought I could never eat again.
Just call and make reservations and announce that there will be a gf person dining. Enjoy!!!
I am a second generation Italian so I grew up on pasta and Italian food. Around my mid-20's I discovered that I have an allergy to gluten and decided to switch over to a gluten-free diet.
Although I miss my morning white bread toast and my pizza, the thing I miss most is my childhood favorite...pasta. Even though I made the choice to become gluten-free, I certainly do not expect my family and friends to do the same. So when they want to go out to eat, it has always been very difficult to find a place that would please them yet accommodate me at the same time.
This is especially true when they are in the mood for Italian food. It wasn't until last weekend that we finally found an amazing restaurant that could please us all.
We had heard from a mutual friend that Sapore Trattoria (Lake Zurich, IL) has a gluten-free pasta alternative that they can substitute into most dishes. Now I have tried a few gluten-free pastas to date and been quite disappointed in the end product but this was the first time I truly enjoyed a gluten-free pasta dish. The staff was very friendly and understanding of my situation and happily explained to me all of the gluten-free choices on the menu.
Furthermore, the young lady who was serving us that evening explained that the chef is willing and able to take any request that was not on the menu. I ended up ordering a dish of gluten-free pasta with shrimp. It was absolutely delectable. So if you are in the area and looking for some amazing gluten-free pasta, I would highly recommend you give this restaurant a shot!
