In the wild and crazy life I lead, necessity found me traveling to Portland, OR a week ago on Monday evening for a whirlwind 24 hour trip. I expected to see my lovely family, and to take care of some necessary appointments; I didn't expect to be greeted by a bounty of readily available gluten free foods. Portland has never treated me so well, and our love affair has been going on for years. Traveling as a Celiac is probably one of the biggest challenges. I live by the rule that if I can't guarantee it's safe, I choose not to eat it. Being hungry and well is better than being fed and sick.
Dad had called me first thing Monday morning warning me not to eat dinner as he had a special treat planned for us. Yes, my entire family LOVES food, and it is often premeditated before ever consumed. Dad and brother J picked me up from the airport at 7:30 on Monday night and we headed straight for the Corbett Fish House. Dad is a fisherman and a Celiac, and this place is his idea of the perfect meal. Being the daughter of a fisherman I have been spoiled my entire life, eating only what we caught. After a few years living in the Inland Northwest, I jump at any chance to consume fresh fish. I don't often eat fried food, but Corbett Fish House is a Celiac's dream if you're looking for this sort of thing. Nearly everything on the menu is gluten free and clearly labeled as such. The only exceptions are the sandwiches as they have yet to find a gluten free bun, and the croutons on the caesar salad. They use rice bran oil and a light dusting of rice flour for all their products, and dry cooking techniques to seal and steam the fish so the finished product has almost no oil: a delicious and healthy serving of fish with a crisp exterior and succulent interior. We started with an appetizer of calamari, a favorite of mine. I was having a hard time choosing between the halibut fish and chips, and prawns as both came highly recommended. The waiter kindly offered to split my order to include both. Yes, that is exactly what I wanted. It was so good. They also offer a few different gf beer options, a great accompaniment to fish and chips.
After heading to McMinnville to see family and sleep for a few short hours, we were back to Portland at 6am for an appointment. Afterwards, Mother and I were hungry and in search of breakfast. To my delight we found New Cascadia Traditional - The Gluten Free Artisans, a dedicated Gluten Free Bakery. This place was amazing... and the very first time I have ever set foot in a bakery where I could choose any item I desired, knowing that it would be completely safe and incredibly delicious. I LOVE a good bagel so I chose the multi-seed bagel. Toasted in an oven and slathered with cream cheese. It was so perfectly hot until the very last bite. When something is really good, I find myself unable to get a picture as I am in awe of it's smell and taste, and I must eat it right then.
With a satisfied belly, I picked out some treats to take home with me. I have not had bread that tasted this good since living in Italy and eating the glutenous stuff. Mother insisted that I take a treat for the plane as well, and although I'm not a person who loves sweets, I indulged her and chose a brownie. Superb choice.
Dad had called me first thing Monday morning warning me not to eat dinner as he had a special treat planned for us. Yes, my entire family LOVES food, and it is often premeditated before ever consumed. Dad and brother J picked me up from the airport at 7:30 on Monday night and we headed straight for the Corbett Fish House. Dad is a fisherman and a Celiac, and this place is his idea of the perfect meal. Being the daughter of a fisherman I have been spoiled my entire life, eating only what we caught. After a few years living in the Inland Northwest, I jump at any chance to consume fresh fish. I don't often eat fried food, but Corbett Fish House is a Celiac's dream if you're looking for this sort of thing. Nearly everything on the menu is gluten free and clearly labeled as such. The only exceptions are the sandwiches as they have yet to find a gluten free bun, and the croutons on the caesar salad. They use rice bran oil and a light dusting of rice flour for all their products, and dry cooking techniques to seal and steam the fish so the finished product has almost no oil: a delicious and healthy serving of fish with a crisp exterior and succulent interior. We started with an appetizer of calamari, a favorite of mine. I was having a hard time choosing between the halibut fish and chips, and prawns as both came highly recommended. The waiter kindly offered to split my order to include both. Yes, that is exactly what I wanted. It was so good. They also offer a few different gf beer options, a great accompaniment to fish and chips.
After heading to McMinnville to see family and sleep for a few short hours, we were back to Portland at 6am for an appointment. Afterwards, Mother and I were hungry and in search of breakfast. To my delight we found New Cascadia Traditional - The Gluten Free Artisans, a dedicated Gluten Free Bakery. This place was amazing... and the very first time I have ever set foot in a bakery where I could choose any item I desired, knowing that it would be completely safe and incredibly delicious. I LOVE a good bagel so I chose the multi-seed bagel. Toasted in an oven and slathered with cream cheese. It was so perfectly hot until the very last bite. When something is really good, I find myself unable to get a picture as I am in awe of it's smell and taste, and I must eat it right then.
With a satisfied belly, I picked out some treats to take home with me. I have not had bread that tasted this good since living in Italy and eating the glutenous stuff. Mother insisted that I take a treat for the plane as well, and although I'm not a person who loves sweets, I indulged her and chose a brownie. Superb choice.
Cheddar Parmesan Bread, Multi Seed Batard, Portland Sourdough, and a Brownie
After Breakfast we headed to Hawthorne Blvd for some shopping. Hawthorne Blvd is one of my favorite places in Portland to browse: tons of second hand shops, neat boutiques, coffee galore, and of course, Powell's Books. We spent most of our time in Powell's and after looking through the entire store, we were notified that they had a second bookstore a couple doors down dedicated entirely to food and gardening. I was in heaven.
Looking at books about food always makes me hungry. To our delight, we found the Oasis Cafe on Hawthorne. Gluten Free pizza, yes please! The dough is not made in house and they satisfied all my questions on how it was handled, using different utensils/pans to avoid cross contamination. We chose the greek pizza, set it on a bed of baby spinach and drizzled it with olive oil. So good, again, too good to get a picture. Being a Celiac, eating out means that you have to clearly ask for what you need and be willing to choose another restaurant if those needs can't be met. It's a lot of work, but the only option. I was so thankful to enjoy so many great meals in Portland this trip, and to feel well after eating. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Portland. I will return to eat again.
After Breakfast we headed to Hawthorne Blvd for some shopping. Hawthorne Blvd is one of my favorite places in Portland to browse: tons of second hand shops, neat boutiques, coffee galore, and of course, Powell's Books. We spent most of our time in Powell's and after looking through the entire store, we were notified that they had a second bookstore a couple doors down dedicated entirely to food and gardening. I was in heaven.
Looking at books about food always makes me hungry. To our delight, we found the Oasis Cafe on Hawthorne. Gluten Free pizza, yes please! The dough is not made in house and they satisfied all my questions on how it was handled, using different utensils/pans to avoid cross contamination. We chose the greek pizza, set it on a bed of baby spinach and drizzled it with olive oil. So good, again, too good to get a picture. Being a Celiac, eating out means that you have to clearly ask for what you need and be willing to choose another restaurant if those needs can't be met. It's a lot of work, but the only option. I was so thankful to enjoy so many great meals in Portland this trip, and to feel well after eating. Thank you, thank you, thank you, Portland. I will return to eat again.
Hey, have you been to Blossoming Lotus in Portland? It's amazing vegan food with lots of gf options. Lovely to read about your great life!
ReplyDeleteAntonia,
ReplyDeleteI have not been to the Blossoming Lotus. Where is this dream you speak of? I would love to check it out next visit.