Gluten Free Toronto

[bacchus_is_watching]

I know there is a message board from this last year but as everyone on here often comments - things change so quickly!
I thought I would start a new board. I am living downtown for the first time and am Gluten Free (That means nothing with wheat flour in it, amongst other things.)

Here are the spots I know of that serve GF foods:
Villa (very yummy and excellent service)
Pizza Pizza
Big Momma's Boy (Going this week)
Il Fiorno
...and typically I just eat a lot of Thai being it's the safest bet!

I would love for you CHer's who know the city so well to share any other places that you know of. Even if they are not strictly GF - if you know of a place that has knowledgeable staff that would know their product enough or be willing to accommodate for someone with this challenge.

It feels to me that the only option when eating out is to go to an expensive place where I can speak to the chef directly, and that is not always in the budget!

I can't be the only GF person out here! Please share your awesome eateries!
Thanks!

[ylsf]

There is a "Gluten Free Garage" happening on November 11th at Wychwood. Saw an article about it in the Toronto Star:

http://www.thestar.com/living/article/1279165--gluten-free-garage-on-nov-11-aims-to-take-trend-to-gourmet-level

Event website -

http://glutenfreegarage.ca/event-deta...

$10 admission. If there wasn't an admission fee I would probably go to just check it out but not sure if I will bother since I don't think I have an glutten intolerance/allergy but I am just curious of the types of products.

[TheMiltch]

There's a restaurant in Uxbridge called Frankie's, and it's 100% gluten and wheat free. They also own a gluten free bakery in town. I don't know how to set up a link, so I'm just pasting the website http://www.frankiesristorante.ca/inde...

[smartygirl]

i have a question about gluten-free baking if this is the place for it... i use jeanne's gluten-free flour mix, except i haven't found mochiko aka "sweet rice flour" in toronto. i found something called "fancy rice flour" at tutti frutti on kensington, which seems to work. is it the same thing? or does anyone know where to get mochiko in toronto?

[Chester Eleganté]

Dunno what the fancy rice flour is, but mochiko/sweet rice flour is the same as glutinous rice flour found in many Asian markets (Chinese for sure, prolly Korean/Thai/Viet too).

[megjp]

I may regret mentioning this because I'm there shamefully often and they sometimes run out of the GF pizza crust, but Buddha Pie at Runnymede and Annette has GF available. There is no surcharge for the regular size. The two owners are delightful, too, but there is no delivery.

The crust they use is Aidan's brand, which is available at various places around town and I keep meaning to pick something up at one of the stores near me: http://aidansglutenfree.com/ .

Cardinal Rule, a diner near the bottom of Roncesvalles, has GF options available -- and as far as I recall, so does the Easy around the corner on Queen. People have mentioned Kensington Cornerstone already, along these lines.

[Herne]

Is there a store/supermarket that is noted for it's offering of all kinds of gluten free products?

[bringonthelbs]

There's a great all GF store on Avenue at the 401, across from Bruno's. They bring up a lot of items from the states and offer prepared foods, etc. Great to grab some hard to find things but others, like GF soya sauce, are often cheaper at the supermarket than at the specialty store. GReat owners though and very helpful service.

http://www.goodbyegluten.com

[cocteau]

Been to that store, have some great prepared foods, crackers and stuff you can get other places are pretty expensive but 2 good things, 1) its all in 1 place 2) stuff they make is fantastic.

Also sticking with original post, when they are in the mood Mommas Pizza makes a good GF pizza and if you are in the west end Buddha Pie is great little Mom and Pop place.

[bringonthelbs]

A new one to add is Trimurti on Queen. Having just been diagnosed with celiac I've been making the rough transition and was afraid one of my favourite foods - Indian - would be off the table. Instead, we now joke about moving in upstairs we go so often.

Most servers are extremely well versed in celiac and do not hesitate to bring the cook out to speak with you. They've explained to me that pretty much all of the curries and mains do not use any wheat at all so about 90% of the menu is gluten free to begin with. They have also done an incredible job of accommodating me. When I mentioned that it was too bad the pakoras (chickpea flour) were cooked in the same fryer as the samosas (wheat flour) they fired up some oil on the stove and made me gluten free chicken pakoras so I wouldn't feel left out. To me that is above and beyond! The food is also delicious, and knowing that they are being so careful and accommodating makes it taste even better. Highly recommended.

www.trimurti.ca

[bringonthelbs]

Link

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Trimurti
265 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5V1Z4, CA

[food face]

Went to Yoshi's today. I picked up a loaf of bread and 2 squares and one cookie. The total was $23. Not complaining about the price OR the product. What was weird was when I went to pay I noticed behind me that there were TONS of loafs fresh out of the oven. I asked the cashier when my bread was baked. He replied yesterday. I then asked when those loaves where baked referring to the ones behind me on racks.
He said "they just came out."
I then asked if I could exchange a the one he wanted to sell me with one that was more fresh.
He flat out refused.
He told me that "those are for a special order. They're accounted for."
I then told him...your telling me that I just spent $23 on these baked goods and your'e not willing to give me a fresh loaf of bread?"
"No, sorry".

Bullshit.

[piccola]

They should at least give you a discount for a day-old. It's common practice in bakeries.

[Googs]

food face, I'm not sure how convenient the location is for you, but you won't get such shoddy treatment from Montmartre Bakery on Midwest Rd in the Midland and Lawrence area. You do have to order gluten free at least one day in advance and they're only available Thursday's (open 8:30am-6:30pm), but I can guarantee you it'll be fresh and delicious. They have rice bread, raisin rice bread, flax rice bread, rice buns, rice pizza shells, and chocolate chip cookies. I think, but don't quote me on this, that your total would be cut by about half to boot.
http://www.thestar.com/living/Food/ar...

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Montmartre Bakery
105 Midwest Rd, Scarborough, ON M1P 3A6, CA

[Zengarden]

Went to Grindhouse Burgers the other night and noticed that you can have your burger with a gluten free bun for an extra $1.

[peppermint pate]

I was at Rooster Espresso this afternoon and ate a delicious orange and olive oil muffin with sea salt - apparently vegan and gluten free (made with almond flour). Moist, flavourful, scrumptious.

[myriam5555]

Enoteca Sociale has gluten-free or kamut options for their pastas.

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Enoteca Sociale
1288 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6J, CA

[helenhelen]

there are a few places with options in kensington market:

-kensington cornerstone (all gluten free)
-hibiscus (soups & buckwheat crepes & salads)
-the coffee place at the corner of kensington and baldwin has a gluten free menu (expensive though.. i had a small egg salad sandwich with roasted veggies on gluten free bread the other day for $10!!!!! geez)
-i think i remember burger bar having gluten free bread on offer, but i might be wrong
-urban herbivore has grain bowls and hot items (change daily, but is usually veg curry or moroccan stew) served on your choice of grains or rice
-this fish & chips shop on augusta has gluten-free gravy for their poutine

fressen has gluten free options, i think. live raw food resto on dupont as well. fresh as well (there are several locations). lots of veg places are often sensitive to gluten free diets so try those.

poutini's has a gluten-free gravy

pizzeria libretto has spelt crust pizzas (so, not gluten free but wheat free)

hothouse cafe at front and church has some options, according to my friend

cantonese places have lots of options, with rice, rice noodles, and they usually use cornstarch for thickening rather than flour.. oh wait, but there is usually soy sauce. maybe try asking them to use salt instead of soy sauce? not sure about cross contamination though. vietnamese places are good - lots of rice and rice noodles, and fish sauce instead of soy sauce (just ask to make sure though). indian places? i don't think they tend to use wheat to thicken sauces (or am i wrong)? just order food served with rice instead of bread. again, not sure about cross contamination.

also: http://www.blogto.com/toronto/the_bes...

[toveggiegirl]

Chipotle has lots of GF items.
http://www.chipotle.com/en-US/menu/special_diet_information/special_diet_information.aspx

Starving Artist has GF waffles (which means you can have most of the menu
)http://www.starvingartistbar.com/?page_id=9

Pizza Nova has a GF crust.
http://www.pizzanova.com/nutrition/glutenfree.html

There's a relatively new bakery in Oakville called Voila that is entirely GF. They also have some preparedf oods.
http://www.voilaglutenfreebakeree.com/

[ylsf]

Hey, have you been or know of people that have been to that bakery in Oakville? I walked by one time to see what they had and it looked good but I didn't stop to get anything.

There is also a catering/takeout/restaurant place in Oakville on Speers Rd. just east of 3rd line on the south side (I think called Antipastos) that does gluten free italian food.

Personally I eat pretty much everything but I would like to try out a gluten free diet for a little while (or gluten reduced) just to see what effects it would have.

[andjules]

I've had some cookies & bread from Voila in Oakville. Fantastic.

[ylsf]

Kensington Cornerhouse mentioned in this thread is featured on Webpiggy today. $15 for $30 worth of food. Might try it out.

[danielflewis]

I've used a great gluten-free meal delivery service (all gf) called Green Zebra Kitchen (www.greenzebrakitchen.com) and the menu changes weekly. I'm also a big fan of The Beet in The Junction.

[Manybears]

The Grindhouse on King (mostly burgers) has lots of GF options, including GF gravy and buns that they make in-house.

[toveggiegirl]

There is a newish gluten-free café, Around the Corner, at Islington and Lakeshore.
http://www.torontolife.com/daily/dail...

[Marimba]

Kensington Cornerstone is supposedly gluten-free...Marimba!

http://www.kensingtoncornerstone.com/

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Kensington Cornerstone
2A Kensington Ave, Toronto, ON , CA

[GFgirlie]

I just found out about Kensington Cornerstone last week, and I've been twice since then- once for dinner and once for brunch. Both times, the food was fantastic! The entire restaurant is completely gluten-free, so a great place for celiac's as there is no need to worry about cross-contamination. The menu has some great options that GF people can't find often in restaurants (fried calamari, mac and cheese, sandwiches, even poutine on some nights!).

I also ate some of the best pancakes I've ever eaten, and my non-gluten free friend agreed that you would never know they were GF. They also serve 2 gluten free beers- New Grist and La Messagere. The best part though was the butter tarts- so flaky and light, you would never know those were gluten free either! Their pastry chef is celiac, so all the dessert items are excellent. This place is a great spot, and I highly encourage all GF eaters to check it out.

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Kensington Cornerstone
2A Kensington Ave, Toronto, ON , CA

[CoffeeAddict416]

I wanted to give a big shout out to Yoshi's Sweets in the beaches
Absolutely incredible tasting bean flour based bread. It is hands down the best bread I have ever tasted. Better than o'doughs which was the last leader of the pack. It's $8 for a full loaf which is very reasonable. The kicker is though that you can eat the bread UNTOASTED. It tastes excellent and the bread has a very loaf-like bread texture.

They also do granola and other apple pie. They also sell dry mixes for bread that you can do at home. I've bought a bag but haven't tried making it yet but the process is similar to Bob's or any other make-at-home bread.

If you can't get down to the beaches I've seen the bread at Big Carrot as well.

[ThanksgivingGetsMeHot]

I'm seconding Yoshi's Queen St. Bread as the absolute best gluten free bread I've had since having to go GF five years ago. I was an O'Dough's girl (still the best buns I think) until I found this brand at Big Carrot last week. It doesn't need to be toasted and even the "normies" (said with affection) don't notice.

I don't normally post but I've had a number of things I like disappear for lack of support, so I'm doing what I can. There's even a facebook group. I don't even remotely work or know anyone who works for the company, I'm just so excited to have a sandwich texture that doesn't make me cry. I also just worked in a region of the world where I had to substitute rice cakes for bread and started dreaming about baked goods so this is an extra special find.

Also for the dessert people - I just discovered Wild Earth Bakery in the beaches which has an incredible GF dessert selection. They have as many GF desserts as wheat desserts and keep them in a separate case. Finally I don't have to have watch a friend dive into a double fudge brownie while I munch on the only GF item...if there is a GF item at all.

[toveggiegirl]

Magic Oven has closed.
Wild Earth Bakery and Cafe (on Queen St E., in the Beach) has GF breads, muffins, desserts, cookies, scones... http://www.wildearthbakery.ca/Default.aspx?newsItemID=690

Hibiscus (in Kensington Market), Karine and Camros Organic Eatery are either totally or mostly gluten-free (and vegan) and have tasty, affordable food.
www.camroseatery.com
http://karines.wordpress.com/

Relish Bar & Grill (Danforth & Woodbine) has a Celiac Menu.
http://www.relishbarandgrill.com/celiac_menu.htm

Riz Pan Asian Restaurant has a GF menu section as does Lemongrass (multiple locations). They're owned by the same person.
http://rizrestaurant.netfirms.com/glutenfree.html
http://www.lemongrass.ca/

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Relish
2152 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4C1K3, CA

Camros
25 Hayden St, Toronto, ON M4Y, CA

Lemon Grass Restaurant
3300 Bloor St W, Etobicoke, ON M8X2W8, CA

Hibiscus Organics
238 Augusta Ave, Toronto, ON M5T2L7, CA

Riz Restaurant On Bayview
1677 Bayview Ave, Toronto, ON M4G3C1, CA

[toveggiegirl]

I just wanted to correct my above post. I believe only the Broadview location of The Magic Oven is closed. The rest remain open.

[toveggiegirl]

Lollicakes will do gluten free cupcakes by special order.
http://www.lollicakes.ca/

[cocteau]

Just to add to what is probably already known. The best GF baguettes around I buy from a guy called Ali who used to own Fish Shak but went under. Good news is he does a few markets like Dufferin Grove and Wychwood. He does not bake them but a vietnamese woman does but sells them for dirt cheap and they are awesome. There is a long history with these baguettes, they have appeared at Power Foods (gone under), Carrot (harrassed the woman out of there) and Fish Shak. Apparently the woman runs a bakery somewhere in Toronto.

[CoffeeAddict416]

oh man i've been dying for these baguettes!!!
thanks for the update!
Do you have contact info for him? i find it difficult to get to either the dufferin grove or wychwood markets on the days they're open.

My only gluten free update is that Pimenton restaurant has a gluten free assortment of desserts and snacks over at the Saturday farmer's market in the brickworks.
I think the owner mentioned that they don't have some of the things they make at the restaurant but you can always call and see what they have
http://www.pimenton.ca/menus.html

The other plus is that most of the cuisine is gluten free by it's nature (corn flour)

[ghoti]

I wonder if this could be Peachy Yutangco (although she is from the Philippines, not Vietnam) of the Organic Oven - a gluten-free bakery. They did wholesale out of Brampton but has recently opened a bakery/cafe at 3189 Yonge St. (just north of Lawrence).

http://www.organicoven.com/
http://www.organicoven.com/products.html

[bacchus_is_watching]

Just got a brochure in my mailbox today from Regal Garden Chinese Restaurant (815 Bloor W) I was about to toss it out when a noticed a "Gluten Free Optional" sign on the front. I called the resto to quiz them and asked what items were gluten free. They said a lot of the menu item could be made gluten free. I asked how they did this and the guy on the phone informed me that if you specify gluten free they will make your dish with a gluten free tamari instead of soy sauce! There is also more fine print in the brochure about talking with the chef about food allergies and them accomodating them. I havn't had chinese food in 2 years and don't have anywhere to be this weekend so I may be brave enough to try it tomorrow night, (After more talking to the staff of course) I'll let you know how it goes.

[CoffeeAddict416]

amazing!
i've been dying for a gluten free chinese joint!
Please report back!

[bacchus_is_watching]

I had gluten free Chicken Chow Mein. We had it delivered and it was hot and yummy when it arrived. I know this isn't a very challenging dish (to make with or without gluten) but I thought I would start simple. My fiance had lemon chicken and general tao chicken - He said they were both good but nothing mind blowing. If I remember correctly the whole meal cost $28 - not bad for 3 dishes.

[CoffeeAddict416]

sounds pretty westernized but if that's the only place in town where my GF can get gluten free wok-hay then i guess that's where we'll have to go!

[bacchus_is_watching]

I checked the takeout menu I have and they didn't even have it. Sorry I should have mentioned from the begining that this is not 'real' chinese food. But if you've got a craving for chow mein it will do...
If nothing else it's new place to go. That's one of the things that drives me crazy - there are very little low budget places to eat around the city that are easy to get to for me so I eat at the same places over and over...

[CoffeeAddict416]

I've been to this place many many times since i last posted and i just wanted to say that these guys, while not the best chinese outfit, are still putting out gluten free chinese and deserve our support.

Gluten free chinese is very difficult to find because of cross-contamination issues so this is a definite gem in the city.

They will do authentic chinese dishes if you ask for it even if it's off menu (if they have the ingredients)

[CoffeeAddict416]

new gluten free chowfind for me anyway
LPK's culinary groove has some really fantatic gluten free treats!!!

oh and shoppers drug mart has a whole wack of gluten free products on sale right now because it's near expiry. Check the sherbourne/bloor location. Tons of product there including corn bread, vanilla muffins, carrot cake, and chocolate cake!

Dont' forget the dry goods aisle either. They have pasta and cereal on sale too.

[bacchus_is_watching]

As always thanks for the info! Where is LPK's?

[CoffeeAddict416]

here ya go!

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Lpk's Culinary Groove
718 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M, CA

[amsuka]

Had a double fudge chocolate cake from LPK ($30.00) and it was terrific! Even good the next day...

[bacchus_is_watching]

I realized that I never put one of my favorite "go to " places on here. It's the Thai Green Mango. It's nothing fabulous and not crazy authentic but you get a lot of fresh, yummy food for the price. We go there and get take out every few weeks and have never been disapointed (and I have never been sick). We usually order green curry, cashew chicken and spicy been noodles.
http://www.thaigreenmango.ca/menu.html

I have also had mixed success at the pizza pizza at dovercourt and bloor - sometimes it's ok and sometimes it's not. Definatly do not order at the counter. I had one horrible experiance when I was asking for a gluten free crust and the woman behind the counter kept telling me that she is sorry and they are out of peanuts to go on my pizza (the pizza never had peanuts what she should have said was spinach) This is a celiac's nightmare and I havn't eaten there since.

I've also eaten at Laibella (sp?) an Ethiapian place on Bloor and Ossington once and had no problems there as long as you stay away from the injera. The manager there was excellent and was able to instantly tell me about the ingredients.

I can not remember the name of the butcher I am currently visiting. (Walk west on bloor from ossington on the north side of the street and you will find it only a few steps away.) It is small but they are wonderful. I told the butcher once about my intollerance when I asked about sausages. Not only are their sausages gluten free (and yummy) he always remembers me and warns me before buying any product that may contain gluten (I came in about genoa once and he stopped the other guy from serving me so we could inspect the label) I think he mentioned that he has a family member who can't eat wheat so he is very aware of hidden ingredients.

That's all I cna think of for now. Please continue to share everyone!

[CoffeeAddict416]

Spice Thai Café on queen's quay pumps out standard Thai fare but if you encourage them and ask for authentic Thai food they will modify their dishes to be closer to the real deal. The GF didn't get sick from any of the food we've had from there yet but we have mentioned that she is gluten sensitive.

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Spice Thai Cafe
250 Queens Quay W, Toronto, ON M5J1B5, CA

[crazyfoodie]

Have you tried Hemp flour? Check out this place. It's high in omega 3s!

It's just north of Barrie but they have their products at Longo's, Fortino's and Loblaw

http://www.hempola.com/

[bacchus_is_watching]

I havn't tried this yet - have you? What is the flavour of the flour?

[bacchus_is_watching]

I guess I should add the 2 new places I've been enjoying without any symptoms. I have eaten numerous times at the Thai Green Mango (Bloor and Havelock) and have never been ill. Recently I've been eating at Nazareth on bloor and dovercourt and have been fine as well. Just avoid the Injera and let Nazaret know that you can't eat wheat and she will take wonderful care of you. She usually gives me lettuce to eat with (instead of injera) but last time had corn flour tortillas.
Thanks for sharing everyone! It's hard to eat around the city when your are avoiding gluten so the advice is appreciated!

[peppermint pate]

Hi bacchus - my sister has been gluten intolerant for years and honestly, I find that it doesn't really limit her dining out options that much. I agree that you need to find a restaurant where the wait staff don't respond to your request with "pretty sure it doesn't have flour/gluten in it" (without offering to confirm with the chef) or "it only has a little". I sometimes find you get a better response to throw the word "celiac" in as it seems more like a full-fledged problem that needs to be taken seriously, as opposed to a dietary whim (which I know it's not but some people think it's not that big a deal).

All of that said, the only places she really avoids are Chinese restaurants if she thinks there may be a language issue (a lot of soys, hoisins and oyster sauces have wheat so there is often much to avoid and you need to have someone who really "gets it" to be sure) and Italian restaurants whose menus don't go much beyond pizzas and pastas. She has brought wf tamari to sushi restaurants and finds tons to eat at a whole range of restaurants with barely any modifications/deletions to the menu (Tabule, Amaya, Boulevard Cafe, Harbord Room, Batifole, Torito, Vanipha and Scaramouche Pasta Bar are just a few of the many she goes to regularly without issue - quite a range, as you can see).

A recent discovery of hers is the gluten free pizza crust at Bar Mercurio on Bloor which she really likes (better than Il Fornello, much much better than Magic Oven) - I tried it a month ago and it was decent.

[CoffeeAddict416]

I found these cards invaluable dining at ethnic restaurants where there might be a language barrier. Hell, it even works for primarily english speaking restaurants where staff just don't get it.

http://www.celiactravel.com/restauran...

You can also get an app for your ipod touch/iphone that does the same thing. Just search for gluten in the app store to find it.

I had a recent experience at Zen where they didn't know about celiac disease before and they understood completely after showing them the printout in Japanese. Same for the Chinese restaurant I went to recently (but the still couldn't avoid cross-contamination).

Over at Vdara in the old Habitat space, one of the owners' mothers is wheat allergic I believe, if not celiac so they understand about it completely there. The chef and servers are also clued in.

[peppermint pate]

Wow, those are brilliant - thank you. I'll pass them along.

[bacchus_is_watching]

Thanks so much!

[auberginegal]

the cards look really useful!, thanks for posting! i've passed along to friends, hopefully this will broaden the range of restaurants i can go to with them.

[lamaranthe]

http://www.glutenfreeontario.ca/toron... will give you quite a few addresses.
There is a bakery on the West side of Yonge, right above Lawrence. Sorry: I don't remember its name.

[JamieK]

Eastwardly, at Woodbine and Danforth, Relish Bar and Grill offers a Celiac Menu -
http://www.relishbarandgrill.com/celi...

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Relish
2152 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4C1K3, CA

[CoffeeAddict416]

That's gotta be one of the most diverse western food menus i have ever seen!
Thanks much JamieK

[Googs]

I'm always impressed with how religiously the Gluten Free Ontario site is kept up-to-date. Perhaps the best repository of such info.

[CoffeeAddict416]

Hadn't seen this thread in a while so i thought I'd bump it up

Strangely Linda's was NOT able to provide any gluten free food except for the phud thai. That was really dissapointing because we had many options at Mengrai Thai.

Also had a gluten free meal that was incredibly thoughtful at Hua Sang on Baldwin. Unfortunately even they use gluten-free soya sauce (!!!) they don't have gluten free hoisin or oyster sauce which limits choice. My GF who is the celiac also got sick after due to cross contamination I believe. So even with good intentions it can be brutal out there.

I believe it was cross-contamination in this case as my GF usually feels awful right away after having gluten. This time it was very mild symptoms that came on strong after a day or so.

[merlot143]

Flaky Tart on Mt. Pleasant is making gluten-free desserts. You can order ahead to make sure you get what you want.

[jcanncuk]

My DH is Celiac and we have a lot of confidence in the smaller, chef-run restos. We have had excellent service with lots of options at: The Rosebud, Weezies, Kultura (although they goofed on a dish that contained wheat pasta!! That was easy to figure out though! I must say the food was mostly mediocre at best anyway), Tomi Kro, Dr Generosity in Bloor West Village, many Japanese restos (just bring your on GF soy sauce), Karuchie (although sadly closed), South Indian Masala Dosa....... There are more I can't think of right now......I think the best strategy is to call ahead and speak to someone before showing up, if they are reasonably confident about accomodating you, go for it, if they seem perplexed, find somewhere else!

Thai and Vietnamese restos are also a good bet - soy sauce is not used much and most noodles are rice based. Korean is a land mine as wheat is used to ferment almost everything in Korean cooking.......Japanese is a good bet if you stick to non-deep fried sushi.

For the splurge, Splendido and Treadwell (in Port Dalhousie, St Catharine's) were both able to provide excellent GF tasting menus!

[bacchus_is_watching]

Thanks so much for the info!
I wasn't aware that Korean food would not be good - thanks for the warning.
I am not big on Sushi but went to a friends favorite place (Mazz at Bloor and Dovercourt) and ate what I thought were very smart choices but because I don't like sushi it didn't turn out too well. I'm not the biggest fan of Japanese so this isn't a great loss for me.
I have never tried Vietnamese - is there a place you would recommend?
I love Thai and eat it a lot but I am afraid of overdoing it!
Does anyone know of any bakeries that sell GF food?

[shana]

south indian food - like Udupi Palace on Gerrard street (just west of Coxwell on the north side) http://www.udupipalace.ca/ uses a lot of chickpea, rice and lentil flours in their dosas, and appies so we've had good luck there with some GF friends.

Moonbeam cafe in kensington has GF desserts - cookies and squares etc.

Also this is not toronto based but www.glutenfreegirl.com is a FANTASTIC website with lots of great recipes for baked goods - and the writing is lovely - I happened upon it when researching recipes for a GF friend and I've been hooked ever since on her stories and we eat gluten - she even got a book deal out of it.

[bacchus_is_watching]

I also love reading her site!
She is an amazing writer!

[amsuka]

For Vietnamese- MiMi on the North side of Gerrard East at Boulton is fantastic, and always busy( a good sign). Be aware- some orders come with Spring rolls, which are of course a no-no.

[amsuka]

In Leslieville, try pulp kitchen and Le Cafe Vert. Oh, and when you go to both, ask them to start carrying brown rice tortillas so that us Celiacs can enjoy some of the sandwiches...

[bacchus_is_watching]

I will defiantly have to try some of these out! Thanks!

[amsuka]

To update- both are since closed.

[Zengarden]

I thought that Pulp Kitchen reopened further east on Queen Street.

-----
Pulp Kitchen
1129 Queen Street East, Toronto, ON M4M1J3, CA

[jlunar]

That one closed too. A market-type shop is opening up in its space. I think.

[mspapaya]

i'm curious that so many gf eaters mention eating Thai food - I checked with our local eatery, Real Thailand, and they told me they use oyster sauce in a lot of food (which has soy sauce) and even their COCONUT MILK has soy sauce in it as they get it pre-made in a can. Certainly a lot of the chain Thai restos would be doing the same. Anyone know of any that are truly gluten free? I know only of the one north of Bloor off Yonge St, near the library (forget its name) but the food is very bland.

[helenhelen]

soy sauce in canned coconut milk? that sounds pretty unusual. check the back of any coconut milk can and you certainly will not find any soy sauce in it.

also, oyster sauce use is unusual for thai cuisine. oyster sauce has a very strong and distinct taste, and is common with chinese cuisine. what thai dish are you talking about that uses it? i cannot think of a single one that might off the top of my head. usually, it's fish sauce that is used in everything and therefore, most thai cuisine should be fine.

i'm surprised real thailand uses this stuff you mentioned (if you mean the one on bloor) because that place is actually run by thais. i can see a chinese-run thai restaurant using soy sauce perhaps, but real thai cuisine uses fish sauce.

[KhaoSanRoad]

oyster sauce is quite common in thai cuisine. tho the thai brands do taste distinctly different than the chinese ones, it is essentially the same thing.

as for coconut milk, i have yet to see one with soy added, tho lately you will find that they are no longer 100% coconut milk, rather 60% with water added, some may be adding thickeners.

[mspapaya]

Yes, oyster sauce, not just fish sauce, is in ALOT of Thai food. And they often add soy sauce for extra flavour. About the coconut milk, I know it sounds strange to have soy sauce in it, I thought that too, but that's what they told me at Real Thailand on Bloor & Spadina, as they use a prepared sauce. My feeling is, if they do (and they're authentic Thai) then certainly places like Spring Rolls, etc are likely to. FYI, their cold salad rolls too also have soy sauce, as the mushrooms are marinated in it. Having said that, those who have been happily eating Thai with no reaction should be fine. Sometimes people who are gf can tolerate small amounts of wheat/gluten, so it really depends on how sensitive one is. I've also had very good experiences with Pho - I go to the Pho place on Ossington, just south of Dundas, and get their Tofu with rice noodles & rice broth (comes with vegan or meat broth) and have never had a reaction.

[CoffeeAddict416]

I have to think that the restaurant is thinking that the coconut milk as Soy MILK or soy PROTEIN in it? Also, pretty much every Thai restaurant we've been to (except Linda) has been able to modify their recipe in order to accomodate my celiac wife.

As far as vietnamese goes, the pho and spring rolls are usually the only two safe things on the menu. Everywhere else there is soy sauce or some kind of wheat-containing product added so it's a bit of a minefield.

[chyxx]

Magic Oven has some GF options.

[bacchus_is_watching]

I've never tried the Magic Oven. Is it any good?

[chyxx]

Well, the last time I ordered from there I got a medium pizza and it cost me over $30. I was too shocked by the sticker price to really enjoy my slices!

[bacchus_is_watching]

I saw the prices on their website which is why I wanted to know quality before I ordered! Now that Pizza Pizza has GF food I can always go there to fill a cheap pizza craving!

[Googs]

If you're willing to spend Magic Oven money, you're far better off going to Big Momma's Boy. A much superior pizza in every way possible. That is, if you consider what Magic Oven makes pizza at all. I don't.

[bacchus_is_watching]

I have since been to big mamas boy and did not have a great experiance. The food was wonderful but my friends order was messed up. Tthey put meat on a vegetarian pizza and at first tried to tell her it wasn't meat it was browned cheese. It wasn't until we all tasted it and insisted that it was meat that she checked with the kitchen and admit the mistake. She had to wait 20 minutes after we ate to get her meal and we were charged full price. Not impressed.

[Googs]

Sorry about your experience. I usually make a point of saying Big Momma's Boy has great pizza, but lousy service not aided in the least by clumsy management intervention. The taste is worth the wait, but you really have to be prepared for that. I apologize for neglecting to say that in the original post. It's too bad really. If they could behave more professionally, they could probably do much better financially.

[bacchus_is_watching]

Hi Googs,
Despite all that I would go back - the food was good. It's just not a place I would take guests. If the service picked up it would be an amazing gluten free place!

[GRobin]

Il Fornello - all locations have spelt pizza dough as well as rice flour pastas
The Big Carrot - their take out counter of prepared foods as well as their Juice Bar
Bar Mercurio - has a GF pizza on the menu but I thought it was inedible

[jcanncuk]

Please note that spelt is a form of wheat and is NOT gluten-free!!!!!

[JamieK]

although, aside from spelt, Il Fornello does offer gluten-free pasta and pizza dough.
http://www.ilfornello.com/

[torontofoodiegirl]

I recently tried the gluten-free pizza at Il Fornello (which apparently is a new - and better - recipe than they used to offer). I was really pleasantly surprised. It tasted great, the texture was good, and I didn't feel deprived not having wheat. It wasn't my absolute favourite pizza crust ever (Terroni's crust is my fave), but I certainly had no complaints.