Author: tammyclangdon

I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in October of 2016. My quest for tasty gluten free food has been a challenge and I want to share my finds with others who suffer from this disease.

My top 5 Gluten Free Cincinnati Restaurants

Favorites in Cincinnati

1st Place is definitely S.W. Clyborne’s in Mason, Ohio. A separate gluten free kitchen and nearly everything on the menu is able to be prepared gluten free. Owned by Looking Glass Hospitality, this is just one of their gluten friendly restaurants. A staple of my meal there is to start with the GF Calamari and the GF Meatballs, served with GF bread. And for dessert – GF mini cinnamon donuts with chocolate and caramel sauce. I LOVE THIS PLACE!!! https://www.clybornes.com/menu

2nd Place goes to Brown Dog Cafe in Blue Ash. They have gluten free CRABCAKES!! The crabcakes are so good and they have a number of other GF upon request items https://thebrowndogcafe.com/

3rd Place is Fretboard. Owned by Looking Glass Hospitality, Fretboard is in Hamilton, but beware of the Sunday rule of beer only. The spicy pimento dip and loaded hash brown squares are the bomb for starters!! The gluten free fish and chips sports a fish as big as your face! Seriously, filling and delicious! The rooftop bar is a great place to grab a drink with friends and is in the Hamilton DORA, making it easy to eat there and take your drink with you to the next adventure. https://www.fbpublichouse.com/kitchen-1

4th place goes to Tahona, also owned by Looking Glass Hospitality. I swear I’m not affiliated with them, I’m just a celiac who knows a good thing when I see it! The GF tacos are made in a separate space to avoid cross contamination. The flavors are so good, you’ll have to return multiple times to try them all! My personal favorites are the fried fish taco and the shrimp taco. The shrimp ceviche is so good and the pineapple guacamole will satisfy your craving for well prepared, gluten friendly Mexican cuisine. Try the margarita flight – for $14, it is a bargain! It is a casual, relaxed atmosphere with outdoor seating. Kid friendly and always a stop in our way to watch FC Cincinnati play soccer. https://www.tahonakitchen.com/menu

5th place is another Looking Glass Hospitality Restaurant. Not sure what I would do without these restaurants in my life!! The Emery is located in historic Mariemont near the really cool town square. It is a more formal, dressy atmosphere, so we generally go there for date nights. Everything I’ve tried is so good, and the Pasta Limone is my absolute favorite. You can’t go wrong with their crabcakes or crab crusted Lake Erie Walleye. https://www.emerymariemont.com/menu

Restaurants

I am so happy that more and more restaurants are starting to recognize the need for gluten free alternatives. Many have gluten free menus, gluten free upon request or specific items that are marked gluten free. In order to help you find options, I’ll list gluten free friendly restaurants I’ve visited. Please feel free to make recommendations in the comments section.

Feel Good Foods – Chicken Potstickers!! Winner, winner, chicken dinner!!

So delicious and very easy to make!! I’m loving these and will definitely purchase again! Again, advertised as 2 servings, but since it is just me on nights when Chip is at class, I’m eating as an entree, not an appetizer. These are low in saturated fat. I did not use the sauce packet that was included, but opted for my LaChoy Sweet and Sour (fond memories of my younger days) – these are delicious and I would highly recommend to my gluten free friends!!

Frozen Ziti and Meatballs

Ok – I really like Udi’s and they gave this a great try, but this pasta is just “meh” – I added some of my sauce and parmesan cheese and it tasted better. I’ll hand it to them that frozen pasta is tough. I do love the convenience of cooking in one skillet. The serving size indicates it is 2 servings, but half of the bag would have been more like an appetizer. It isn’t going to rock your world, but if you are hungry for pasta, it will do the trick. Udi’s also makes a frozen lasagna that is delicious and I prefer to the Ziti

Battered Halibut – Too Good to Be True – Thank You Trader Joe’s – $8.99

For all you fish lovers out there – this is a delicious gluten free breaded fish from Trader Joe’s – I baked it for a total of 16 minutes at 475 degrees on a metal baking sheet that I sprayed with Pam, turning it over after the first 7 minutes. I like my fish crispy, and I have an ancient oven, so just monitor it and adjust as needed.

Spotted at my local Trader Joe’s – $8.99

Pizza !!

Best carry out – Dorothy Lane Market (using crust from Wheat Penny) – for those of you not in Dayton, try Domino’s gluten free crust. It is actually great!!

Best dine-in – Wheat Penny

Best frozen – Freschetta Gluten Free Pizza – so good, even my husband eats it!!