Below are a few reviews of places I visited during my stay in Pennsylvania, America. Are there any places I should have visited whilst I was there? Be sure to comment and let me know because I’d love to go back!
Olive Garden.
Olive Garden was the last place I expected to be able to eat whilst in America but after looking at their menu I was relieved to see they serve gluten-free pasta! I created my own pasta dish with gluten-free rotini, primavera sauce and lots and lots of shrimp. It was so delicious and by far one of my favourite pasta dishes I have ever eaten. They happily gave me a separate salad with no croutons but sadly they don’t serve any gluten-free bread rolls, hopefully that will be on the cards in the future.
Mikes Pizzeria Italian Restaurant, Effort, Pennsylvania.
Expecting to find nothing that I could eat there, apart from a salad I was quite hesitant to go to a pizzeria. Mikes Pizzeria is a family run business that serves everything from pizza to calzone. I was delighted when we walked into their restaurant to find a big sign on the counter that said ‘Gluten-Free Pizza and Pasta Available’. This was no trouble for them, as they purchased the gluten-free bases from a supplier and each base is already placed in a metal case so there is no concern for cross-contamination in the pizza ovens. I had a pizza topped with a white sauce, garlic, basil and tomatoes and I ate the whole thing. Although it wasn’t as big as everyone’s ‘normal’ pizza it was just as good and the bonus is, no-one asks to try it!
Peacefood Café, New York City.
Whilst in New York City my cousin took me to Peacefood Café, a little café that serves delicious vegan food. Another bonus of this delightful place is that a large amount of dishes are gluten-free and their menu highlights them using a little flower motif. Sadly we didn’t visit for a meal, but I did get to try their ginger ale which was so refreshing. I also had a gluten-free double chocolate cookie that was amazing and didn’t taste vegan or gluten-free! It was full of rich chocolate and was by far the best cookie I had had in a while! Visit www.peacefoodcafe.com for a look at their full menu and locations.
Vegan Treats, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
Another fantastic experience was Vegan Treats, although I didn’t get to visit the bakery my cousin purchased a phenomenal gluten-free carrot cake for me that was out of this world. All their treats come packaged in these cute little brown boxes with a big sticker on the front as pictured below. At first I couldn’t believe this cake was vegan, let alone gluten-free. The vegan ‘cream cheese’ frosting tasted incredible and I would love to know what they used as a substitute for the cream cheese. The carrot cake was moist and full of flavour and I was extremely sad once I had finished it. It was a true work of art. I wish I had visited the bakery myself because I would have bought one of everything. Visit www.vegantreats.com to look at their full menu if you’re interested!
The Lazy Whisk 