Eating Gluten Free in Seattle

Oysters at Elliot's Oyster House in Seattle

I apologize for having been on hiatus for the last couple of weeks, but as I near my July wedding date things have gotten a bit crazy.  Even as we speak, my eyes are in the process of healing from the Lasik eye surgery I had a couple of days ago, so please forgive any typos as I'm writing quickly and avoiding the screen so as to not strain my eyes.

More importantly, and more relevant to the purpose of this blog, my bridesmaids kidnapped me last weekend and whisked me away to Seattle for 3 days!  Luckily, my girlfriends are fantastic foodies and are well aware of my restrictions and planned in advance.  As a result, I am able to provide you with some reviews for eating gluten free in Seattle!!

And in case you haven't already been there, Seattle offers a ton of options to titillate your culinary senses.  There are so many fantastic restaurants, and I am totally amazed at the ridiculous amount of specialty kitchen shops that somehow manage to be sustained by so many shoppers. 

So here's a play-by-play of our restaurant hopping.

Tequila Lime Mussels at Elliot's Oyster House

Eliott's Oyster House

Friday night we started the evening off with several varieties of raw oysters at Eliott's Oyster House.  First, we shared several platters of mixed oysters, which arrived with a lovely iced champagne vinaigrette type thing.  (Yes, oysters are naturally gluten free and I love them!!) 

At the same time, we were able to indoctrinate one of my bridesmaids, who was an oyster virgin, in to the pleasures of slurping raw oysters! 

The staff was very accommodating when I told them I was gluten intolerant and brought me some corn tortilla chips instead of bread with my Tequila Lime Mussels.  The mussels were great, but if you don't like spicy stuff, this is not the dish for you!  Despite their accommodating my allergies, the service was a teeny bit sporadic.  To be fair, it was a Friday night, but we had to ask a few times for things like more water.  I'd still go back again though, and would love to make it there for their happy hour.

Salmon and Caper Omelet at Bacco's

Bacco Cafe Saturday morning we headed off to Bacco Cafe for breakfast, where the staff was extremely friendly and understanding, despite being very busy.  I had a fantastic breakfast - a salmon and caper omelet with fried potatoes.

Black Pepper Scallops at Wild Ginger

Thai Rice Noodles at Wild Ginger

Snap Peas at Wild Ginger

Gluten Free Flourless Chocolate Cake at Wild Ginger

Wild Ginger Saturday evening we dined at the Wild Ginger, an Asian fusion place which one of my bridesmaids had done a fantastic job of researching to make sure they could accommodate me.  The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful, and made sure all my dishes were safe.  One of the girls and I split Thai rice noodles and Black Pepper Scallops, and we all shared some snap peas and for dessert, they actually gave us a piece of flourless chocolate cake in honour of my upcoming nuptials!  Very nice :)   At one point I nearly set my mouth on fire by eating a basil leaf off my noodles that had been resting on a jalapeno pepper, but I can't blame the restaurant for that!  Again, all pretty spicy stuff so if you don't like spice, ask the staff before ordering.  I highly recommend the Wild Ginger if you're in town!
 

Vegetarian Tostada at Mama's Mexican Kitchen

Mama's Mexican Kitchen  and finally, on Sunday morning we had breakfast at Mama's Mexican Kitchen, a very funky and deceptively large Mexican restaurant where I was surprised to discover that the staff was quite aware of gluten allergies.  Now some of the staff might appear at first as if they've spent a bit too much time puffing on some funky substances, but they really come through in the end!  They even specially made some chilaquiles (not on the menu) for one of the girls who had never had them before.  Highly recommended! 

So there you have it, a decadent weekend of eating gluten free in Seattle! 

Do you have a favorite restaurant in Seattle that accommodates gluten free folks?