I'm still at the stage of "living" gluten-free where I sneak a bite of a cookie or pizza or bread every now and then. I know, I know — you're shaking your head at me. I'm not doing myself any favors; I'm allergic for crying out loud!
But it just tastes so good, and to have the right to all things warm, fluffy and light (I swear gluten-free bread weighs three pounds a slice) taken away from me in my early twenties was a loss I've never quite accepted.
So, here, in attempt to help others struggling with the same life change, I give you a few of my favorite places for eating gluten-free in Austin — the kinds of places that offer gluten-free goodies that are tasty enough not to throw me off track.
(An aside: the frustrating thing is that there are more places that are gluten-free "friendly" than just plain gluten-free, generally meaning that there are items served that naturally don't have gluten, rather than items served with gluten free substitutes, like buns, breads, pastas, etc.)
If you want to satiate that craving for normal-people food and still feel your physical best, check out my personal go-to's (which I really should go to more often…):
Pizza
Red House (Ask them to bake it a little longer; it has tendency to come soggy)
Buns
Hop Doddy (At last! To eat a cheeseburger with your hands!)
Beer
Pancakes
Mother's (Also vegan.)
Sandwich bars
Jason's Deli (I know it's a corporate chain, but the slices of bread are actually large and stay intact.)
Pasta
Vespaio (An upscale Italian meal. Never thought that would happen on a gluten-free diet.)
Wraps
Galaxy Cafe (My favorite menu discovery in Austin.)
Muffins
Mr. Natural (Can be dry, but they'll do. Ask which are most fresh.)
Cupcakes
It's best to always call ahead and make sure the gluten-free offerings are available before you arrive and have your heart broken.
Lastly, Karen Morgan is an Austinite who has taken the gluten-free world by storm, doing her best to create recipes that could actually fool a gluten-eater and fight the good fight to bring more options to those with Celiac disease. I'd highly recommend checking out her website, Blackbird Bakery, and purchasing her cookbook.
This journey to healthier living is no joke, so please share your suggestions below. This list is by no means all inclusive.
Now can we get some damn gluten-free cakeballs that don't sit like rocks in the pit of your stomach?
