Where I ate
Philadelphia has a great food scene. As always, I had to scope out places that could accommodate my dietary restriction (no gluten).
Mission Taqueria: Fantastic food and drinks, with a 100% gluten-free menu! I had the fried mahi mahi tacos with a guava margarita that I am still tasting in my dreams. I made the most of the gluten-free situation by ordering churros for dessert. They came with two dipping sauces, dulce de leche and Mexican chocolate. What a meal!
The Dandelion: British-style gastropub that’s part of the Starr restaurant group. The staff has a good grasp of what’s gluten free and what’s not. When I inquired about the gluten-free options, my waitress asked if cross-contamination would be an issue for me and assured me that it would be no problem if it was.
I went here during Midday menu hours (3 to 5 pm) and had the smoked salmon and trout pâté with cucumber slices, with a glass of Cava brut rosé. If you can eat gluten, you can have the pâté with toasted pumpernickel, which sounds even better! For dessert I had the chocolate set cream (custard) with Earl Grey ice cream and a decaf cappuccino.
Gran Caffe L’Aquila: An (obviously) Italian restaurant in a building that was transported from Italy! There are two levels. From the website: “The 1st floor is an authentic Italian bar and the second floor features the restaurant, wine bar, cultural and language school, as well as the coffee and gelato labs.”
I reserved a table in the upstairs restaurant and enjoyed excellent service and wonderful food. Chic modern decor and Italian pop music as a backdrop.
I started with a generous portion of the house salad. Then I had the gluten-free version of the carbonara (with GF penne substituted for the spaghetti), “topped with a gastronomic Italian bacon gelato.” I ate it as my waitress instructed, combining the gelato with the other ingredients in each forkful. So good! I finished with a small dish of the hazelnut gelato and another decaf cappuccino. I had noted on my online reservation form that the occasion was a birthday (mine). The gelato arrived on a platter with “Buon compleanno” written in chocolate syrup. A perfect birthday-eve dinner!