Montclair's Gluten-Free Underground: Where To Find The Good Stuff

As one of the many Montclair gluten-free diners who have enjoyed GF pancakes at Toast, I would like to give a big shout out to a young boy with celiac disease named Will. His family moved from Hoboken to Montclair, and quickly became regulars at Toast, whose servers' T-shirts read "Peace, Love, Pancakes." But poor Will wasn't feeling the love because the pancakes were off limits for him. Instead he would order things like grilled chicken and avocado. When restaurant owner Amy Russo Harrigan inquired about Will's odd breakfast habits, his parent's explained that Will was on a gluten-free diet, and asked Harrigan if she would stock some gluten- free pancake batter for when Will visited.

Harrigan notes, "The gluten-free community is very tightly connected, and pretty soon we had people regularly coming in asking for "Will's pancakes." The pancakes became so popular that Toast added them to their permanent menu and "Will's Firebird Pancakes" were born. Toast created its own recipe just for Will, and allowed him to name the dish. Toast now serves Waffles as well, and they hope to add French toast in the near future.

In the meantime, you can get your gluten-free bread fix at Montclair's Bread Company. Professional baker Will Rheinhardt spent years creating The Bread Company's many gluten-free recipes that are baked daily in their tiny Walnut Street storefront. His wife and business owner Sally Rheinhardt notes, "Baking gluten free is really tricky. You have to be deft." Although The Bread Company does little advertising as much as a third of current sales are gluten-free products.

Both Toast and The Montclair Bread factory note significant upswings in the demand for these specialty items as more people see the health benefits of eating gluten free. One out of 133 people in the United States have Celiac Disease, or a gluten intolerance. Many are so exceptionally sensitive to this protein found in wheat, rye, and barley products that they cannot tolerate trace amounts. If gluten- free fries are cooked in the same fry basket as breaded chicken nuggets, this causes enough cross contamination to make many ill. Most cookies, cakes, pastas, beers, gravies, salad dressings, soy sauces, breaded foods and, of course, breads, are completely off limits. Eating gluten can cause severe indigestion and diarrhea. Not most people's idea of a fun night out!

This may explain Chelsea Clinton's choice of a gluten-free wedding cake. A gluten- free diet is often the hardest on kids. Imagine raising a child who can't eat restaurant pizza or the ubiquitous birthday cupcake. For the grownups, being on a gluten-free diet can still be a little traumatic. I confess the aroma wafting off a plate of onion rings once reduced me to tears. But I have also witnessed dramatic positive changes in myself and others once they start eating gluten free.

Here are my favorite local gluten-free spots as well as some located further a field. I have listed only establishments that specifically label dishes as gluten free (either online or onsite) although this has meant eliminating some great places. If restaurants would consider adding small gluten-free icons to their standard menus, I, for one, would be very grateful. It is a rare treat to be able to order off the regular menu and not have to grill the server about ingredients. I hope many of you will help Will and I share the love by adding your own gluten-free finds in the comments:

Toast at 700 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair, 973-509-8099. Fluffy gluten-free pancakes and waffles cooked to order. Gluten-free French toast is a coming attraction. Many salads and omelettes are gluten free too. This is the only Montclair restaurant I found that created a unique gluten-free dish rather than just listing existing items that can be served gluten free.

The Montclair Bread Company at 113 Walnut Street, Montclair, 973-509-2525. Gluten-free bread, cookies, brownies, muffins, and pizzas baked fresh several times a week. I highly recommend the chocolate chip banana muffins and the brownies. Their GF pizzas are very popular. All gluten-free items sport white twist ties to avoid mixups. Green twist ties denote wheat free. There are plans in the works to add gluten-free cakes. You can find them at the Montclair Farmers Market as well. A rare find!  

Red Mango at 19 Church Street, Montclair, 973-707-7485. Red Mango's frozen yogurt is certified gluten free (not all ice cream is gluten free because many brands add stabilizers). Red Mango also offers plenty of gluten-free toppings as well as GF smoothies. Plus their frozen yogurt contains probiotics that aid digestion, always a plus for the gluten-free crowd.

Charlie Brown's Steakhouse at 50 Upper Montclair Plaza, 973-783-9560, Charlie Brown's has a separate gluten-free menu that lists all dishes that can be prepared gluten free. There are lots of choices including most of the steaks (minus the frizzled onions), broiled fish, and barbecue ribs. Not all barbecue sauce is gluten free so this is a bonus.

Elevation Burger at 367 Bloomfield Avenue, Montclair. Burgers are gluten free and can be wrapped in lettuce. Gluten-free fries are cooked in olive oil and cross contamination is controlled by using a dedicated fryer and grill (for buns).

Legal Seafood at The Mall at Short Hills, 973-467-0089, and the Garden State Plaza Mall in Paramus, 201-843-8483. Legal Seafood offers an extensive gluten-free menu, and they take their responsibilities very seriously. In fact, I have had servers refuse to provide condiments that were not specifically on the GF menu as this is company policy. (You will have to eat your shrimp without cocktail or tarter sauce.) The restaurant more than makes up for this by offering shrimp and scallops fried in chickpea flour. Fried shrimp! Unprecedented. Another fave is the delicious hot crab dip served with yummy puffy chips for scooping. For those of you who worry about cross contamination, this is one place you can dine out with complete confidence.

S'Mac at 345 East 12^th Street, NY, NY, 212-358-7912. There are several good gluten-free bakeries and restaurants in Manhattan but S'Mac is a unique option most gluten-free diners might dismiss, not realizing what a Mecca this is for them. Although the restaurant serves only macaroni and cheese including many delicious gourmet varieties (figs and brie!), every single item on the menu can be ordered with gluten-free elbow macaroni. In order to lessen the chance of cross-contamination, even the yummy béchamel and breadcrumbs (made from gluten- free cornflakes) used on all their dishes are gluten free. Well worth a trip through the tunnel!