Dr. C here apologizing for not blogging as regularly as I would like lately. I have been working on some new recipes to share with you all. They are not quite ready for the interwebs though. Soon though I promise.
Craig and I were doing a lot of celebrating last week. It was our first anniversary as a couple. Portland has been gluten, dairy and egg free friendly for many years. We are a very cutting edge culinary community. I am so blessed with access to fresh, nourishing options. There are 2 newer places we explored. One is on North Killingsworth and the other on S.E. Division.
Mextiza is the first in North Portland. The menu is really interesting and creative, inspired by many Latin cuisine. The majority of it is naturally is gluten free using masa to create the empanadas, dumplings, etc.,. (Sandwiches and croutons are the 2 things that we can’t have. (This is a very small part offered.) The meats are slow roasted and full of flavor. If a true vegan, they offer wild mushrooms and nopales (cactus) as a filling. Egg free naturally, the dairy is easy to eliminate. The ambiance is warm and inviting. The service was good and very informative.
Cibo is the second place we tried. Marco, the owner of Bastas and Cibo, is an pioneer on the Portland culinary scene. I worked for him at Bastas and La Macchia from 1995-1998. It is still one of my favorites in Portland. The focus is Italian which is obviously a cuisine close to my heart. Wood fired pizzas are the focus. Craig said best one in Portland. They offer these gluten free and vegan substitutes made from chick pea flour called Cecinas. They are really crispy and delicious. I added several veggies to mine. It was huge (and very reasonably priced) so share one or make another meal of it. The ambiance is great, really warm and inviting. The cocktails are delicious and well balanced. A great wine list. Very reasonably priced.
As a side note…One thing some of you may not know is that Italy joined the Gluten Free movement several years ago. There are several bakeries, pizzerias and products to chose from. Mediterranean food is very simple, fresh and healthful. Did you know that if you are gluten free, you order your breads, pastas, etc. from the pharmacy. They give you a certain allotment per month. In 2004, an article came out in Rome talking about how over 30% of the children were diagnosed with gluten intolerance/celiac? They discussed what this would mean for their rich, cultural cuisine. Many options and products have been created and they are absolutely delicious!!!
If you can’t make it to Europe though, checkout Cibo 😉
