Juliano's Italian Pizzaria Review

Kayleigh here. For this past Thanksgiving, Jason and I went across the country to New Hampshire and enjoyed a family dinner at my Grandmother's house. Not only did everyone succeed in pulling off a delicious full gluten free spread, but we also got the chance to try a couple gluten free restaurants that had popped up since we were last in the area. One particular place that seemed to get a lot of attention in the Celiac community was Juliano's Italian Pizzaria in Derry, New Hampshire.

Just going by their website, it was a comfort to see how seriously they seemed to take keeping everything allergen-free. They acknowledge that their gluten free items are made in the same building as their standard menu, but are careful about keeping the foods very separate, and make sure to thoroughly clean and sterilize the designated equipment. Their gluten free menu is very extensive, including pastas, breaded items, and even a good selection of desserts, but what most people seemed to be raving about was the gluten free pizzas. So, we figured, let's start there.

Jason here. We ordered the pizza on our way to Kayleigh’s grandmother’s house. She was driving so she opted to eat hers when we arrived. However, everyone else ate theirs in the car, including myself. I sat the pizza box on a paper plate on my lap, and dug in slice by slice. It was thin crust, like all other gluten free pizza’s I’ve had. I prefer thin crust, so this was right up my alley. If I had to take a guess, the crust was made from rice flour, as it did not have that signature taste of corn bread I usually expect from gluten free pizza. The crust tasted just fine, and was crunchy on the edges- just how I like it. The toppings we ordered were feta, and pepperoni. And I’m happy to say, it was just fine without any grease blotting with a paper towel like we usually do. Ultimately, the pizza itself was great, although I think I personally prefer a corn flour based crust.

I noticed on the menu that gluten free pizzas were only available in small at the time of writing this review, so take that into account when ordering for a large family. I ate exactly half the pizza and felt full, and Kayleigh did the same for the rest.

Next time we drop by, we hope to venture out again and try different items on the menu ( gluten free cannolis?). Their pizza definitely lived up to the hype, so please let us know if you've got anything to share about your experiences at Juliano's. We would love to hear your take on what we should get next time!

The Golden Egg Review

Kayleigh here. This post is a bit special to me, since I have fond memories of going out to breakfast here ever since I was a little girl. The Golden Egg in Portsmouth, New Hampshire was a fairly short drive from my grandmother's house, so it is a long standing tradition to go there at least once whenever family is up to visit (or once a week, if you were lucky enough to live there!). Since Jason and I would be in the area for Thanksgiving, I decided to look up their website and remember how good the food had been. Obviously, a small, one location breakfast joint would not have gluten free fare.

What's that I see? A gluten free menu update right on the main page? That's it, we HAD to go for a Black Friday breakfast, so I could officially give the Golden Egg the praise it deserves. And food aside, the friendly wait staff and extremely fast service are reason enough to come here. Even showing up with a group of 10+ people when there was already a line out the door, we were sitting down within 10 minutes, and the food was served 10 minutes after that. How is it so fast, with such an enormous menu? I still have no idea.

Now, the large breakfast menu contains all the classics you would expect from a breakfast joint, including a very extensive list of eggs benedicts. On top of this, they hand you a page-long list of the day's specials, which is what really sets them apart. Half a dozen flavors of gluten free muffins can be found on there, as well as making many of their egg-based specials with one of their gluten free bread options. Really, if something strikes your fancy, have a chat with your waitress and see what they can do!

Jason here, this was my second time to the Golden Egg. The first was many years back, when my wife was just my girlfriend, and I had not yet developed a gluten intolerance. Even now I can remember how friendly the wait staff was, and it was no different this time around. Unless you count the subway where I worked as a boy, or the lunch lady in my elementary school cafeteria, I’ve never eaten anywhere that knew my name. At the Golden Egg, it seemed they knew all of Kayleigh’s family and called them out by name and telling inside jokes. It was extremely heartwarming to see.

I’m never very hungry when I wake up, and this particular morning was no different. I saw gluten free muffins on the menu, and knew what I was going to order. I opted for a blueberry muffin. It can come as is, warmed up in the microwave, or toasted on the stove top. I had mine warmed in the microwave. The muffin was large, but still the right size for my breakfast. In addition it sliced in half down the center. It was moist, and had just the right muffin texture. If I wasn’t told upfront it was gluten free, I would have never known.

As of right now, they do not have a gluten free menu on the website, but that is mostly due to the rotating nature of their dishes. Really, though, it's all delicious, so go and enjoy a worry-free, gluten free breakfast out!