Essential Baking Company Review

Jason here. A friend was up visiting recently and we wanted to find some places to eat out for breakfast-something we had yet to do since moving, and ended up giving Essential Baking Company a shot. We visited the location in downtown Bellevue which is located in the University Book Store. We went as early as we could and found the book store still closed, but bakery open, so don’t be scared away if it looks closed from the outside.

We have found it is difficult to find a gluten free breakfast place. Normally, for breakfast you get stuck ordering some eggs and bacon, an opting out of a side of toast. Not exactly something worthy of eating out. On the flip side, the Essential Baking Company stocks multiple gluten free breads to choose from, and can make almost any item gluten free. I recommend checking out their website, for finding which options might be of interest to you.

It was nice to find a place I could order a nice gluten free breakfast sandwich at. I ended up ordering a delicious Prosciutto and Asiago egg sandwich on gluten free bread. It is no small secret that I love cheese, and this sandwich hit the spot. The cheese and particularly the prosciutto gave it a salty taste. There is just something about Asiago cheese that I enjoy, but can’t find the right words for.

Kayleigh here. I agree- this out of the way bakery was an excellent discovery for a quick dining spot! Plenty of free parking underneath the building, plenty of options for the gluten free diner, and even a couple of desserts you can pick up to enjoy later. Of course, they are open until 7PM, with an equally extensive lunch and dinner menu. Or make it there during their happy hour to enjoy a glass of wine and a well-paired snack. How classy! You can also pick up a loaf of their gluten free bread from any café location, as well as many local supermarkets. And boy, is it nice to get some locally baked bread for a change.

Airport tips

Kayleigh here. Even before going gluten free, airport food was a pain in the neck. Stuck past security with nowhere to go, getting peckish means picking up a day-old bagel and a $6 bottle of water. For some reason, I had always assumed that there was no way you would be able to pack a meal of your own and get it through the gate- there must be some kind of rule, right? Well, turns out if there's a will, there's a way!

Mainly, the issue of bringing your own food is the liquids rule. You cannot get away with bringing some salsa to go with your tortilla chips, or even something as innocent as a sandwich spread with mayonnaise! More viscous spreads like peanut butter or hummus are likely to get confiscated as well, if not stored properly in your one quart liquids bag. So this brings us to rule number one: if you want to bring liquid ingredients, invest in some one or two ounce plastic containers with properly sealing lids, and make sure you'll have space for them in your liquids bag. Just wait to assemble the dish until you are on the other end.

Rule number two- consider where you'll be eating it. If you plan on waiting until you get on the plane, then packing pungent foods like tuna fish or curried lamb wraps may make your seatmates more airsick, if they were already going down that path, and nobody wants that. Likewise, try to eat any refrigerated foods early on. For example, you could bring sliced cheese and pepperoni sticks for a pretty satisfying snack, but they will not be too appealing by the end of a cross-country 8 hour flight.

Rule number 3- pack everything well. After getting bumped around on a shuttle, tossed onto a conveyer belt, and rifled through by a random check security guard, those taco shells will be corn crumbs, and that banana? You might not want to look. It takes up some precious room, but it is worth it to securely package everything in hard plastic containers, or even plastic bags with a good amount of air to cushion the food.

With all that in mind, there are still quite a lot of possibilities for an on-air gourmet. For one, nonperishable snacks like personal-sized chip bags, protein/energy bars (quite a few are gluten free- just check the labels), trail mixes can be great for on the plane, and leftovers can last through the trip and even the flight home!  Salads and more durable fruits can make a healthy side, just make sure to pack dips and dressings in the liquids bag.

Jason here. I have found the best thing I enjoyed was the pepperoni stick. If you get the right size, it provides an easy to snack on meal with little to no cleanup. Combined with some carrot sticks, or fresh broccoli, and I consider a good on the go meal. If you are going this route, like Kayleigh mentioned, eat the refrigerated items early. The pepperoni stick was great even at the end of the flight, but the broccoli and carrots I would question. 

Also make sure to plan a little variety in your meal. The last thing you want is to pack all salty foods, and then find yourself airsick craving only sweet foods. Brownies and cookies while not overly healthy, would do the trick; just make sure they don’t have anything that would be construed as a liquid, like a frosting or filling.

One last tip- bring an empty water bottle or two. There are always water fountains inside the gates, and it stops you from having to lay down a ridiculous amount of cash every time your throat gets a little dry.

PF Changs Review

Jason here. Kayleigh and I love searching around for a local gluten place. However, we often don’t the luxury of time to search when are out and about or traveling. To this end we have tried to find a few chain restaurants which we could dine at no matter where we are in the country. This comes with the added difficulty of picking a place where everyone can find something they will enjoy.

One of the restaurants we go to most often when abroad is PF Changs. As far as gluten friendliness is concerned, they are absolutely top notch.

We have gone many times now, and I almost always order the GF Chang’s Spicy Chicken. I tend to get a side of white rice and mix in the chicken with rice as I go along. It reminds me of general Tso’s, but a little more sour-sweet. One of my favorite appetizers to get is the GF Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps. They are crunchy and absolutely bursting with flavor. It is has a bunch of a different flavors all working together, chicken, mushrooms, green onions, water chestnuts, and lettuce. It comes with multiple gluten free dipping sauces. I recommend the gluten free soy sauce.

One of the best parts of PF Chang’s is just how gluten friendly they are. To start they have a separate menu which you can even find online. When they bring out the food, it is in separate colored plates which mark gluten free food. All of the dipping sauces are in specially colored dishes as well. The waiters at PF Chang’s have always taken special care with our food. It is one of restaurants I feel most comfortable eating at, which makes it particularly great when traveling. No one wants to get sick on their vacation.

Kayleigh here. The level of food prep safety is especially impressive when you consider how the menu is designed- generally a family style affair, with dishes being passed around the table and people grabbing what tidbits they want. You are still welcome to doing this, as long as you keep good track of what dishes were safe, and make sure everyone at the table knows not to cross-contaminate with the utensils, particularly when serving from the bowls of rice. Worse comes to worse, keep a bowl of rice and one dish to yourself, and let the others play pass-around.

Gluten-free Friendly Snacks and More Reviews

Kayleigh and Jason here. This post is a bit of a hodge-podge, so we can mention all of the gluten-free friendly places we've come across for quick snacks, desserts, and easy grab-on-the-go grub. Check back on this post from time to time, as we add more places to the list!

Cold Stone Creamery- Not all Cold Stone locations can accommodate so thoroughly, but many (including the one at the Crossroads mall in Bellevue) educate their employees about allergy-conscious preparation methods. For gluten, this includes using brand-new scoops, getting ice cream from tubs in the back rather than the front counter, and adding any mix-ins on a clean 'allergy plate' instead of the regular countertop. Just avoid upgrading to the waffle bowl. :)

Yogurtland- Before going to Yogurtland for the first time, I went on their website to jot down all the yogurt flavors that contained gluten (most of the cookie or cake- themed flavors are a no-go). Upon entering the self-serve area, we were pleasantly surprised to find that each flavor had the allergen labels clearly visible, with cross-contamination nearly impossible. Use the toppings bar at your own discretion, since they are not separated according to allergens, but who really misses them when the yogurt tastes so good!

Tully's (some)- We've spotted individually wrapped Wow cookies at the counters of several different Tully's locations around Washington. So next time you're craving a sweet treat along with your latte, pop into a Tully's and take your pick!