One of the best things about having out-of-towners visit is
the opportunity to show them around the city, introduce them to old favorites,
and possibly discover new little gems along the way. My brother and sister-in-law recently visited
and we had a great time wandering around town, checking out the scenery and
eating delicious meals. Looking back, I
realize that we were quite the difficult crowd to please: I am gluten-free, my brother is a
pescatarian, my sister-in-law is a vegetarian, and Dave is just plain
picky! As you all know I’m always on the
lookout for great gluten-free menu options, so here’s my review of three local
joints and their gluten-free offerings (click on the restaurant name to view the menu):
I recently reviewed
Jonesey’s and had some serious beef with them when they told me they didn’t
have a current gluten-free menu. Well,
I’m happy to say Jonesey’s has redeemed itself!
As Dave and I have visited the restaurant twice in the past month, we have
been quite pleased with the service, food, gluten-free menu, and even the
Christmas décor! They definitely have
that “cozy, neighborhood” vibe going on.
All gluten-free diners know how difficult it can be to come across a
truly great gluten-free menu at a casual neighborhood place, and in my humble
opinion, I believe Jonesey’s has hit the nail on the head. Since I rarely have the opportunity to
indulge in French fries, I usually jump at the chance to split an order of
gluten-free fries at Jonesey’s. The four
of us shared a double order, half buffalo half Thai ginger, so bad but yet so
good! The Thai ginger combo knocked my
socks off; Dave has been a fan of the buffalo fries for quite some time
now. Needless to say, there wasn’t a fry
left on the plate by the time we received the main course. I went with the Savory Duck Rice Pudding, a
new dish for me, and WOW was it fantastic!
I would say a good 2/3 of their regular menu is gluten-free, including
the fries, mussels, hummus, salads, sliders (no bun), and all of the entrees
besides the pasta. While their prices
are a bit higher than normal pub fare, keep in mind that their menu is very
diverse and the food is much higher quality than your average neighborhood
hangout. I strongly recommend Jonesey’s,
especially for those with dietary restrictions.
I was beyond excited to visit
Steuben’s since it’s been featured on the Food Network and is currently the talk
of all Denver foodies. And I definitely couldn’t
wait to take a look at their menu! As we
waited for our table, I examined the enlarged menu posted at the entrance. Everything from roasted Brussels sprouts to
cheese fries to crab cakes were options – “this place is amazing!!” I thought,
and probably said out loud several times.
As we were being seated, I remembered to request a gluten-free
menu. “Celiac or gluten-free?” the
waiter asked me. I went with the Celiac
menu (apparently they have all sorts of allergy menus). And then I looked at my menu. Hmmmm.
I could have a salad, none of which looked all that appealing after I
had spent the past 30 minutes drooling over the prospect of shrimp and
grits. I could also have several of the
veggie sides, the steak plate, or the trout.
A tad disappointed in the limited offerings, I decided on the trout with
a side of Brussels sprouts (yes, I went with the Brussels sprouts!). My meal was delicious, trout cooked to
perfection and served with crisp green beans and garlicky parsley
potatoes. The Brussels sprouts were
actually phenomenal, if you’re into crispy crucifers like I am J. I must also point out that when ordering off
of a Celiac or gluten-free menu you are usually forced to eat healthier, so
it’s really not all that bad. My fellow
diners seemed to enjoy their dishes as well.
The staff was excellent and from the moment we stepped foot into the
place we were treated with respect and never had to wait long once seated. As a point of reference, we went to the
restaurant on a Thursday evening around 7:30pm and had to wait about 30 minutes
for a table. My only slight complaint
about the service is that our server didn’t know what Celiac disease was, and
so Dave and I felt the need to clarify several times that my order would be
prepared gluten-free . In conclusion, so
long as you don’t order off of the celiac menu, you will have plenty of
mouth-watering options. And, even if you
do order off of the celiac menu, I’m pretty sure your meal will still be
delightful and tasty!
Tom’s is a very new addition to the Larimer Square section
of downtown. In the space formerly occupied
by the Samba Room (right next to Comedy Works), Tom’s is in a fantastic
location to attract all sorts of diners.
We went for a Friday lunch and left Dave at work. The restaurant was packed with workers on
their lunch breaks, but there was no wait since there is additional seating
upstairs (the place is huge!). My
brother and sister-in-law had coffee, which they said wasn’t that good, but
also added the disclaimer that they live in Portland where coffee is a big
deal. The menu, which is huge and a bit
reminiscent of the Cheesecake Factory Bible (except not nearly as large), is
divided into three sections: breakfast, lunch, dinner. There is not a dedicated gluten-free menu
available, but they have gluten-free and vegetarian dishes labeled as such on
the menu. Unfortunately, the lunch menu
doesn’t have too many gluten-free options, mostly just salads. I ordered the Cobb Salad as it seemed pretty
substantial with chicken, bacon, avocado, and cheese. The dressing wasn’t my favorite - a ranch
remix of sorts – but it was not terrible either. All in all, the meal did the trick, filled me
up, and I didn’t have any complaints other than the limited gluten-free
offerings. Our server was excellent,
very accommodating and friendly. On a
side note, the bathrooms were very clean and high-tech (commercials playing
in/on the mirror). I didn’t take a long
look at the breakfast and dinner menus, but perhaps there are more gluten-free
options. I’ll give it another shot for
breakfast and/or dinner, since it’s a new place and a much-needed restaurant
concept downtown.
Stay tuned for updates and reviews!
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