Best Gluten Free Menus in SD

By now we’re sure you’ve heard of gluten and all of the different things that people will say about it. But what is it and what are the benefits of staying away from it? And better yet, where can you find a great gluten free menu in San Diego?

Gluten is basically a special type of protein that is found in wheat and certain grains. One of the main purposes of gluten is to keep the elasticity in foods during the fermentation phase of food production. Gluten makes bread “chewy,” and prevents other foods from having a sticky, doughy-like texture.  Since gluten is found in overly-processed foods (along with chemicals and artificial flavors), eliminating it from your diet will naturally lead to eating whole, healthy foods. So what are your options for some great gluten free meals when you dine out? These restaurants prove that you don’t need to sacrifice taste to eliminate gluten:

Peace Pies is a humble little establishment in Point Loma. Their mission is to provide raw, vegan, gluten and soy free foods to all. Peace Pies offers a full menu consisting of pizzas, salads, wraps, entrees, dried goods, desserts, chocolates and accessories to aid in the live food lifestyle. People are eating up the health and earth conscious meals they’re serving up here: Peace Pies is the Winner of the Best of Raw Awards for Best Raw Restaurant and Best Eco-Raw Restaurant. We recommend the Peaceful Pizza and the Majestic Mediterranean Wrap!

Trails Eatery is owned by chef Stacey Poon-Kinney. Stacey and the eatery have been featured on Food Network’s “Restaurant Impossible” with Robert Irvine and on Food Network’s “Food Network Star”, and the hype is definitely well-deserved. Trails has a full menu dedicated to gluten free options, and not one dish sacrifices anything to make it so. If you want something sweet, we recommend the Cinnamon Roll Pancakes.

Want to satisfy your sweet tooth without consuming any gluten? Look no further than Pavona Dolci Gluten Free and Paleo Desserts in Mission Hills. The cupcakes are legendary, and you get to choose your cake/frosting combo. If you can’t make it to Mission Hills to try their delectable treats, you can find their desserts on wholesale at these locations: Meraki Cafe in University Heights, the Living Room in Point Loma, Hawthorn Coffee in Normal Heights, and Grants Marketplace in South Park.

Sometimes they use some strange ingredients and play with stuff you may not have heard of, but it is all in the spirit of fun and good food! Urban Solace is located in North Park and Solace & the Moonlight Lounge is in Encinitas. Both restaurants offer a full gluten free menu for breakfast, weekend brunch, lunch, and dinner. For breakfast, we suggest the Marinated Mushroom Benedict, Poached Fresh Eggs, Spinach, Smoked Ancho Chili Hollandaise. For dinner, we recommend the Spice Crusted Flat Iron Steak, Potato Terrine, Mustard Demi Glace, Grilled Asparagus

We hope you enjoy choosing from these gluten free options around town!