Sunday, March 23, 2014

Scouting out Allergy Free Roads ~ Part II: Meet Me in St. Louis, the Gateway to Gluten Free

If you remember Beth's Part I of her adventure from Nashville - St. Louis down allergy free back roads, she was about to enter the Gateway city of St. Louis, MO...

St. Louis MO Arch
  
Starting off with my normal Whole Foods Market exploration, I navigated through several small neighborhoods in search for that healthy pulse.  Dierbergs grocery and Schnucks markets offered wide selections of gluten free products. 

Of course I had to make my way to Anheuser-Busch.  “When in Rome…right?!”  Despite my efforts to track down the production details of their Redbridge gluten free beer, the tour guides said, the gluten free production line was not on the normal brewery tour.  One can hope!  Maybe my suggestions will be noted by the A-B family?  I did learn that Stella Artois and Michelob Ultra both produced a gluten free cider.  

Anheuser Busch Tour Center, St. Louis MO


A cute little bakery stop on the backroads was Whisk - A Sustainable Bakeshop.  http://www.whiskstl.com  Some wonderfully delicious gluten free baked goods and macaroons in a very relaxing and welcome setting.  

Whisk, St. Louis MO


Much to my surprise, I had yet to try any Mexican food on my travels at this point, so when I drove past a hip, vibrant looking place called Gringo, I had to stop and take a "look-see-taste"  http://www.gringo-stl.com   Delicious, hot, fresh chicken tortilla soup with homemade corn tortillas and excellent service!  I had the lunch special which included soup and two corn tortilla tacos - I chose the Al Pastor -slow roasted pulled pork, pineapple, red chiles, grilled red onion and also a Chicken Tinga - slow-braised chicken in tinga sauce (roasted tomato, chipotle, garlic), guacamole, cilantro and onion.

Gringo, St. Louis MO


Dinner was a simple yet sophisticated spinach salad back at the hotel.  Had to save up for my much-anticipated big gluten free crepe breakfast at the City Coffeehouse and Creperie!  http://citycoffeeandcreperie.com

Gringo, St. Louis MO


Enter the crepes….  100% organic, gluten free, buckwheat batter.  And boy was this place hoppinat 8am!   So many to choose from too, savory or sweet?  That would be my toughest decision of the day!  The Santa Fe it was - chorizo, pepperjack, avocado, tomato, cilantro, red onion, fresh spinach with Juan's house-made rojo sauce topped with avocado-sour cream sauce.  Im here to say that not only was the crepe so delicate and amazing, but Juan makes some darn good sauce!  Gracias.



6 North was a quick coffee stop, but they offered a wide range of gluten free options and the staff was very knowledgeable about those choices.  http://www.6northcafe.com

And now for my Jackpot Jewel of Midwest gluten free thus far, I proudly introduce New Day Gluten Free  http://newdayglutenfree.com/cafe/  It truly is a cornerstone of the gluten free community in St. Louis and I had the honor to speak with Chef/Owner, Kelly Beck.  From the time they purchased the location (previously a gluten free kitchen, coincidentally named, Becks (Kellys last name!)  Serendipity!) it was meant to be for Kelly to connect with her community, share her story and help literally thousands of people who come through her doors.  I loved their travel map, with pinned visitors from all 50 states, even world-wide!  
If you are looking for ANYTHING gluten free in St. Louis, this is your spot.  

New Day, St Louis, MO


Although I could carry on and on about more stops, delightful visits and fascinating conversations, Ill wrap it up here, gluten free style, and say thanks for joining me on this virtual tour down the gluten & allergy-free backroads, USA. Thanks to everyone who helped make my journey a bit more tasty and tantalizingly exciting.  
Until our next road trip adventure….

Cheers and Bon Appetit!

~Beth

Beth Mincher is the Assistant Director of Events for Echo Event Solutions and a certified holistic health coach.  www.bethmincher.com