Gluten Free London/Guelph, Ontario

Portions cupcakes!

Who are you and where are you?
Anne. I live in London, Ontario and have spent a fair bit of time in Guelph since going gluten free.

Tell me about your relationship with gluten..
I’ve been gluten free for 4 1/2 years.

Why should gluten free travellers visit your town?
In both London and Guelph there are a number of places that have good food coupled with knowledge of ingredients and the issues of cross-contamination.

Tell me something fun about your town..
Guelph and the surrounding area is filled with beautiful old stone houses and buildings. Hillside Festival is an annual music festival that my brother has attended and informs me that their is a lot of gluten free food sold from vendors. 20 minutes away from downtown Guelph you can find this amazing old quarry that has been turned into a swimming pool.

Halfway between Guelph and London lies Stratford, Ontario- home of the Stratford festival. Check out one of the world class productions while you are in the area. It’s also the hometown of Justin Bieber for anyone out there who may be interested! 🙂 London is a great place to visit especially if you have kids with many place to entertain the young and the young at heart. Check out Pioneer Village, Museum of Archaeology, Museum London, Storybook Gardens and the London Children’s Museum.

The Boathouse

Where is your favourite place to eat out in your town and why?
Here is a list of the places where I have had good experiences and who I would trust to make me a meal again.

London:

• Under the Volcano– 717 Richmond Street (moving March 2013 to a new location) is a gluten free gem. This Mexican restaurant has a menu that caters to a diverse range of pallets. Whether you like your food super mild or hot and spicy they have something for you. They offer a large selection of their menu gluten free. They make wonderful fresh tortilla chips (just make sure to ask for GF). They have a number of dishes that are also vegetarian or vegan and are happy to help you navigate the menu and help you something that fits your needs. The owners take allergies/ sensitivities seriously and have always been excellent about answering my questions. This is my top choice for London.
• The Keg has two locations in London and a number of options that are gluten free. You can check out their allergy guide on their website to get a better idea of what is available gluten free.
• Organic Works on 222 Wellington St is a gluten free and vegan bakery and cafe.
• Healthy Creations on 502 Springbank Drive is another gluten free bakery with a wide variety of choices. They have another location in Windsor.

London and Guelph:

• Milestones is a chain with locations in Ontario, Alberta, and British Columbia. There are locations in both London and Guelph. They have a gluten free section right on their menu with the choice of a handful of entrees. Their burger is probably my favourite as they serve it on a bun (not lettuce) and they have a number of different topping options to choose from.
• Moxie’s Grill & Bar again has locations in both London and Guelph. The food I’ve had has been great and the staff always friendly and knowledgeable.

Portions Allergy Chart

Guelph:

• Portions on 340 Woodlawn Rd is my absolute favourite place to shop! They go above and beyond to help me find things that I can eat. Their new location has a dedicated gluten free kitchen for baking their house brand; Newton’s No Gluten, and the store is filled with a wide variety of gluten free products. They are often the first place that I see brands/products new to Canada and they only seem to stock products that taste amazing! I can’t remember ever coming home with a product that I didn’t like. They make their own range of frozen gluten free meals, soups and sauces as well as bake bread, buns, cookies, muffins, cakes, cupcakes (and even mince pies at Christmas!) Not only is not only entirely gluten free but they have also colour coded their shelves to help anyone who suffers from multiple food allergies. This is a can’t miss place if you are in the area.
• The Boathouse on 116 Gordon Street, open seasonally, is a charming tea room situated by the river and minutes from downtown Guelph. Gluten free lunch and high tea options. It gets busy so make reservations, especially on nice days!
• Borealis on 1388 Gordon Street (at Arkell) uses seasonal and local ingredients to craft their menu which changes seasonally. Talk to your server about what your dietary needs.
• Terrace Dining Room at Mohawk Raceway is a great place to try if you’re looking for a great night out. It’s less than 30 minutes from Guelph and I don’t think I have even felt more secure eating out than I did eating here. After calling ahead when the reservation was made to see if gluten free options were available, someone came to the table shortly after we were seated to talk to me about my meal. I was told that I could order something directly from the kitchen or she would take me through what I could eat off the buffet (but this was not recommended if I was celiac or very sensitive to gluten). I chose a kitchen option, whitefish with roasted potatoes and steamed vegetables. The food was all of excellent quality. Check the website for opening hours.

Do you live in or have you travelled to London or Guelph? Where is your favourite place to eat gluten free?