New Orleans Gluten Free Style

Gluten free in New Orleans? Yes it is entirely possible to obtain celiac-safe fare in the city that prides itself on beignets, po-boys and fried crawfish. On a recent trip to the great jazz and food capital, Rob and I had a terrific time navigating the French Quarter, the Garden District and the multitude of stop-you-in-your-tracks Cajun and Creole food.

Though I did say it’s possible to find gluten free meals, it’s not always easy in the Big Easy. Be forewarned that the majority of the casual/lunch establishments feature fried, breaded or roux-added specialties on the menu. We were most pleasantly surprised however by New Orleans hospitality and no matter where we went, the wait staff tried to accommodate our dietary needs.

On our first stroll out, we checked in for Hurricanes and corn-fried pickles. These were deliciously unexpected and tasty. Apparently any thing fried does indeed have a special culinary appeal! We should note, however, that though the pickles were corn-breaded, we’re fairly sure the same oil might have been used to fry the gluten menu items. We kept our fingers crossed and hoped for the best.

Next we tried out Red Fish Grill where we treated ourselves to raw oysters, baby green and shrimp salads, and black fish. We were extremely pleased and glad to be a part of the scene.

Café du Monde was on our must-do list if anything for the experience. It was a raucous and bustling place piled high with powdered sugar beignets. We opted for take-out café au laits and took a walk on the riverfront. Unfortunately for celiacs, Café du Monde offers only beignets, coffee, and hot chocolate. But we didn’t mind! Well Rob did, I did not!

Muriel’s was a charming, stylish restaurant with old world New Orleans flair. Bayona, also in the French Quarter was a true treat. I had a succulent dish of lamb, and Rob finished off the evening with a delectable crème brulee. Both restaurants were familiar with gluten-free requirements and definitely tried to provide a satisfying celiac friendly dining experience.

Lunch time found us at a casual eatery that didn’t have much in the way of gluten free. What we did have though was another round of fresh raw oysters, dirty rice and grilled vegetables. It was fair, though ironically a nice change of pace. We could actually walk out without feeling like our stomachs were about to explode from overeating!

On our last night, we gave Emeril Lagasse’s, NOLA a try. Were we ever glad we did! It was well worth the 40 minute wait. We were escorted to the 2^nd floor via elevator and seated in an intimate room. We feasted on fresh green salads with blackberries and pistachio crusted goat cheese, and grilled tilapia. The tilapia could have been spiced up more, but I believe the chefs were ensuring the dinner was absolutely celiac-safe.

We ended our evening with a melt-in-the-mouth crème brulee that was just dynamite.

Our farewell breakfast found us back at Café Beignet for southwestern omelets and roasted potato hash-browns. We highly recommend their coffee and chicory too.

So do go to New Orleans and have an absolute blast. Though you won’t be able to indulge in the beignets, po-boys, or muffalettas, there are certainly plenty of other dishes that are available to gluten-free seekers. If worse comes to worse, you can always stroll down Bourbon Street with a tall Hurricane in hand!