Vegetarian and Gluten free on the Northside for Dinner

We have friends coming in this weekend and just like an episode out of "Can This Marriage Be Saved?" he is vegetarian and she eats gluten free. Any ideas? We live in Albany Park and don't want to travel far or spend too much (entrees at $20 or less).

Any ideas would be greatly appreciated!

Mana Food Bar sounds like exactly what you're looking for, unless a trip down to Division is deemed too far. It's one of the few Veg/GF spots that would seem worthy of entertaining out of town folks but isn't costly and has food that won't annoy those who aren't Veg/GF.

Sola on Lincoln and Byron may be a good option - I know they can accommodate both.

Can Chinese be gluten-free? If so I would hit either Sun Wah or Lao Sze Chuan Uptown.

Both of these places have lovely food for vegetarians. I've done birthday gatherings at the former and I've dined at the other outposts of the later.

Please let us know what you choose.

I think Senza can accommodate both but I believe it is outside of your price range.

Oh wait, how about one of the Middle Eastern Places like Semiramis or Indian food on Devon?

Mana Food Bar looks interesting, though it may be too far. The vegetarian selections look great but are there many gluten free choices?

Not knowing much about gluten free dining, are there cuisines where you can count on having a couple of gluten free choices?

cleanplateclub wrote:Mama Food Bar looks interesting, though it may be too far. The vegetarian selections look great but are there many gluten free choices?

Not knowing much about gluten free dining, are there cuisines where you can count on having a couple of gluten free choices?

Mana does not serve animals. I think you should call and see if they fit the bill for GF diner.

Blind Faith?

pairs4life wrote:Can Chinese be gluten-free? If so I would hit either Sun Wah or Lao Sze Chuan Uptown.

If someone has Celiac they avoid Chinese because soy sauce can have gluten in it (we have a friend whose Celiac is triggered by even a small amount of soy sauce). Since the OP only says the wife "eats gluten free" it sounds like more of a choice than a medical issue, so Chinese would likely not be out of the question.

Mana advertises that they are GF friendly on their website. But calling will always be your best bet.

Mana has a separate gluten free menu.

Chicago Diner in Lakeview could easily accommodate your guests' dietary restrictions.

My daughter has had no cross-contamination issues with Uru Swati, and she orders from them frequently. It's gotta be one of the tastiest veg places around. I love the cold drink with cumin.

Uru-Swati
2629 W Devon, 773.262.5280

spinynorman99 wrote:

pairs4life wrote:Can Chinese be gluten-free? If so I would hit either Sun Wah or Lao Sze Chuan Uptown.

If someone has Celiac they avoid Chinese because soy sauce can have gluten in it (we have a friend whose Celiac is triggered by even a small amount of soy sauce). Since the OP only says the wife "eats gluten free" it sounds like more of a choice than a medical issue, so Chinese would likely not be out of the question.

Yes. My question was triggered by soy sauce. After looking at labels, I came to realize a lot of soy sauces have wheat. I was expecting just salt and some sort of fermented soy.

I am looking at Letizia’s Fiore Ristorante & Natural Bakery at 2456 N California Ave, Chicago, IL 60647. They have vegetarian dishes and advertise gluten free substitutes for the pasta. Has anyone been there? I've looked at the pictures but I cant tell what its like inside. Is it mostly a bakery with some seating or is it mostly a restaurant with a bakery counter?

Andies in Andersonville might be a good option. Lots of vegetarian and gluten-free menu items, including pita. Might also have a separate gluten-free menu.

pairs4life wrote:

spinynorman99 wrote:

pairs4life wrote:Can Chinese be gluten-free? If so I would hit either Sun Wah or Lao Sze Chuan Uptown.

If someone has Celiac they avoid Chinese because soy sauce can have gluten in it (we have a friend whose Celiac is triggered by even a small amount of soy sauce). Since the OP only says the wife "eats gluten free" it sounds like more of a choice than a medical issue, so Chinese would likely not be out of the question.

Yes. My question was triggered by soy sauce. After looking at labels, I came to realize a lot of soy sauces have wheat. I was expecting just salt and some sort of fermented soy.

Lao Sze Chuan can prepare gluten free. The staff is knowledgeable and will tell you which dishes are gluten free, and which can be made gluten free with some substitutions (such as omitting soy sauce). The Evanston location is better for this than the Skokie location.

As an aside, wheat is one of the main ingredients in most soy sauces. This includes all of the Chinese soy sauces AFAIK. Soy sauce made with pure soy and no wheat is made in Japan, and is normally labeled as tamari.

Found Kitchen in Evanston is another good option for both gluten free and vegetarian.

De Luciano's is a nice Italian place on Grand Avenue in Melrose Park that has a dedicated gluten free kitchen because so many of their family members have celiac. Their GF menu is huge and they have a regular menu too. They even have GF cannolis. Yum.

Wow. Thanks for all the great ideas! My friends ended up having to have dinner with family, so we ended up just going out for drinks. So even though I did not test out any ideas, I greatly appreciate the suggestions!