Gluten Free in Lake Tahoe

Every winter since moving to California, we have spent a long weekend in Lake Tahoe, so my husband can ski, and my daughters and I can go tubing.

Our favorite place to stay is the Marriott Grand Residence Club in Heavenly Village at South Lake Tahoe. There are plenty of options for gluten free dining at Heavenly Village, so you do not even need a car if you are staying there.

Gracie Jones' Gluten Free Bake Shop - Palo Alto, California

Update - Gracie Jones is permanently closed. Misfits Bakehouse, which is also 100% gluten free, has opened in the same space. 

Yesterday, I attended a Generation GF event hosted by Amy the Family Chef at Gracie Jones' Gluten Free Bake Shop in Palo Alto, California.

Gracie is the executive chef of Asian Box, a 100% fast causal chain in California. You can read my review here.

Pushkin's Bakery - Sacramento, California

On our way back from our trip to Lake Tahoe over President's Day weekend, we stopped at Pushkin's Bakery in Sacramento for lunch. I had hoped to dine at Pushkin's Restaurant, but it is closed on Mondays. Both the bakery and the restaurant are 100% gluten free.

Thankfully, Pushkin's Bakery has a sandwich menu, so we were not limited to baked goods for lunch. Everything at Pushkin's is gluten and dairy free, except the Monterey Jack and cheddar cheese you can add to any sandwich. There are no tables inside, but we were able to eat lunch at one of the tables outside on the sidewalk.

Primal Santa Cruz - Santa Cruz, California

September, 2019 Update - Primal Santa Cruz closed and reopened as Vida, which is also now closed

Two and a half years ago, we moved from Orlando, Florida to Santa Cruz County, California. Dining out around our new home has been a challenge at times, so I was so excited when I heard that Primal Santa Cruz, a 100% gluten free, grain free, soy free, non-GMO, organic, and refined sugar free restaurant was opening about 25 minutes from our house.

Primal Santa Cruz is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner seven days a week, and has a brunch menu on the weekend. For breakfast, lunch, and brunch, you place your order at the counter, receive a number to place on your table, and a server delivers your food when it is ready. For dinner, Primal Santa Cruz is a full service restaurant.

Gluten Free at Yosemite National Park

Over Mother's Day weekend, we visited Yosemite National Park for the first time.

Saturday morning, we ate an early breakfast at home, then drove to The Majestic Yosemite Hotel to have lunch.  We arrived an hour earlier than expected, but were disappointed that we were not seated until the time of our reservation, even though they seemed to have a lot of open tables.  While we waited, we walked around the hotel, and bought some cherries at the candy shop, which had a nice selection of gluten free snacks and sweets to choose from.

Gluten Free in Temecula, California

Over Christmas Break, we spent two nights in Temecula, California visiting with family before heading to Disneyland.  When I posted on Instagram that we were on our way to Temecula, gfmealsbymorgan gave me several restaurant suggestions, including E.A.T. - Extraordinary Artisan Table.

We loved E.A.T. so much, we actually stopped there three times in two days.  The first morning for breakfast, I asked our server the usual round of questions I ask at restaurants, to best insure that my food is safe from cross contamination.  They take all the right precautions at E.A.T., and they have plenty of great gluten free options to choose from.  Paleo and vegan options are available as well.

Fatamorgana Gelato - Los Angeles, California

On our drive home from Disneyland yesterday, we stopped at Fatamorgana Gelato in Studio City.

The founder of Fatamorgana Gelato has celiac disease, so everything in the shop is 100% gluten free.

Stacks - Campbell, California

This weekend, we had brunch at Stacks in Campbell, California with friends. The reviews on the Find Me Gluten Free app were all positive, so I was excited to try it.

Their gluten free menu is extensive, but right away, I narrowed in on their gluten free Belgian waffles. It is hard to find safe gluten free waffles outside of Disney World or Disneyland, so I was excited to try them.

Veg on the Edge - Santa Cruz, California

Yesterday, we had lunch at Veg on the Edge in Santa Cruz, California.  Veg on the Edge, a 100% gluten free, vegan and kosher restaurant, is located inside Abbott Square Market in the downtown area, and serves West African-inspired cuisine.

I first learned about Veg on the Edge when they opened a few months ago, but heard they shared space with a pizza restaurant, and that there could be flour in the air.  Abbott Square Market does house several fast causal restaurants, but there is a wall completely separating Veg on the Edge from the neighboring pizza restaurant, and after watching pizzas being made at Pizzeria la Bufala for over half an hour, I did not see anything to be concerned about, but as always, you should decide where you feel comfortable dining.

Gluten Free in San Francisco

Since moving to California last July, we have been to San Francisco four times.  It is an hour and a half from where we live, so it makes for a fun day trip.

We always eat breakfast at Mariposa's San Francisco Ferry Building Bakeshop, which you can read about here.  Last weekend, my husband and I split a Pain au Chocolat and an apple turnover, my new favorite pastry at Mariposa.  When we lived in Orlando, I used to order the Pain au Chocolat online.  Mariposa does ship a selection of their baked goods, but they are best fresh from one of their bakeshops.

Copita Tequileria y Comida - Sausalito, California

On our drive to Napa over Easter break, we stopped in Sausalito, which is across the bay from San Francisco.

We decided to have lunch at Copita Tequileria y Comida, because their lunch and dinner menus are 100% gluten free, and they had great reviews on the Find Me Gluten Free app.

Gluten Free in Napa, California

Over Easter break, we spent three nights in Napa, California.  My husband and I stayed at Inn on Randolph, an amazing 100% gluten free bed and breakfast.  You can read my review here.

If we lived closer to Napa, I would probably eat at C CASA once a week.

Inn on Randolph - Napa, California

Over Easter break, we spent three nights at Inn on Randolph, a 100% gluten free bed and breakfast in Napa, California.

Inn on Randolph, a Victorian home dating back to the 1860's, is located in Napa's largest residential historic district, and has 5 cottages and 5 historic inn rooms to choose from.

California Burger Co. - Lake Tahoe

Yesterday, we had dinner at California Burger Co. at Heavenly Village in South Lake Tahoe.  This is our second visit to Lake Tahoe since moving to California.

On their regular menu, which you can view here, California Burger Co. has an asterisk next to every menu item that can be made gluten free.

Azul Latin Kitchen - Lake Tahoe

Yesterday, we had lunch at Azul Latin Kitchen at Heavenly Village in South Lake Tahoe.  This is our second visit to Lake Tahoe since moving to California.

Azul Latin Kitchen has a gluten free menu with plenty of options to choose from.

See's Candies

I have loved See's Candies since I was a teenager.  My dad used to bring home a huge box of See's Candies from work around Christmas, and we had so much fun sampling everything.

The past two weekends, we stopped at the See's Candies shop in Capitola, California to do some Valentine's Day shopping.

Maggiano's Little Italy - San Jose, California

Earlier today, we had lunch at Maggiano's Little Italy at Santana Row in San Jose.  Since moving to California six months ago, we have dined at this location four times.  Maggiano's was a favorite of ours when we lived in Orlando too, and you can read my reviews of their International Drive restaurant here.

My daughters and I first dined at the Maggiano's in San Jose a couple of days after we arrived in California, because my husband had a business meeting there.  I love that most servers at Maggiano's ask if anyone has food allergies, and they send a chef to the table to talk to you.

Laili Restaurant - Santa Cruz, California

On Saturday, we had lunch at Laili Restaurant in downtown Santa Cruz.  Laili's cuisine features Mediterranean flavors with an Afghan twist.  This restaurant was recommended to me by the owner of Melinda's Gluten Free, our favorite local gluten free bakery.

Laili Restaurant does not have a gluten free menu, but our server was pretty knowledgeable about gluten free options, and when  she wasn't sure about something, she checked with the kitchen.

Din Tai Fung

The last day of our Christmas Break, we had lunch at Din Tai Fung in Westfield Valley Fair mall in San Jose, California.

At this location, if you want to sit at a table, you have to make a reservation.  Bar seating is available for walk-ups, but our server told us that you could wait several hours to be seated, so I definitely recommend making a reservation if you want to dine at Din Tai Fung.

Roy's at Pebble Beach

On Christmas day, we had a late lunch at Roy's at Pebble Beach.  Right after we moved to California in July, we had reservations to celebrate our 15th anniversary at Roy's, but ended up cancelling them because of smoke from the Soberanes Fire.  We chose this restaurant to celebrate our anniversary, because Roy's was our favorite restaurant on our honeymoon in Hawaii.  We ate at Roy's on Kauai and Maui, and always had their amazing chocolate souffle, which is described as a flourless chocolate cake with a molten hot center, raspberry coulis, and vanilla bean ice cream.  I knew the souffle was gluten free, because I have eaten it at Roy's in Orlando, and it is listed on Roy's gluten free menu, which you can view here.

Our meal started with complimentary edamame, which my family devoured before I  had a chance to ask if it was gluten free.  Right away, we did ask our server about the chocolate souffle, because it takes a while to prepare.  Imagine my disappointment when I found out that they do not use the same recipe as other Roy's restaurants, and that it has flour in it, so it is not gluten free.  It turns out that the Roy's at Pebble Beach is an independent restaurant that is run by Pebble Beach Resorts.  They did not have a gluten free menu, but gluten free options were listed on their regular menu.