The Other Side Cafe-boston, Ma

[sallyterpsichore]

Hi everyone,

I'm new here, despite learning about my celiac disease back in late Nov. (I was still dealing with moving, a new job, making friends, and now my new fun food problems). Anyway, it's looking like Boston is the perfect place to live if you are forced to deal with this mess that we deal with.

Has anyone been to a cafe on Newbury St. called "The Other Side"? A vegetarian friend told me about it and it's supposed to be very friendly to "alternative lifestyles" like vegans and people who actually enjoy wheat grass smoothies (blech). She was thinking they might be celiac-friendly. I'm crossing my fingers for this one since 1) I'm cheap and can't often afford PF Changs or The Elephant Walk 2) who wouldn't love a little cafe for hippies and artsy folk in the Back Bay? (I'm a writer...) 3) anywhere that caters to gluten-free folk, vegans, and vegetarians would be greatly appreciated as my new group of friends here have a slew of difficult diets.

I'll keep my eyes open for any new tasty places we can eat in return for your responses!

Thanks!

Sally

[powderprincess]

Hi Sally,

Welcome to the forums!

I love The Other Side cafe! It's a great place. I have eaten there since I have been vegan but I have not been there since being dg with celiac disease, too. They would be a great candidate for celiac friendly dining. I don't know what they offer now, but if enough of us ask them about it I am sure they will think about having celiac friendly items.

Elephant Walk is one of my favs, but only for a special occasion, they are little pricey for everyday eating.

Do you like Thai food? Find a place that does not use soy sauce (or find a place that will make a custom order without the soy sauce) and you can eat like a queen with a lot of their rice dishes. Chinese food places use more gluteny-sauces than Thai.

It can certainly be hard to adjust with all the new changes plus the new diet, but it will be so worth it! You'll get used to it eventually and feel so much better.

Jen

Hi everyone,

I'm new here, despite learning about my celiac disease back in late Nov. (I was still dealing with moving, a new job, making friends, and now my new fun food problems). Anyway, it's looking like Boston is the perfect place to live if you are forced to deal with this mess that we deal with.

Has anyone been to a cafe on Newbury St. called "The Other Side"? A vegetarian friend told me about it and it's supposed to be very friendly to "alternative lifestyles" like vegans and people who actually enjoy wheat grass smoothies (blech). She was thinking they might be celiac-friendly. I'm crossing my fingers for this one since 1) I'm cheap and can't often afford PF Changs or The Elephant Walk 2) who wouldn't love a little cafe for hippies and artsy folk in the Back Bay? (I'm a writer...) 3) anywhere that caters to gluten-free folk, vegans, and vegetarians would be greatly appreciated as my new group of friends here have a slew of difficult diets.

I'll keep my eyes open for any new tasty places we can eat in return for your responses!

Thanks!

Sally

[rbh]

I haven't been there yet, but there is a restuarant called "UBurger" in Kenmore Square that might be promising. They serve "healthy" fast food (burgers, chicken, fries) -- a bit like IN and Out. I spoke to one of the owners and it seemed as if a number of the items would work, including the fries -- apparently, the fryolater there is only for the fries. If you try it, let us know! Rochelle, Boston

[loriv]

Fire and Ice (both Harvard Square and Boston) is fun, yummy, and sensitive to all sorts of allergies, vegetarians, etc. You pick all the ingredients that you'd like and they cook them up for you. They have all types of sauces that can be added with ingredient lists for everything. Be sure to look at the ingredients for the sauces because some are listed as gluten-free but they have soy sauce in them. I informed the management that soy sauce is not usually gluten-free but they couldn't tell me if they were using a brand that was. Anyway, I'd recommend Fire and Ice for a fun and fairly inexpensive meal. Oh, it's also all you can eat!

[tiffjake]

I am going to Boston for a weekend trip with my best frinend in 2 weeks, and I am so glad I found this thread! We were planning on sticking to PF Changs and Legal Seafood for dinners, but I am interested in more "local" places. Do you guys know if those places are close to the Double Tree hotel? I have heard that most everything is in walking distance..... Thanks!

[NewGFMom]

check out the "Oxford Spa" on Oxford Street in Cambridge. They have fabulous sandwiches on gluten-free bread and really good gluten-free brownies and other baked goods. The owner's daughter is celiac and they seem to "get it." It's a very pleasant place to sit with a laptop if you're not there right over the lunch hour.

It's about a 10 minute walk from Harvard or Porter Square T.

[Sterndogg]

I second the Oxford Spa!!! Great spot.

B Good is also Celiac friendly - substitute the roll for veggies! The fries are baked and not fried.

Rialto in the Charles Hotel (Harvard Square) also has a celiac friendly menu (see previous post in this forum).

[Gemini]

There is a place in Cambridge that serves gluten-free sandwiches?!?!? I have to get me there soon!

Boston is a really good city for Celiacs and it's probably because Bostonians tend to be very well educated and we have many medical schools here. I have noticed that when I dine in Town, most waitstaff know what gluten is. You don't get that glazed over look you sometimes get from the non-initiated. You will also find that the more money you are willing to spend on a meal, the better off you will be as far as getting a truly exceptional meal that is gluten-free. It's good to know about the smaller places but, unless they have a Celiac in the family and I know they "get it", I tend not to eat there.

I just can't trust a 20 something, non-Celiac to understand cross contamination!

Thanks so much for recommending the Oxford Spa!

[loraleena]

Check out JP Seafood in Jamaica Plain (part of Boston). The waitstaff and cooks understand gluten free. There are a few safe things on the menu such as grilled salmon (get it pan-seared -yum). There is a pasta made of sweet potato that is safe. They will make their Sushi with brown rice and no vinegar. Yum. Bring your own soy sauce though. It is all Japanes/Korean food.

[powderprincess]

I am excited to try the Oxford Spa!

Also. . .Wagamama has a celiac friendly option that are very delicious. One in Gov't Center and Harvard Square.

Open Original Shared Link

J

[HPatt]

Hi everyone,

I'm new here, despite learning about my celiac disease back in late Nov. (I was still dealing with moving, a new job, making friends, and now my new fun food problems). Anyway, it's looking like Boston is the perfect place to live if you are forced to deal with this mess that we deal with.

Has anyone been to a cafe on Newbury St. called "The Other Side"? A vegetarian friend told me about it and it's supposed to be very friendly to "alternative lifestyles" like vegans and people who actually enjoy wheat grass smoothies (blech). She was thinking they might be celiac-friendly. I'm crossing my fingers for this one since 1) I'm cheap and can't often afford PF Changs or The Elephant Walk 2) who wouldn't love a little cafe for hippies and artsy folk in the Back Bay? (I'm a writer...) 3) anywhere that caters to gluten-free folk, vegans, and vegetarians would be greatly appreciated as my new group of friends here have a slew of difficult diets.

I'll keep my eyes open for any new tasty places we can eat in return for your responses!

Thanks!

Sally

[HPatt]

Hi everyone,

I'm new here, despite learning about my celiac disease back in late Nov. (I was still dealing with moving, a new job, making friends, and now my new fun food problems). Anyway, it's looking like Boston is the perfect place to live if you are forced to deal with this mess that we deal with.

Has anyone been to a cafe on Newbury St. called "The Other Side"? A vegetarian friend told me about it and it's supposed to be very friendly to "alternative lifestyles" like vegans and people who actually enjoy wheat grass smoothies (blech). She was thinking they might be celiac-friendly. I'm crossing my fingers for this one since 1) I'm cheap and can't often afford PF Changs or The Elephant Walk 2) who wouldn't love a little cafe for hippies and artsy folk in the Back Bay? (I'm a writer...) 3) anywhere that caters to gluten-free folk, vegans, and vegetarians would be greatly appreciated as my new group of friends here have a slew of difficult diets.

I'll keep my eyes open for any new tasty places we can eat in return for your responses!

Thanks!

Sally

[HPatt]

The Other Side recently added a Raw Foods menu section -- 6 menu items that are made strictly with raw ingredients; all are vegan and gluten free.

[sallyterpsichore]

I somehow lost this topic on here. Thanks for all the great responses, looks like i have some eating to do! Also, I posted already in the Boston area one, but I recommend Washington Square Tavern in Brookline (Washington Square..doh!) because the owner, staff, and cooks are aware of Celiac disease and can help you come up with something yummy to eat. Plus, they keep Redbridge in stock! Score!

~Sally

[tiffjake]

Just got home from Boston. The Elephant Walk was great! The PF Changs in the Theater District was also great. The Legal Seafoods in the Theater District was terrible!!!!!!!

[sallyterpsichore]

The Legal Seafoods in the Theater District was terrible!!!!!!!

In case you visit us again soon, I'd suggest going to the Legal Seafoods over at Longwharf...it's very touristy there, but it's right on the ocean and I have received great service both times I've gone.

[BostonCeliac]

Hi all -- thought I would throw in my two cents, I live here in Boston.

I HIGHLY recommend the Washington Square Tavern - Hooray for RedBridge!! One of the bartender's Mom has celiac, so he knows all about it - and everytime I go, they're very cool about checking.

A warning about Wagamama -- I ate there 4 times, and the last time I got very sick - and i'm sure it was the food there, even though I got a gluten free item. Just make sure you specify that you want it gluten free so they can be careful - that 4th time I just said the item, without saying anything about gluten-free (even though it's supposed to be gluten-free with no modifications)... BUT, it's very good!

Also - Neptune Oyster is a good option, in the North End, if you like seafood. It's pricey, but the cooks Mom has celiac and he is very accomodating about making things gluten-free. YUM, one of my faves, a bit pricey....

I always like PF changs... and O Sushi in Copley carries gluten-free soy sauce if you're into Sushi...

Have fun!!!

[Sterndogg]

FYI: The Otherside Cafe now has Harpoon's new Hard Cider on draft!!! Damn tasty!!

[melmak5]

Hot Off the Press

Mass. Ave.

Central Square

Cambridge, MA

(1/2 a block from the post office)

They have gluten free bread and English muffins.

My downstairs neighbors own the place and I nearly knocked the woman over with a hug when she told me they have gluten-free options.

They also do dairy-free fruit smoothies, which rock.

[BostonCeliac]

Thanks for the "Hot off the Press" recommendation!!! I plan on going ASAP... I miss Ruebens, wonder if I can get one there... yuuuumm.

I just sent a celiac friend to Oxford Spa (STILL haven't been yet) and she said she had the best sandwich there ever!

In other gluten-free restaurant news -- Went to a new place called Myers + Changs in the South End - they were extremely accomodating and marked up a menu with the options I could have. They were limited, but excellent. My server also said she was gluten intolerant. They didn't have gluten-free Tamari, which was strange - so I told them to get some - haha...

Also went to Douzo - they have gluten-free Soy sauce! hooray!

[mariella]

Hi I'm new, but I have another recommendation: Le's in Harvard Square. It's a Vietnamese restaurant and they are excellent: great food, many gluten-free selections and fast service. Also it's in the Garage, so there are a whole bunch of other restaurants right there, which means all your meat-and-potatoes type friends can get a cheeseburger across the way.

[Sterndogg]

Hi I'm new, but I have another recommendation: Le's in Harvard Square. It's a Vietnamese restaurant and they are excellent: great food, many gluten-free selections and fast service. Also it's in the Garage, so there are a whole bunch of other restaurants right there, which means all your meat-and-potatoes type friends can get a cheeseburger across the way.

The Oxford Spa is wonderful. I hit up Le's (used to be Pho Pasteur) at least once a week!! Better value than Wagamama in my opinion.