Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

Boston's North End Now Has gluten-free Options!

BostonCeliac

Recommended Posts

BostonCeliac Apprentice
BostonCeliac
Posted

Very exciting... I just spoke with the people at Marco on Hanover Street in Boston's North End, and they're now serving gluten free options!!!

They have 3 different kinds of gluten-free pasta, they have gluten-free flour to make fried items (although they warned me that they will use the same fryer, so for some, it may not be an option), AND - if you call at least 24 hours ahead of time, they will have gluten-free bread made!

Hooray! Finally -- a place in the North End for me to eat something other than Risotto (although I still love risotto)....

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


munkee41182 Explorer
munkee41182
Posted

I think I'm going to have to ask my future husband to take me out to dinner one night........

  • 3 weeks later...
BostonCeliac Apprentice
BostonCeliac
Posted
  • Author

**UPDATE ::

I wanted to let you all know --- I've now been to Marco TWICE, and it was amazing!

They are very aware & well educated on the diet, and they even ask about allergies/food issues when you call to make reservations.

The first time I went I didn't call early enough to get their gluten-free bread -- but i did last time - YUM. They order the ingredients online, and it's REALLY delicious. It's crunchy on the outside, they serve it warm with olive oil & an eggplant/pepper remolata-type thing - y u m.

The serve Glutino pasta (boiled in separate water) with all of their sauces... the Bolognese is excellent.

I also had their risotta because it's just too good to pass up - they do an amazing truffle & mushroom risotto -- and i'm hungry just thinking about it.

they also do all the fried items with gluten-free flours & breadcrumbs! They DO use the same oil though - for those that are sensitive, I've always been OK with that.

We had fried ricotta/mozzarella balls with pomodoro -- and then got the fried zucchini blossoms with warm ricotta inside on an arugala salad! YUUUUUUM again.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!!

Gemini Experienced
Gemini
Posted
**UPDATE ::

I wanted to let you all know --- I've now been to Marco TWICE, and it was amazing!

They are very aware & well educated on the diet, and they even ask about allergies/food issues when you call to make reservations.

The first time I went I didn't call early enough to get their gluten-free bread -- but i did last time - YUM. They order the ingredients online, and it's REALLY delicious. It's crunchy on the outside, they serve it warm with olive oil & an eggplant/pepper remolata-type thing - y u m.

The serve Glutino pasta (boiled in separate water) with all of their sauces... the Bolognese is excellent.

I also had their risotta because it's just too good to pass up - they do an amazing truffle & mushroom risotto -- and i'm hungry just thinking about it.

they also do all the fried items with gluten-free flours & breadcrumbs! They DO use the same oil though - for those that are sensitive, I've always been OK with that.

We had fried ricotta/mozzarella balls with pomodoro -- and then got the fried zucchini blossoms with warm ricotta inside on an arugala salad! YUUUUUUM again.

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!!!!

It was awfully nice of you to post this as I have not been down Hanover St. since I was diagnosed. It's gonna be tough to pass Mike's Pastry Shop and not go in!

Thank you for the head's up. I will have to try this place.

I would like to mention, though, and I hope you are not offended but it is NEVER good to eat food from a shared fryer, ever. By doing this, you will give the restaurant the wrong impression that this is OK. It is not a question of whether or not a person is sensitive.....every time you do this, you are incurring damage to your intestinal tract, whether you are symptomatic or not. It just seems counterproductive to go out of your way to eat gluten-free and then let your guard down to eat fried food from shared oil. :o

BostonCeliac Apprentice
BostonCeliac
Posted
  • Author
It was awfully nice of you to post this as I have not been down Hanover St. since I was diagnosed. It's gonna be tough to pass Mike's Pastry Shop and not go in!

Thank you for the head's up. I will have to try this place.

I would like to mention, though, and I hope you are not offended but it is NEVER good to eat food from a shared fryer, ever. By doing this, you will give the restaurant the wrong impression that this is OK. It is not a question of whether or not a person is sensitive.....every time you do this, you are incurring damage to your intestinal tract, whether you are symptomatic or not. It just seems counterproductive to go out of your way to eat gluten-free and then let your guard down to eat fried food from shared oil. :o

Hey Gemini --

It's an excellent point you bring up, and I was actually thinking about it over the weekend. The next time I go I will say something to the staff, although they ARE aware, and mentioned it several times to me.

I found out all of this gluten-free food started with the old general manager (who is no longer there) -- I don't think she had Celiac, but a gluten allergy....

Gemini Experienced
Gemini
Posted
Hey Gemini --

It's an excellent point you bring up, and I was actually thinking about it over the weekend. The next time I go I will say something to the staff, although they ARE aware, and mentioned it several times to me.

I found out all of this gluten-free food started with the old general manager (who is no longer there) -- I don't think she had Celiac, but a gluten allergy....

Glad I was able to get you thinking about it. Not trying to step on anyone's toes but I have had restaurant waitstaff ask me if I was one of those "sensitive" Celiacs who can't tolerate any exposure to gluten, i.e. shared oil, etc. I always have to do my spiel about how there is no such thing as a sensitive Celiac. If you are diagnosed or figure out gluten is a problem through dietary trials, then NO exposure to gluten is how it has to be, as far as what goes in my mouth. There are many people who cheat and they send a bad message to people trying to grasp the art of serving a Celiac in a restaurant. They think the ones that don't cheat are just being anal or something and that's not the case. Having a restaurant in the North End that caters to Celiacs is a Godsend and I want them to get it right so we can go there and pig out without worry! ;)

I was watching the Saturday cooking shows on PBS this past week-end and lo and behold, "Marco" was featured on the show with Todd English. They went into the kitchen and did a Marsala type of chicken dish that looked incredible. I am definitely going there as I really miss my North End dining!

  • 2 months later...
Char Apprentice
Char
Posted

Just to chime in -- Marco is amazing! I've been there twice now; definitely call there in advance to get the bread. The coolest thing is that their menu seems to change seasonally.

-Char

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Mtndog Collaborator
Mtndog
Posted

We'll have to go in and convince them to get a separate fryer for us- yahoo! Gluten free pasta in the North End.

Lombardi25 Apprentice
Lombardi25
Posted

I went about a month ago before a concert at the Bank of America Pavillion and it was phenomonal, I'm actually going back next week before a Celtics game, I love having an excuse to get into the city and eat there now haha. The bread was fantastic too, which is rare in my experiences thus far. If anyone ever goes searching for it just a word of advice, look closely for it. I ended up walking through the ENTIRE North End to only find out I had passed it about 30 minutes before haha. It's right on Hanover St. but there's only a really small sign that hangs off the side of the building and the restaurant is upstairs above an Italian cafe, so it's really easy to miss.

  • 3 weeks later...
BostonCeliac Apprentice
BostonCeliac
Posted
  • Author

Just thought I'd write again....

I've been there about 8 times since I wrote that first post - I LOVE IT!!! They really do know what they're doing there & the entire staff knows all about celiac. They all had to go through a training...

an UPDATE --- they may be doing a Gluten Free cooking class in the new year!!! I will post again if it happens, but the owner said he'd really like to try it -- they may even teach us how to roll our own gluten-free pasta (they don't do this yet, but are hoping to eventually)...

That bread is to die for!!

  • 2 months later...
PinkLady Newbie
PinkLady
Posted
Very exciting... I just spoke with the people at Marco on Hanover Street in Boston's North End, and they're now serving gluten free options!!!

They have 3 different kinds of gluten-free pasta, they have gluten-free flour to make fried items (although they warned me that they will use the same fryer, so for some, it may not be an option), AND - if you call at least 24 hours ahead of time, they will have gluten-free bread made!

Hooray! Finally -- a place in the North End for me to eat something other than Risotto (although I still love risotto)....

Hi,

thanks for the heads up...I have just been dx/ last week and live on the North shore of Boston...do you know of any people interested in a support group

perahps between Boston and North Shore along Rte. 1?

Thanks.

:Pink Lady

BostonCeliac Apprentice
BostonCeliac
Posted
  • Author
Hi,

thanks for the heads up...I have just been dx/ last week and live on the North shore of Boston...do you know of any people interested in a support group

perahps between Boston and North Shore along Rte. 1?

Thanks.

:Pink Lady

You might want to check out Meetup.com? I think there was one in Brookline for a while. There may be a North Shore one - or you could start it. Good luck!! There are a lot of options on the North Shore!

silk Contributor
silk
Posted

Oh how I envy you people. My family and I visited Boston about 1 1/2 years ago over the week of the 4th of July and absolutely fell in love with your city. I would love to come back. We stayed for 8 days and it was not nearly enough time. We visited before I was diagnosed so I was able to experience all of the wonderful foods you have to offer. One of the saddest realizations that I had after being diagnosed was knowing that I would never again be able to eat a lobster roll or enjoy the Clam Chowder (so buttery and delicious) at the Union Oyster House. And all of the great places to eat at in Fennuil(SP) Hall. And I think we visited Mike's Pastry shop and got the best cannolli I have ever had.

So it is really great to know that when we return again for a visit that there is a restaurant that actually serves gluten free food. When I was first diagnosed I thought traveling would never be an option for me again but I have done so a few times now and can always manage to find place that offers gluten free options.

Thanks again for the information.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Celiac.com:
    Join eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):



    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):



  • Recent Activity

    1. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      6

      Son's legs shaking

      Blood tests for thiamine are unreliable. The nutrients from your food get absorbed into the bloodstream and travel around the body. So, a steak dinner can falsely raise thiamine blood levels in the following days. Besides, thiamine is utilized inside cells where stores of thiamine are impossible to measure. A better test to ask for is the Erythrocyte...
    2. lizzie42
      - lizzie42 replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      6

      Son's legs shaking

      Neither of them were anemic 6 months after the Celiac diagnosis. His other vitamin levels (d, B12) were never low. My daughters levels were normal after the first 6 months. Is the thiamine test just called thiamine?
    3. knitty kitty
      - knitty kitty replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      6

      Son's legs shaking

      Yes, I do think they need a Thiamine supplement at least. Especially since they eat red meat only occasionally. Most fruits and vegetables are not good sources of Thiamine. Legumes (beans) do contain thiamine. Fruits and veggies do have some of the other B vitamins, but thiamine B 1 and Cobalamine B12 are mostly found in meats. Meat, especially organ...
    4. lizzie42
      - lizzie42 replied to lizzie42's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      6

      Son's legs shaking

      Thank you! That's helpful. My kids eat very little processed food. Tons of fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs and occasional red meat. We do a lot of rice and bean bowls, stir fry, etc. Do you think with all the fruits and vegetables they need a vitamin supplement? I feel like their diet is pretty healthy and balanced with very limited processed food....
    5. Scott Adams
      - Scott Adams replied to Russ H's topic in Celiac Disease Pre-Diagnosis, Testing & Symptoms
      1

      Anti-endomysial Antibody (EMA) Testing

      That is interesting, and it's the first time I heard about the umbilical cord beings used for that test. Thanks for sharing!
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):

  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      132,870
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    KABoston
    Newest Member
    KABoston
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.5k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):

  • Who's Online (See full list)

  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • knitty kitty
      Son's legs shaking

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Blood tests for thiamine are unreliable.  The nutrients from your food get absorbed into the bloodstream and travel around the body.  So, a steak dinner can falsely raise thiamine blood levels in the following days.  Besides, thiamine is utilized inside cells where stores of thiamine are impossible to measure. A better test to ask for is the Erythrocyte Transketolace Activity test.  But even that test has been questioned as to accuracy.  It is expensive and takes time to do.   Because of the discrepancies with thiamine tests and urgency with correcting thiamine deficiency, the World Health Organization recommends giving thiamine for several weeks and looking for health improvement.  Thiamine is water soluble, safe and nontoxic even in high doses.   Many doctors are not given sufficient education in nutrition and deficiency symptoms, and may not be familiar with how often they occur in Celiac disease.  B12 and Vitamin D can be stored for as long as a year in the liver, so not having deficiencies in these two vitamins is not a good indicator of the status of the other seven water soluble B vitamins.  It is possible to have deficiency symptoms BEFORE there's changes in the blood levels.   Ask your doctor about Benfotiamine, a form of thiamine that is better absorbed than Thiamine Mononitrate.  Thiamine Mononitrate is used in many vitamins because it is shelf-stable, a form of thiamine that won't break down sitting around on a store shelf.  This form is difficult for the body to turn into a usable form.  Only thirty percent is absorbed in the intestine, and less is actually used.   Thiamine interacts with all of the other B vitamins, so they should all be supplemented together.  Magnesium is needed to make life sustaining enzymes with thiamine, so a magnesium supplement should be added if magnesium levels are low.   Thiamine is water soluble, safe and nontoxic even in high doses.  There's no harm in trying.
    • lizzie42
      Son's legs shaking

      By lizzie42 · Posted

      Neither of them were anemic 6 months after the Celiac diagnosis. His other vitamin levels (d, B12) were never low. My daughters levels were normal after the first 6 months. Is the thiamine test just called thiamine? 
    • knitty kitty
      Son's legs shaking

      By knitty kitty · Posted

      Yes, I do think they need a Thiamine supplement at least. Especially since they eat red meat only occasionally. Most fruits and vegetables are not good sources of Thiamine.  Legumes (beans) do contain thiamine.  Fruits and veggies do have some of the other B vitamins, but thiamine B 1 and  Cobalamine B12 are mostly found in meats.  Meat, especially organ meats like liver, are the best sources of Thiamine, B12, and the six other B vitamins and important minerals like iron.   Thiamine has antibacterial and antiviral properties.  Thiamine is important to our immune systems.  We need more thiamine when we're physically ill or injured, when we're under stress emotionally, and when we exercise, especially outside in hot weather.  We need thiamine and other B vitamins like Niacin B 3 to keep our gastrointestinal tract healthy.  We can't store thiamine for very long.  We can get low in thiamine within three days.  Symptoms can appear suddenly when a high carbohydrate diet is consumed.  (Rice and beans are high in carbohydrates.)  A twenty percent increase in dietary thiamine causes an eighty percent increase in brain function, so symptoms can wax and wane depending on what one eats.  The earliest symptoms like fatigue and anxiety are easily contributed to other things or life events and dismissed.   Correcting nutritional deficiencies needs to be done quickly, especially in children, so their growth isn't stunted.  Nutritional deficiencies can affect intelligence.  Vitamin D deficiency can cause short stature and poor bone formation.   Is your son taking anything for the anemia?  Is the anemia caused by B12 or iron deficiency?  
    • lizzie42
      Son's legs shaking

      By lizzie42 · Posted

      Thank you! That's helpful. My kids eat very little processed food. Tons of fruit, vegetables, cheese, eggs and occasional red meat. We do a lot of rice and bean bowls, stir fry, etc.  Do you think with all the fruits and vegetables they need a vitamin supplement? I feel like their diet is pretty healthy and balanced with very limited processed food. The only processed food they eat regularly is a bowl of Cheerios here and there.  Could shaking legs be a symptom of just a one-time gluten exposure? I guess there's no way to know for sure if they're getting absolutely zero exposure because they do go to school a couple times a week. We do homeschool but my son does a shared school 2x a week and my daughter does a morning Pre-K 3 x a week.  At home our entire house is strictly gluten free and it is extremely rare for us to eat out. If we eat at someone else's house I usually just bring their food. When we have play dates we bring all the snacks, etc. I try to be really careful since they're still growing. They also, of course, catch kids viruses all the time so I  want to make sure I know whether they're just sick or they've had gluten. It can be pretty confusing when they're pretty young to even be explaining their symptoms! 
    • Scott Adams
      Anti-endomysial Antibody (EMA) Testing

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      That is interesting, and it's the first time I heard about the umbilical cord beings used for that test. Thanks for sharing!
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.