Chef Monica Glass is Boston’s gluten-free pastry magician. She and chef Ken Oringer opened Verveine, a completely gluten-free cafe and bakery, in 2024, and she’s been churning out baguettes, cinnamon buns, and hand pies ever since. The cafe is a haven for celiacs, but it’s become a crowd favorite among diners of all diets thanks to creative flavor profiles and regular specials.
Verveine exudes warmth and coziness. Painted in a sage green color scheme, the small space features an open kitchen in the front where folks in line can watch dough being shaped and biscuits getting cut. Choose from a large shared table, or (if you can get one) a bistro table that uses an old church pew as seating. Go on a weekday for dining in; seating is competitive on the weekends.
Verveine sells bags of its signature gluten-free pastry flour in small batches. If you’re not a natural baker, the team also offers banana bread flour and frozen pizza crusts for halfway-there recipes at home.