{"id":378362,"date":"2026-04-02T14:16:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-02T14:16:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/378362\/"},"modified":"2026-04-02T14:16:09","modified_gmt":"2026-04-02T14:16:09","slug":"a-food-writers-struggle-going-gluten-free","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/378362\/","title":{"rendered":"A food writer’s struggle going gluten free"},"content":{"rendered":"

Get Rhode Map<\/p>\n

A weekday briefing from veteran Rhode Island reporters, focused on the things that matter most in the Ocean State.<\/p>\n

\"BaguettesBaguettes at a bakery.Michel Euler\/Associated Press<\/p>\n

No, I don\u2019t have celiac disease (I was tested already), so it\u2019s just a sensitivity<\/a>. But it\u2019s one that makes you feel tired, bloated, and a little sick after eating gluten. It affects everything: My face was puffy when I ate gluten, brain fog and migraines made concentrating difficult, and my tummy would hurt for days.<\/p>\n

I tried eliminating everything else first, in denial that it would ever be my favorite foods that made me feel this way. Was it the dairy? The sugar? No, it was the gluten. <\/p>\n

In theory, keeping gluten out of my diet might sound manageable. Just a little lifestyle tweak, right? A minor inconvenience? In practice, it\u2019s a full-time mental exercise.<\/p>\n

Every meal now begins with reconnaissance. I scan menus differently, looking for clues: Could there be hidden flour in that sauce or gravy, breadcrumbs in a meatball, soy sauce in a marinade? I\u2019ve learned that gluten is less an ingredient and more a lifestyle choice that the food industry made on my behalf long ago. It\u2019s everywhere. It\u2019s sneaky. It\u2019s rich and decadent. It is, frankly, a little rude.<\/p>\n

Dining out, which used to be the easiest and absolutely most fun part of my job, has become a series of negotiations.<\/p>\n

\u201cIs this fried? Do you use a shared fryer?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you have gluten-free pasta?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cCan you not bread the eggplant?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you have Tamari for my sushi?\u201d<\/p>\n

There\u2019s a moment that I feel like every gluten-free person knows when the waiter has to go \u201ccheck with the kitchen.\u201d That\u2019s when you realize dinner just got complicated. <\/p>\n

\"ChefChef Giuseppe Bello puts Parmigiano cheese on the pasta “Gricia” during dinner at Saltimbocca restaurant.Antonio Masiello\/Getty<\/p>\n

Oftentimes, I find myself staring into the depths of the bread basket on the table, watching others frost their slices with copious amounts of butter. At many places, I desperately ask the server the question \u2013 \u201cwhat here is gluten free?\u201d \u2013 and I get a finger over the menu, circling around the salads. Great, I\u2019m a rabbit for the day.<\/p>\n

There is also the humiliation of realizing how much of your personality was built on bread. I make my own pasta at home, and even bought a shirt that says \u201cHOT GIRLS EAT BREAD.\u201d<\/a> I\u2019m an adventurous eater, who will try anything and everything once, who never met a carb she didn\u2019t like, and who believed the best way to get to know a place was to eat your way through it, and speak to the staff who run their eating establishments.<\/p>\n

Now, I am the person asking if the tortilla chips are truly gluten free, or just in spirit.<\/p>\n

By no means am I perfect with this new diet. Will I happily suffer after eating my favorite cacio e pepe at Oberlin, the roni island pizza (pepperoni, cherry peppers, and hot honey) from Pizza Marvin, bahn mi from Asian Bakery, a stack of pancakes from a diner, mole, dumplings around Boston\u2019s Chinatown? Yes, yes I will.<\/p>\n

\"VerveineVerveine is a gluten-free bakery in Cambridge.Jonathan Wiggs\/Globe Staff<\/p>\n

But I\u2019ve found some great spots that cater to these new needs: Verveine Cafe & Bakery<\/a> in Cambridge is an entirely gluten-free bakery, and their bread and ube brownies make me feel like I\u2019m not missing out on anything. Nicks on Broadway<\/a> in Providence has gluten-free crostini and biscuits that taste just as good as his \u201creal\u201d ones (no, really, they do). Eataly<\/a>, thankfully, has the best selection of gluten-free pastas I can find to make at home. And I\u2019ve been gravitating a lot toward Vietnamese food, much of which is naturally gluten free. Le Madeline<\/a> in Quincy and Gao<\/a> in Dorchester have been seeing a lot more of me. I\u2019m ordering poke bowls, crudo, and sushi, my true comfort food, more than ever. <\/p>\n

But it\u2019s different now. <\/p>\n

I obviously still love going out, and trying new food. But these days, before I take a bite, I find myself doing something I never used to do. I have to hesitate.<\/p>\n

Where do you eat gluten-free food? Send me recommendations from around New England at Alexa.Gagosz@globe.com<\/a>. <\/p>\n

You\u2019re reading The Food Club, the Globe\u2019s free weekly email newsletter about the restaurant scene in New England, and beyond. Get it sent to your inbox.<\/a><\/p>\n

Alexa Gagosz can be reached at alexa.gagosz@globe.com<\/a>. Follow her @alexagagosz<\/a> and on Instagram @AlexaGagosz<\/a>.<\/p>\n