I know that I’ve reviewed this place before (in Sep 2007). Nevertheless, this very local and very cool casual Portland coffee shop that just-so-happens to have a small all gluten-free bakery still amazes me every time I go. Since I went in 2007, they’ve got more space (I think) and are selling some pre-made gluten-free supplies like Ener-g Foods gourmet GF crackers, GF pretzels, and alternative milks, as well as some GF certified oats. But the real reason to go remains the amazing baked goods. Last time I was wowed by their gluten-free chocolate chip cookies… Let’s see, how did it go? “Congrats to the brillig baker at Coffee Plant for single handedly creating the PERFECT chocolate chip cookie. Can I give a 10/10 again? Is that bad? It was a darned tasty cookie.” It is still a delicious cookie. This time the DH got into the cookie chomping action and I found him wanting more than his fair half of MY gluten-free cookie! I had to send him back to the front to buy more. According to him, they are indistinguishable from gluten chocolate-chip cookies, and darned fine cookies at that. We also tried a day-old double chocolate chip cookie from them that was just as good two days later. I love the nice, big chocolate chips they use, and the flour mixture is perfect.

One thing that was DIFFERENT this time is that we went earlier and so they hadn’t sold out of anything yet.
They had two main offerings on their menu; a spicy vegetarian black bean soup, and a quiche, along with all the items in their bakery case and things in a small refrigerator case.

I hadn’t had breakfast, so I was ready to do some serious damage. I ordered the soup AND a quiche and figured I’d share with the DH. They heated both up for me, and I was thrilled with both. The soup was complex and rich, with a serious spicy kick, and it tasted deliciously vegetarian and it was perfectly to my taste. It was served with Ener-g Foods GF Gourmet crackers and I couldn’t have been happier with the combination. The quiche had a delicious gluten-free crust that was the perfect thickness, and nicely rich. It also complimented the cheesy quiche filling quite nicely. Both went well with the Coffee Plant’s lovely chai and half of a gluten-free chocolate chip cookie. But then, most things do go well with chocolate chip cookies.

Since we were traveling by gypsy van (RV camper to you) and had a small refrigerator, I decided to purchase their gluten-free vegetarian wrap and gluten-free Cabbage Salad with Gingered Tofu to take with us. We also picked up some cookies and some of their famed gluten-free scones. In this case, I bought the walnut scone and chocolate chip scone.

How was the wrap? Well, first, if you’ll recall, I absolutely loved their gluten-free sandwiches, but alas, they don’t seem to offer them any more. It does seem that you can get a loaf of their bread IF you request it ahead of time, but they don’t seem to keep it on hand. I was excited to see the wrap, and very curious about the mediterranean filling. Unfortunately, when I actually tried it, I was a bit disappointed. The wrap was quite egg-tasting and there was a strangely sweet element that somehow clashed with the savory feta-tomato filling. I only ate half, and the rest went to waste. The cabbage salad with gingered tofu was a bit more to my taste but the tofu had a rather heavy and flat flavor that I didn’t completely love. I would try anything they offered, and love that there are so many vegetarian options, but I really wish they still had their gluten-free sandwiches. Next time I’ll have to order their bread and make some of my own…

The cookies were perfection, as I mentioned, and the scones were also delicious. The DH said they tasted just like gluten scones (seems to be a theme with this place)- all I know is that they are the best gluten-free scones I’ve ever had.

On the Coffee Plant’s website, it states that:
“Currently, in addition to our gluten-free cafe at 5915 SW Corbett Avenue, you can enjoy our gf coffeecakes and granola at The Fresh Pot Hawthorne (3729 SE Hawthorne) and a selection of gf pastries at Coffee Plant Downtown (724 SW Washington Street). And now, Divine Cafe (located in NCNM campus in Southwest Portland) as well as Food Front Hillsdale are selling our gluten-free goodies. Hooray!”

So, if you find yourself at another Coffee Plant location or other coffee shops, you can still enjoy some delicious gluten-free goodies!

My Sep 2007 Post Reviewing Corbett Coffee Plant


News from the Corbett Fish House and its gluten-free cousin the Hawthorne Fish House:
They now have gluten-free hamburger buns, as well as a gluten-free locally made vegetarian burger. So even strict vegetarians (non-pescatarians) can enjoy their fries and a burger as well as an extensive gluten-free dessert menu. yeah!

My earlier (pescatarian) post reviewing items at Corbett Fish House and Hawthorne Fish House
Hawthorne Fish House Web Page
Corbett Fish House Web Page

Looking for more gluten-free bakeries in Portland?
I got a hot tip from another Coffee Plant Customer that a new gluten-free baking team is rising on the horizon- New Cascadia Traditional According to their site, their “retail location is in NW Portland on NW Glisan just West of NW 21st Ave, next to Trader Joes and in front of Sammy’s Flowers. We can also be found at the PSU and Eastbank Portland Farmers Markets.” They are a dedicated gluten-free bakery that uses the newer and more nutritional flours to make hand crafted artisan breads, pastries and gourmet cookies. (They don’t use soy or bean flours, however.)
You can reach them by Phone at: 503.887.4392
And their hours as posted on their web site are:
Tuesday – Friday 11:00a.m. to 6:00p.m.
Saturday 9:30a.m. to 5:30p.m.
(I do hear they sell out early, so call to verify that they have the products you are interested in.)

Also, here is my recent review of the Gluten-Free Products available for bulk order through Angeline’s dedicated gf Bakery in Portland

So, there you have it- proof that Portland, Oregon really is the gluten-free mecca of the United States. *Sigh*

In my opinion, the real star products of Angeline’s Bakery are their gluten-free breads. Their best seller is their White Rice Sandwich Bread, but they also have an Orange Cinnamon Swirl Rice Bread, and a Brown Rice Millet Poppy Bread. Thank goodness Paul took pity on me, drooling as I was over those heavenly smelling cinnamon breads cooling by the door, and let me try a loaf. To my mind, this is their most unique and delightful product, and would be something I would be thrilled to see in national distribution. My picky glutenoid DH also gave a very big thumbs up to this flavorful, orange and cinnamon infused loaf, and we enjoyed it as morning toast and also in absolutely divine french toast. I would give it a 9/10 for flavor, texture, and overall yuminess, and would recommend it to anyone. I would even consider ordering a case of it, if I had the freezer space to store it. The white rice sandwich bread was good even two days after baking, and could almost be eaten untoasted. I did prefer it slightly toasted. It made an excellent sandwich bread and was nice eaten simply with butter or jam as well. If it were convenient to buy in a local market, I would occasionally pick one up to have on hand, although I do favor homemade gluten-free bread recipes. I would give it a 7/10, and the DH found it fine in sandwiches but not especially memorable. I have a feeling that I would have loved the brown rice bread, but unfortunately I was not able to try it. Its flavor combination of brown rice flour, millet, rice bran, poppy seeds sounds quite delicious and hearty. If anyone reading this has had the opportunity to try their brown rice bread, do share your impressions in the comments.

Angeline’s cinnamon toast with eggs, and Angeline’s white rice bread in tofu egg salad sandwiches and cream cheese, avocado, tomato basil sandwiches.

My second favorite product offered by Angeline’s is probably their gluten-free brownie. I like a very fudgey brownie, and while these brownies weren’t as fudgey and rich as Mariposa brownies (my absolute favorite gluten-free brownie), they were quite decadent and delicious. At $24 for 12, these brownies are about half the price of Mariposa Brownies, so if shipping costs weren’t a consideration, I would definitely consider buying some. If any of my local coffee shops carried them, I’m afraid I would definitely be eating more than is good for me. I would give them a 7.5/10.

Angeline’s has four beautiful varieties of gluten-free cookies, and it was a real treat to get to see these beauties cooling on a baking dish fresh out of the oven. They looked just as gorgeous as any gluten cookie. The DH and I were very excited to try them. Upon tasting, we found that our favorites were probably the chocolate chip cookie, followed by the peanut butter cookie. I enjoyed the snickerdoodle and the ginger cookie, and thought they all had a very nice texture, but I’m afraid they did not entirely pass the glutenoid test. The DH had a bite of each variety but said they tasted rather gluten-free. He especially did not care for the snickerdoodle, and commented about some “gluten-free” aftertaste. I thought he might have been objecting to the flavor of the baking powder, but he couldn’t identify it specifically. I would buy one of these cookies if I found it in a local coffee shop, but I probably wouldn’t personally order them in bulk.

I was very happy to try Angeline’s marionberry scone and very much enjoyed the fresh fruit element. I could taste the pure gluten-free rice flours, which happen to be flavors that I enjoy, but pleasant as it was to my taste buds, it was definitely not a baked good to win over reluctant glutenoids. I might pick one up with my coffee when I wanted a simple treat, but I wouldn’t order them in quantity.

You can order these products online and have them delivered to you through this online order form for Angeline’s GF Products

It is also possible if you live in or are visiting Portland, to order a case or so of their products and pick it up AT the bakery but you must give them as much lead time as possible, as they are very busy actually baking the products and it will take time for them to fill your order. (If you purchase through Fred Myer or other health food stores, as I understand it the product will have been frozen and possibly defrosted. You’ll get a much fresher product directly through the bakery.)

As their web site states,
“If you live in the Portland area and would like to pick up your retail order, call the Bakery to arrange for pickup (do not drop-in, please!) and the shipping coupon code. You will then place your order and pay for it online, without shipping cost.”
The Portland Bakery telephone number is: 503-236-2323

If you’re lucky enough to live near a health food store that carries their frozen bake products, you can try them as well. I haven’t tried them, but their Cheddar Chive Scones and Lemon Poppy Scones look quite intriguing and a little different than the competition. In general I’m not entirely sold on frozen cookie dough, which is the majority of their other offerings, as at least in the bay area, prices are often prohibitively high for what you get.. Usually homemade cookies are better and certainly a lot cheaper, but I will have to reserve judgment until I actually try their treats myself.

If you happen to be in Sisters, Oregon you can try to stop by their retail cafe location, but they do have a rather limited menu, so it might be just as effective to visit local Portland health food stores or make an order with the Portland gluten-free bakery.

Recipe using Gluten-Free Cinnamon Bread
For this post, I thought I’d share the french toast recipe I came up with on the road, using Angeline’s delicious gluten free orange cinnamon bread. I didn’t have any spices or things like vanilla, so I adapted around the ingredients in our RV pantry. The results were delicious and I hope you enjoy the recipe.

Gluten Free Honey Vanilla Cinnamon French Toast Recipe with Candied Walnuts Breakfast  Alternative Grains  American

Ingredients 2 eggs, beaten 1 or 2 tbsp. milk 1 tbsp. high quality vanilla yogurt with real vanilla 1 tsp. peach flavored honey (or other favorite flavored honey) 4 or more pieces of gluten-free cinnamon bread, such as Angeline’s Orange Cinnamon Bread butter for pan handful of walnuts more honey or brown sugar Directions Combine eggs, milk, yogurt and honey in a bowl and whisk until smooth. It may help to warm the honey slightly so that it dissolves. Put mixture in a suitable dish so that you can soak the bread in it, first soaking one side and then the other. Heat a little butter in a nonstick pan and gently pan fry the french toast. Turn when golden brown and remove from pan when both sides are browned to taste. In an empty space of the pan or a separate pan, heat a little butter and add your walnuts. Lightly toast them and drizzle with a little honey or sugar, turning. Be careful not to let them burn! Serve your french toast with butter and maple syrup if you like, although it will already be naturally sweet. Sprinkle with the caramelized walnuts and add some fresh fruit on the side. Enjoy!

Rating:  8 Original Source:  Contents of my brain, please do not replicate anywhere without my permission. Recipe ID:  1397 Added:  April 22, 2009 Last Modified:  April 23, 2009

In the process of researching gluten free restaurants in Portland, Oregon I happened upon a review of a coffee shop next door to the Corbett Fish House. Reportedly this place had begun serving gluten free baked goods along with their coffee some time back, and they even had a dedicated kitchen. I was intrigued, and thought that since we were going to Corbett Fish House anyway we could pick up snacks for the road from them. I was hopeful, but I’d been disappointed before by lackluster “gluten free” coffee shops. Spica in Mountain View comes to mind. But when we walked up to this charming, neighborhood coffee shop and saw the adorable sign out front with “Gluten Free” written inside a heart, I had a good feeling about this place. I never know sometimes how gluten free a place really is until I get there. Often we’re lucky to have a shelf set aside for special baked goods, and sometimes those goods are simply pre-packaged things. In this case, the more I looked around and asked questions, the more excited I became. First off, there was a menu by the cash register with the following things available that day:

Sample Menu:
Sandwiches: Veggie- cheese, mustard, carrot, red pepper, tomato and greens
Turkey- Cheddar, Turkey, Tomato, Mustard, and Greens
Ham and Swiss- Ham, Swiss Cheese, Mustard

Quiche: Feta, Calamata Olives, Pine Nuts, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Carrots (note: sells out early in the day)

As you can imagine, I was thrilled by the quiche, but alas, it had already sold out that day. Doh. But the menu listed sandwiches. Really? Sandwiches? “Are they gluten free?” I asked nervously. “Oh yes, everything baked here is gluten free,” the barista said calmly, no doubt used to the incredulity of giddy gluten free shoppers. I wanted to interrogate the poor guy more, but instead gazed dizzily around. The sandwiches were neatly tucked away inside a refrigerator case, just like “Real” sandwiches. Since we were planning to drive all the way home to Mountain View that night, a packed sandwich to go sounded perfect. And best of all, they had a veggie sandwich. I am always depressed by places that offer tons of gluten free meat dishes and no savory vegetarian offerings. I looked around the shop. There was a shelf with packaged gluten free snacks- bumblebee bars, ener-g pretzels, that sort of thing. By the register there was also a lovely little glass display of GF baked goods with a blueberry coffee cake, apple scone, apple coffee cake, and rich chocolate cookies. YUM, YUM, YUM. Because I have no willpower, I bought one of each to try! (Not to eat all at once, silly. I planned to take them home to Mountain View.)

DH lovingly set up my purchases in the dimly lit coffee shop for a photo. So sweet! So badly lit! Oh well. Hopefully you can feel the warm, groovy coffee shop vibe in the photo. From left, the edge of a pumpkin pie. I didn’t take a very good photo of it, but it ended up being my least favorite treat, so I suppose it’s all right. I found the crust to be too thick, and it was the only thing that tasted “gluten free” to my scrupulous taste buds. I do love that they offered a seasonal pie, though, as I know first hand what a pain gluten free pie crust can be. Front and center you can see a huge, chocolate cookie. Poor little cookie never stood a chance. It got gobbled before we were even fully out of Portland. All I can say is YUM, YUM, and SUPER YUM! Congrats to the brillig baker at Coffee Plant for single handedly creating the PERFECT chocolate chip cookie. Can I give a 10/10 again? Is that bad? It was a darned tasty cookie. To the right, the only “oops” of my purchase- an apple crumble scone/cake that looked super delish but turned out to be topped with gluten-free oats. I’m sure it was fab. but because I didn’t really want to test out oats for the first time while on the road (or even just back from a road trip), I ended up exchanging it for the blueberry coffee cake that was topped with almonds. Did I mention that the barista at Coffee plant was really nice? And when I called them on the phone to ask a few additional questions before writing this post, they were really nice again. Gosh, I love people in Portland. Anyway, just one more reason to give them your business. (Products topped with oats are not labeled, so ask if you don’t want something with oats.) Note the beautiful latte in the background, decorated with a lovely leaf squiggle. *sigh* It was darned fine coffee as well as pretty coffee, being made from Portland’s own pride and joy Stumptown Coffee, a local company that hand roasts its coffee in small batches.

I think I mentioned the veggie sandwich already, right? I loved the fact that they even had a veggie sandwich, much less one with cheese, mustard, grated carrot, red pepper, tomato and greens on perfectly sliced bread and wrapped in tidy saran wrap for the Celiac on the go. I’ve had a few veggie sandwiches in my time- Spica has a processed cheese melt, and The Farmer’s Cafe has a portobello sandwich with pesto that is pretty tasty. But this sandwich blew them all away. First off, the bread looked so good I was honestly afraid there had been a mistake and it contained gluten. Eating bread that I didn’t make is always a bit intimidating, especially without a label of ingredients to read and read again. But, with the assurances of the cafe barista ringing in my ears, I braved it and took a bite. That was one DELICIOUS sandwich. I offered DH a bite, saying anxiously, “Gluten free, right?” He took a bite and paused. “Um, I don’t know,” he said. Yes, you heard it right. The glutenoid COULD NOT TELL it was a gluten free sandwich. And, if you’re worried- it WAS! I felt no ill effects after gobbling the whole thing down as my dinner later. The smokey cheese, mustard, plentiful veggies- awesome bread… It may be the best sandwich I ever had, even including my homemade creations. That puppy was made by someone who 1) understands gluten free baking 2) understands vegetarian flavors and 3) made my tummy happy! Sorry, couldn’t resist the last bit. Yum. I want another, please. I immediately wanted to know what flours they used. Bean flour? Sorghum?? I called the cafe later and asked about flours, and was told they use a combo of rice flour, tapioca, and potato starch. Awesome. I think the secret to their bread may be that they bake their products every day. Good gluten free bread is generally palatable un-toasted the first day it is baked- and this bread was Very, Very palatable. Mmm. 10/10 for the best gluten-free veggie sandwich EVER, thank you very much.

Later I enjoyed some blueberry coffee cake at home, and I was impressed with the spongy texture, delicious apples baked into the batter, and the excellent flavor. I’m not that huge on cake, actually, so I would give it an entirely subjective 7.5/10 but if you love apple coffee cake you will love this cake!

And last, but definitely not least, was the absolutely scrumptious apple scone that I enjoyed. I don’t know how much butter/ oil/yum making ingredient was in there, and I don’t think I want to know- but it was darned tasty, and exactly how I imagined a scone could be. And… hold on to your hats here- it was better than any scone I’ve made at home. Shocking, I’m sure, but there you have it. A billion kudos and kisses thrown to the master baker at the Coffee Plant. She (?) has surpassed the baked goods sold at many gluten free bakeries, and certainly surpassed most packaged products. I hope they hang on to her for dear life, ’cause her gluten free creations are simply brilliant. And I can’t wait to be back to have another sandwich and… fingers crossed… try that oh so yum sounding quiche. Ah yes, and a 9.5/10 for the scone. I would give it a 10, but took off half a point for the caloric guilt I felt after consuming it. Gotta be stingy with those tens or they might lose all meaning… ;)

So what are you waiting for? Clearly Portland is THE Gluten-Free Destination of the Northwest. If you haven’t been there lately, you haven’t been there- ’cause according to reports the Coffee Plant just keeps getting better and better. Oh, one word to the wise- the Corbett location is the only one offering all these fab. GF items. You will be sad, sad, sad and hungry at the downtown branch of the Coffee Plant- I believe they do not carry any gluten-free goodies, so you’ll have to console yourself with a tasty latte if you go there. I’m already planning my return, so…See you in Portland!

Portland Metro GIG List of Restaurants
Article from 52perfectdays.com Portland’s Gluten-Free Scene

While you’re in Portland, check out the Gluten Free Restaurant Grolla featuring Pacific Northwest/Mediterranean Cuisine!
Here is a recent review by the Celiac Chicks

Alt. titles for this Post:
Why you should run, not walk, to Portland Oregon as Fast as your Gluten Free Legs will Carry You
OR How my diet went down the drain in two yummy stops

For a few years now, I’ve been eating my heart out because of all the wonderful gluten free restaurant options in New York City. I’ve read about all the wonderful restaurants there, especially Risotteria, and turned green with envy. I’ve also been nurturing a jealousy of celiacs in Scotland and the UK, where I hear you can get gluten free fish and chips all over the place. But very recently I realized that I had been overlooking some extraordinary gluten free dining opportunities in my own part of the US, the northwest. I made an exciting discovery a few weeks ago- a discovery that made me jump up and down, scream and do a gluten free happy dance. I was planning a road trip to Anacortes, Washington and thinking about places to stop along the way. I have a deep love for Reed College and Portland, Oregon, where I lived very happily from 1994-1998, and whenever possible I try to stop by Portland and get in touch with my inner college bohemian. (Poor thing, she’s dying a long and drawn out death here in Silicon Valley..) I sent out a call to the gluten free community at the Yahoo group SillyYaks asking for gluten free restaurant recommendations along our Northwest route through Portland, the Seattle area, and Eastern Washington. Almost immediately I got a response, telling me about this little gluten free fish and chips place in Portland. WHAT???!!! Gluten Free fish and chips in my beloved almost-hometown? They didn’t have that when I lived there! I did some research. Turns out they really didn’t have gluten free fish and chips in Portland when I lived there. I had to make do with the allergy friendly and slightly bland restaurant Old Wives Tales, for my gluten free dining. Here’s the story:

“Greg Boyce grew up in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where Friday night fish fries are a tradition and a ritual. Since moving to Portland in 1980, he had searched the area, without success, for the kind of fish fry that taverns in the Midwest serve: freshwater fish, thinly breaded (instead of heavily battered).” (Source: restaurant’s About Us page) So, he and Dana Boyce decided to open their own fish fry restaurant. When they were initially experimenting with fish fry recipes for their new restaurant, they found that rice flour resulted in the best fish fry. A customer suggested that they take the menu gluten free, and the owners brought in experts to teach them about gluten and cross contamination. And thus, an amazing gluten free friendly fish and chips place restaurant was born! They are even certified by GFRAP. They opened the Corbett Fish House on Oct. 1, 2002 to instant acclaim and later purchased an additional site at Hawthorne, a hip Portland shopping area. (Source: Celiac Chick Kim’s great review of the place in 2004)

Hawthorne Fish House
4343 Se Hawthorne Blvd
Portland, OR 97215-3162, US
503-548-4434

The First Meal Since usually my biggest problem is finding something on a menu I can eat, being faced with a menu where I can eat almost anything listed is overwhelming. I was completely giddy, but also paralyzed with indecision. There were tons of things I really wanted to order, but DH helped me focus. I was able to narrow down my order to the following items, comforting myself with the thought that we would return on our way back from Anacortes.

Oyster Shooters $1.25 each or 3 for $3 Their oyster shooters are a decent deal, considering you get one large or two small oysters per shooter. They use their tangy horseradish cocktail sauce underneath and above the oysters to compliment the “shot”… and slivers of lemon add additional tang. They were super tasty and perfectly satisfied my idea of what raw oyster shooters should be like. 9/10

Deep Fried Cheese Curds $6.50 for a HUGE portion These Wisconsin style fried cheese curds are made with local Tillamook curds and were squeaky, cheesy, and felt OH SO BAD, but in a good way. To be honest, with all the food we ordered, we only nibbled at them, but I was thrilled to get a chance to try such a crazy, sports bar appetizer. DH lurved them, and I thought they were good but SUPER rich. for me, 6/10, but they were fabulous with some Redbridge! They were probably an 8/10 for DH.

New England Clam Chowder cup $3.75 Who can resist a delicious, delicious bowl of perfect clam chowder? When I first discovered New England Clam Chowder in college, I made it every three days for weeks until my boyfriend protested. After that I just made it once a week or every other week or so.. but man, do I love clam chowder. It was one of the few foods I missed as a strict vegetarian. This is the ideal clam chowder- as one review said, somehow they manage to keep the clams tender and not chewy, and the flavor and cream sauce is absolutely perfect. We ordered it here and at Corbett Fish house later- DH just can’t resist a tasty bowl of chowder! 9.5/10

Soup of the Day: Crab Pepper Cheese When I asked the server for recommendations he said that the soup of the day was one of his favorite things on the menu. Apparently in the kitchen they call it “Crack Soup” because they love it soooo much. Those crazy boys. Anyway, this is some seriously rich, rich soup… I think in my college days I would have flipped over this spicy cheesy soup. It was really good even now, but I think my palate has changed and I don’t usually indulge in such creamy, cheesy dishes. It was a little too rich for me. DH also commented that the flavor slightly overwhelmed the taste of the crab. Still, very tasty. I could just hear my arteries committing suicide. 7/10

Fish and Chips: Tugboat Combo $14 2 pieces each of walleye, halibut, oysters, Chile-fried catfish. Let’s face it, appealing appetizers and soups aside- I was really here for one reason, and one reason only: the chance to have gluten free fried fish in a restaurant. Deciding what to get was difficult, but luckily they have a small sampler that you can order with four of their most popular items. They were all good, but I especially liked the small, delicate oysters and chile-fried catfish. However, I think more field research and tasting is necessary to truly pick a definitive favorite. Ah, the trials, the trials of having a food blog. It was all awesome, and the fries beneath the fish were PERFECT- crispy, light, and still with delicious skin on some of the fries. YUM YUM YUM. We had three sauces- jalapeno tartar, tartar, and their horseradish rich cocktail sauce. Each one was DELISH, and I established a favorite sauce for each different fish. Of course I can’t remember now which went with which…. clearly this calls for another expedition and more field research. DH’s only comment, besides the sound of happy chewing, was that he did wish cod came with the sampler. We satisfied his craving later… 9/10


Thank goodness for Redbridge Beer! $4 I guess that before Redbridge came along the Fish House just offered GF cider. Don’t get me wrong, I LOVE hard cider, but somehow fish and chips begs-cries- SCREAMS for beer. I never enjoyed a beer so much as I did that day with all that delicious, crispy, fried goodness. I’m still a baby sipper though- I think I only drank (at most) a fourth of the beer, but lunch is a bit early for me to start tippling, anyway.

After a brisk walk up and down Hawthorne, we went back for Dessert: Chocolate Cheesecake. I was in the mood for cheesecake, but probably my big mistake was ordering a non traditional chocolate rather than the berry cheesecake that I really wanted. I just couldn’t resist chocolate… The crust was made of nuts, I think, and was the only thing I had at the restaurant that actually tasted “gluten free”- and it seems to me that chocolate doesn’t really compliment cream cheese all that well, at least in this execution. I’m a savory girl anyway, and while I was thrilled at the opportunity to enjoy dessert to top off a perfect meal, I don’t think I would order that particular dessert again. Ah well. Serious kudos to them for even offering a gluten free dessert menu at a “mainstream” restaurant. So cool! 5/10

*Note: this is rarely the case, but after eating here, I didn’t experience as much as a twinge from gluten ingestion- it was just as if I’d eaten something made in my own kitchen. Yay! Now THAT is the mark of a great gluten free restaurant.- NOTE: Sandwiches are not GF, read menu for GF mark*
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The best thing about the Hawthorne Street location of this restaurant is… the location. Hawthorne Street is a shopping paradise for fans of funky, local, artsy stuff. I happen to be one of those fans, if it wasn’t clear already. Oh yeah, and did you know there is no sales tax in Oregon? I have REALLY missed that. Can you imagine, just paying the price on the TAG of what you’re buying? Yeah. It’s pretty fantastic. I only went a little crazy in the neighborhood, shopping for birthday presents at the Fred Meyer chain store (similar to Target or Kohls, if you’re not familiar with this Northwest retail giant) and then shopping for me at all the funky local shops.

Highlights: Common Grounds Coffee Shop, Bagdad Theater & Pub for cheap art movies in red velvet theater surroundings, with (non GF) pizza and beer served, Powells Books and Powells Books for Home and Garden, and a variety of fabulous little shops with locally made furniture, jewelry and decorative items. Also some great inexpensive clothes and shoes with funky Portland college students in mind. Also, stop by the Daily Grinds Health Food Store down the street from the Fish House- some gluten free cookies (Quinoa etc.) and some goods by local companies like Angeline’s Bakery- their Vegan Java Crunch bars may be about a billion calories but they are AWESOME.

*update: it appears that the Daily Grind has closed its doors for good. -Dec. 2007

Vacationing in Portland? Here’s a site describing the various shopping districts in Portland
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Corbett Fish House
5901 Sw Corbett Ave
Portland, OR 97239-3709
503-246-4434

On our way home from Anacortes, we stopped at the first fish and chips place opened by Dana and Greg Boyce, Corbett Fish House. It was a bit tricky getting to the place from the interstate, due to some confusing streets and convoluted roads that aren’t very well marked. However, eventually we made it to the restaurant, and we were so glad that we did. It has the same menu as the Hawthorne Fish House, but with better natural lighting. There were fewer customers, so we got a prime window seat and settled in to enjoy some tasty fish. The best part though, was the gluten free coffeeshop bakery next door… Post to follow. But what did we order this time around?

Calamari $8 This was my absolute favorite appetizer that we enjoyed at the restaurant. They had squid rings and tentacles, making this not a dish for the weak of heart, but one with great variance in texture. The calamari was coated in cornmeal and quickly flash fried, leaving the squid tender but cooked. Then it was sprinkled with Parmesan, fresh parsley, and (possibly) garlic… whatever was on there, it was super yummy and I’m dying to have this dish again. DH thought it was very yum as well. 10/10

Sweet Potato Fries
$6.50 I have a huge weakness for sweet potato fries but they are usually off limits due to shared fryers and cc concern. Happily, there’s no such concern at the Corbett Fish House (or Hawthorne, where they have the same menu) and so we ordered a basket of these yummy, yummy thing. Unfortunately our eyes were bigger than our stomachs (thank goodness) so we ended up packing the fries up to go- and had a few later and reheated them at home when we returned. Good stuff! But actually, I think the regular fries with their yummy skins were my favorite. 7.5/10

Personalized order of Fish and Chips: Half Oysters, Half Pacific Cod You can actually customize your fish and chips order, which I realized when I read a review of the restaurant. DH had mentioned how he wanted to try cod, and I, like Kim of Celiac Chicks, loved the oysters in the tugboat sampler, so we ordered half of each. The cod was great, although you should keep in mind that pieces are small- not a problem for me, but some reviews were critical of this fact. The oysters… well, actually I was a little disappointed, because they were much larger than the ones I enjoyed at the Hawthorne Fish House, and somehow the larger ones were less appetizing and made me start to think about the gray, spongy texture of the oyster more than I actually wanted to. I think I’ll stick with the sampler- or ask for small oysters, if possible. 6.5 or 7/10

We couldn’t resist having another order of clam chowder and oyster shooters, ’cause they were just so good! *drool*


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Here’s a comprehensive guide to gluten free dining in Portland.
A news article on the Corbett Fish House

Old Wives Tales in Portland is a healthy, gluten-free and veggie-friendly (with non-veg protein options) restaurant that was started by two alumni from my old school. :) It’s a good spot for breakfast. Recent reviews indicate it’s great for gluten free soups and sandwiches!

WHILE YOU’RE IN OREGON, stop at

Angeline’s Gluten Free Bakery in Sisters, Oregon
and
Bob’s Red Mill Whole Grain Store and Cafe in Milwaukee, Oregon

You know, Portland, Oregon (and Oregon in general) has become a great gluten free destination. I always loved the city, but now there are even more reasons to love it- so the next time you’re considering travel to the Northwest, I hope you’ll stop at these places and give them your business. If only they’d expand into California, sniff…