european

Stockholm, Sweden

This is a beautiful city. I walked through the old cobbled streets of Gamla Stan and explored the breathtaking Drottningholm Palace and the Glorietta. Although the sights were by far the highlight of the trip, I had a great experience in terms of gluten-free foods. For breakfast, we had called the Intercontinental Grand Hotel in Stockholm (the hotel we stayed at) well ahead of time to inform them of my allergy. The hotel was excellent in providing a variety of options in the never-ending breakfast buffet. In addition to the cold meat, cheeses, fruits, eggs, potatoes, etc., they offered gluten-free corn muffins, cupcakes, rolls, scones, and breads. I was in heaven! As for meals outside of the hotel, as I do enjoy seafood, the smoked salmon (gravlax) with a dill, mustard sauce (gravlaxsas) was by far one of my favorite Swedish dishes. I also tried a variety of Swedish sausages and some lingonberry jam. Because of the easily accessible gluten-free options, I was able to enjoy the Scandinavian beauty of Stockholm, while remaining on a safe and healthy gluten-free diet!

Brussels, Belgium

This is a picturesque city with an exquisite cuisine. My family and I adventured across the city by foot and marveled at the wondrous Grand Place (pronounced “Gran Plazz”). We were taken aback by the beauty of being trapped inside a square of four gilded, Renaissance-esque buildings. It was a real treat, especially when the buildings were lit up after the sun had set. The only slight disappointment was the much-famed Peeing Boy or Manneqen Pis. The little feller was less than a foot tall! But we had the pleasure of watching him be dressed in robes campaigning a brand of Belgian beer! We saw many other sights such as the Royal Palace and Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula, but in addition to the historical spectacles, Belgian has great food!

At the “Gran Plazz”, we found many overpriced, touristy cafes and waffle stalls bordering the square. But if you venture through the side, cobblestone streets, you will find more authentic and reasonably priced food. Here we discovered a chain health store with gluten-free choices that is comparable to Au Bon Pain. It was called Exki. I got a delicious “glutenvrij” chocolate muffin that had melted Belgian chocolate in the center! Another great place just a few minutes walk from the “Gran Plazz” is Australian Homemade Ice Cream. Yes, I know, I was in Belgian eating so-called Australian ice cream! However, if you do choose to have a leisurely meal at one of the touristy cafes for the scenery, you will find a variety of gluten-free salads with smoked salmon, Flemish ham, or smoked trout. If you have a bigger appetite, you can order Moules-Frites (mussels with world-famous Belgian “frites”, or fries). Mussels are well-known in the Belgian cuisine. Just be careful to order your mussels “natural way”, because sometimes the sauces have wheat in it. This is a traditional meal always served with frites. The Belgian frites are something you must try before leaving the country! They are double fried to a crispy perfection.

As for tea time, if you’ve settle down at a coffee shop, you will realize that all drinks are served with a little brown biscuit called “speculoos”. This is similar to gingerbread cookie come cinnamon thin. These are not gluten-free. But if you visit a local health shop, you can find gluten-free speculoos! The particular shop I visited was located in Ixelles (southern Brussels). I bought gluten-free raspberry tort, orange almond cake, Belgian chocolate chip cookies, and of course, speculoos! Unfortunately, we were unable to find any gluten-free Belgian waffles during our trip.

One last piece of advice, eat plenty of Belgian chocolate when visiting! Whether its white, milk, dark, pralines on the inside, or hazelnuts on the outside. I suggest visiting Leonidas for some of the best chocolate. Also, the marzipan is gluten-free! So try some while you’re at it.

Cheers,

Anika

Vienna, Austria

Ah, Vienna! What a marvelous city! Visiting Schönbrunn Palace, the Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera), and the Austrian Parliament Building were highlights of my trip. The exquisite architecture of the Hofburg Palace and Austrian National Library were breathtaking. After a long day walking around the Ringstraße (Ringstrasse) and enjoying watching Lipizzan horses at the Spanische Hofreitschule (the Spanish riding school), I was exhausted and ready to eat!

My first meal in the beautiful European city was at the Vienna Marriot (Stephansdom Quarter) for a light, refreshing lunch after a long flight in. We stayed at the Vienna Marriot during our trip and had called the hotel before hand to let them know of my allergy. During lunch at the Garten Café, I was delighted to find gluten-free rolls with olive oil served with the Caesar salad I ordered. Now, you may question my ordering a Caesar salad when I had many tasteful Austrian selections to choose from. Well, let me tell you, that was very well the best Caesar salad I have had. And that stands till this day.

Another fantastic meal in Wien (Vienna) was had at the Hofburg Café after exploring the Sisi Museum and the Royal Silver Collection. The servers were kind enough to make accommodations so I could try the delicious Austrian cuisine. I had Frankfurters that were served with a mustard-like condiment and slivered pickles. I thoroughly enjoyed experiencing the foreign cuisine, while staying healthy and gluten-free!

Last but not least, my favorite food stop: Aïda. Aïda is almost too hard to describe with words. It’s a clash of a retro diner and Dolores Umbridge invading Ruby Tuesdays. The cozy, chain cake and coffee shops (konditorei) were located all around the city. Kind of like a Starbucks in any metropolis in the US. The waitresses dressed in pink and brown were sweet and friendly. They were very helpful in finding gluten-free options, which I was surprised to find that there were many! Many of their cakes were gluten-free as they almond flour as a base. I think we stopped at Aida’s almost every night after roaming around the city under the street lights. Although I am unable to access the gluten-free options currently, I do recall having many delicious chocolate, hazelnut, and lemon cakes!

So when traveling to the well known European city, do not fear, you can experience the culture, sights, and cuisine of the marvelous Wien! Also, enjoy the pictures below from my trip to Vienna.

Cheers,

Anika

Neptune Fountain, Schönbrunn Palace
Austrian Library, Hofburg Palace
Pallas Athena Fountain, Austrian Parliament Building
Austrian Parliament Building
Statue of Herodotus, Austrian Parliament Building
Frankfurters at the Hofburg Café

Verdad

For a late bite on a Saturday night with friends, we stopped at Verdad, a European Latin restaurant on the mainline (of Philly). They have a tapas style menu as well as a tequila bar. The atmosphere was great, and our server was very friendly. The waiter was prompt to tell us the gluten-free options.

For a shared appetizer, we ordered the Strawberry Habenero Guacamole. Our waiter assured us that the chips served on the side were corn tortilla chips, but there might be cross contamination in the kitchen. Depending on how severe your intolerance to gluten is, you can make the decision whether or not to eat foods that are gluten-free, but are prepared in a facility that deals with ingredients containing gluten. I personally am okay with eating gluten-free foods made in a kitchen that has gluten. So, I enjoyed the unique flavors of the guacamole with the corn tortilla chips. This was no ordinary guacamole. It had finely cut pieces of strawberry and kiwi as well as habenero peppers. This was hands down the best guacamole I have had. As for the main course, I ordered the Bibb Salad. I ordered it by the recommendation of a friend, and boy did it live up to it! The salad had blue cheese, granny smith apples, spicy cashews, and was topped off with lavender vinaigrette. I would strongly recommend the Bibb Salad and guacamole to anyone dining at Verdad. I am excited to return to this restaurant and explore the rest of their menu!

Cheers,

Anika