The high-point of my celiac career was my first dinner at Picazzo’s Gourmet Pizza and Salads, which serves wonderful gluten free pizza at its restaurants in northern Arizona. Most restaurants concentrate on their gluten free pizza crust (and I guess that is the first problem) but Picazzo’s also has restaurants with a wonderful ambience, delicious pizza toppings, and awesomely tasty salads. I was thrilled when Picazzo’s opened its first non-Arizona restaurant in my hometown of Portland, Oregon.

  I love the gluten free pancakes provided by Trader Joe’s. This is the only case I can think of where I prefer a microwaved product to “the real thing”.

  The gluten free white bread mix from Dr. Schar smells mouth-watering in the oven and has a delicious taste and texture. Like all gluten free bread, it dries out slightly after a few days in the refrigerator, but it still tastes great. Very few gluten free products can make that statement.

  I enjoy Gorilla Munch cereal from Nature’s Path. The box clearly reminds me that it is designed for kids, but it tastes great, fills me up in the morning, and allows me to share breakfast with my grandsons.

  My favorite evening snack consists of the ready-to-bake peanut butter cookies provided by Trader Joe’s. It’s by far the simplest and least expensive way to get a totally fresh tasting snack directly from the oven.

  I totally enjoyed writing this article. Sometimes I take my gluten free lifestyle and this celiac friendly blog too seriously. I’d love to read your list of favorite things. Leave a comment at the end of this article or send me an e-mail by using the button in the middle column. I’ll summarize the results.

Published 04/15/08