A Great Gluten-Free Dining Experience

This weekend I had the pleasure of taking the family to a restaurant that caters to the gluten-free lifestyle.  Wildfire, which has restaurants in the Midwest and parts of the South and East, has a nice selection of gluten-free options.

There were five of us for dinner on this particular night, which included our 17-year-old exchange student, Ida, and 9-year-old daughter Emma – both celiacs. The establishment has a nice full one-page menu of gluten-free options with a selection of appetizers; salads; and entrees: hamburger (with a bun!), chicken, seafood, and steaks.  Ida had the gluten-free Lemon Pepper Chicken, which comes with mashed potatoes.  Emma had the kid’s-sized filet mignon, also with the mashed potatoes. Both the girls loved their meal.

The rest of the family ordered from the main menu and our food was very good as well.  I tried the mashed potatoes and thought they were fantastic!  Unfortunately we were on a deadline and needed to leave, but we really wanted to try Wildfire’s flourless chocolate cake—yum!  I also noticed the restaurant carries Redbridge gluten-free beer.  How cool is that?  You can go to this restaurant and get the whole dining experience!

During the meal, I asked if the gluten-free girls could have a hamburger bun to split (while we were eating our bread), and the server obliged and brought it out to the girls with fresh butter.  Wildfire’s super-secret hamburger bun…drum roll please….Kinnikinnick! The girls loved it.  I will say I am secretly waiting to be surprised one day when a gluten-free meal includes a gf roll at the same time all the “other” diners get bread.  But I’m afraid we’re still in that early stage when beggers can’t be choosers.

I will say be prepared as the prices may be a bit higher than what you are expecting.  The 5 of us ate for $90 (including tip); that includes two kids’ menu items, no alcohol, and I only ordered a salad.  So if you go be prepared. Our family considers the dining experience money well-spent. As for atmosphere, it has many different rooms for dining, and it is not too “hoity toity” for children.

I had vaguely heard about Wildfire a handful of times before, but it wasn’t until I logged onto www.glutenfreeregistry.com when I got the specific details. We were very glad we went and Emma has already requested Wildfire as the location of her birthday dinner in January – and this time she wants the cake! 

Tags: chicken, filet mignon, gluten-free, gluten-free cake, Redbridge, restaurant, Wildfire