So you already know about how frustrated it could get trying to pick out the exact restaurants that were right for us (not to “shi shi”, eclectic, or expensive) during a recent trip to Washington DC. One easy solution was breakfast every day at our hotel restaurant. It was worth the extra dollars we paid for each meal.
Robert’s Restaurant at the Omni Shoreham Hotel (about four blocks from the National Zoo) was a delight. The first day we got there we made a reservation for the next morning, which was the restaurant’s request. They wanted to be prepared when we were arriving.
Emma ate Gluten-Free Pancakes Every Morning at the Hotel
At breakfast, the server was extremely helpful. She was aware of our needs and after checking with the chef, she found out they could make Emma pancakes and Canadian bacon or eggs with gluten-free toast. Emma went with the pancakes — ALL 5 MORNINGS!
She just loved them! I don’t know how else to explain it. Sometimes she complains that something doesn’t taste “just right” and then she picks at it for a while…not this time. She wolfed down the 4-5 dollar-sized pancakes every day. Some days if we were late in making our reservation (oh say calling ahead by about 15-25 minutes) it might take them a little longer to make her food, but that was fine. Each day the chef made them from scratch.
I am sure we would have had just as nice of a dinner or lunch, but frankly we were in DC around dinner time each day so I am sorry to report that I can’t tell you much about the other kinds of meals they serve there.
How’d it work so well?
First of all it always helps to be at a more up-scale restaurant where they are making foods from scratch. But I also emailed them about 2 weeks-10 days in advance asking about any gluten-free accommodations. The restaurant responded that they “have gluten free breads available and can create most any entree item in a gluten free format, with the exception of desserts and pasta. We have rice pastas available and can offer sorbets, ice creams, mousses and fresh fruits for desserts.”
I did ask them about their more casual “grill” fare by the pool, but didn’t get a response. However we didn’t risk it. It didn’t look safe. There is also a “grab and go” deli-style spot if you’re staying there. They had fresh fruit available and some yogurt. They also had a freezer for Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream, but I didn’t see what kinds were being housed in there.
For families, the pool was a great spot for us. The hotel was convenient, only about two blocks off the Metro train. I would recommend this hotel and restaurant to any gluten-free family.
Tags: breakfast, gluten-free, Omni Shoreham, restaurant, Robert's, Washington DC
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