This week I was contacted by a local Chef to find out how he could get his restaurant listed on the website. This was something new for me – a restaurant seeking me out. I first corresponded with Chef Gil Evans to find out how extensive his gluten-free menu options were. (Let’s face it, some restaurants think that offering iceberg lettuce with oil and vinegar dressing is being gluten-free friendly).
I nearly fell over when he emailed me the gluten-free options at Pasta Fina, it was extensive. He informed me that right now 80% of the menu can be made gluten-free and he hopes to have 95% of his dishes available gluten-free in the coming months. He said that he was inspired to do this after catering a wedding where all the food needed to be gluten-free because the bride was gluten-free.
All of this had me very excited. A restaurant in Toledo where I could order nearly everything on the menu! It seemed to good to be true. I did not want to be disappointed by the quality of the food.
I had nothing to worry about. The food was wonderful! A friend and I started with the Portobello Tower. Everything was fresh: mozzarella, tomatoes, mushroom and basil. It was delicious.
I then had pasta with garlic sauce. It was also great, with more fresh tomatoes as a garnish. Chef Evans came out and talked to me and laughed that I had picked the most boring dish on the menu. If that was the most boring dish, I am eager to back and try what he things is exciting. It is sure to be fantastic.
In speaking with the Chef I was incredibly impressed with how excited he was about making his dishes gluten-free and how much his passion was reflected in his dishes. He has clearly done a lot of research on what is required to avoid cross contamination. He was also educated on his ingredients and had taken a lot of time to speak with his vendors to ensure that the products were gluten-free.
The restaurant is not very big in size, but Chef Evans has a big heart that is set on making a restaurant that is gluten-free friendly.
Thank you to the bride that inspired this and thank you to Chef Evans for making eating gluten-free seem limitless. For me it was overwhelming to have so many options when I am accustomed to having such limited options.
Here is information so you can try it out to.
Pasta Fina Italian Restaurante’
5931 Heatherdowns Blvd.
Toledo, Ohio 43624
www.pastafina.net
Wishing you great food and happy tummies,
K
0 Comments