After 13 years of being a celiac, one of the major factors that play into places I love to travel, is how easily I can eat while I’m there. Today I’m going to share with you my experiences eating in South Florida, particularly Miami and Fort Lauderdale.
The time I spent in Miami was short, and I only ate out for one meal which we had at Wynwood Kitchen and Bar. In terms of gluten free options I found this restaurant to be lacking a bit, however they were knowledgeable about what was safe for me, and the things I could have were good.
The big draw for this restaurant for me was that it was located right in the middle of the Wynwood art walk, so if you were sitting outside your view was some incredible murals!
📍Wynwood Restaurant and Bar
Another great gluten free Miami based option is the Almotti bakery, which is dedicated gluten free! I had the Almond Macaroons and they were delicious!
Then on to Fort Lauderdale…
The hotel we stayed at was in a great location! The hotel itself was super aware, and provided me with safe breakfast every morning. Breakfast was the only meal I ate at the hotel, but it was great every time. Not a lot to choose from but you can get an eggs, sausage/bacon and hashbrowns without fear. Finding safe breakfast options was definitely the hardest so being able to rely on this was amazing!
Just a quick warning the poolside restaurant doesn’t have many GF options so if you’re having a pool day there, I would recommend bringing your own snacks.
📍Riverside Hotel, Fort Lauderdale
Our hotel was additionally conveniently located on top of a Cheese Cake Factory. I honestly don’t know if I’ve ever been to a Cheese Cake Factory before but let me tell you I was amazed. They had a long list of GF options, made sure that things weren’t getting cross contaminated, and my waiter went out of his way to make sure that my experience was just as good! Though I love visiting local places, having chains that are reliable can be so helpful.
Another great dinner spot, additionally located on Las Olas Boulevard was the Beehive Kitchen. I liked to think of it as a healthy Chipotle, similar in that you make a bowl and select the items you want to put into it, but different in that the bowls were mostly roasted veggie based. There is no gluten used in this facility which is always so relieving to hear! Plus they have delicious GF cookies, that were so yum I went back to get a few more to bring home with me!
📍Beehive Kitchen
If you’re spending a fun day at the beach, be sure to check out the Fresh Fruit Stands for a yummy snack throughout the day. This one in particular had coconuts, smoothies and then you could get just about any fruit chopped in a cup!
PS all the guys working here wanted to be featured in my vlogs, don’t have any of those but hopefully the blog will do 😉
📍Fort Lauderdale Beach
The final, and by far best place I went to eat in Fort Lauderdale was Fresh First. It was another dedicated GF facility that had tons of options. When I went for lunch I got some incredible waffles topped with banana and pecans, with homemade sausage on the side. I was so impressed by this meal that I ordered a sandwich to go, and take back to the hotel for dinner. All the sandwiches at this restaurant were made on homemade bread (usually waffle bread) which was not only delicious, but held up incredibly well!
📍Fresh First
Enjoy! XO
Cassidy Hannah 