I never thought of Minneapolis as a destination for gluten-free food, but I quickly found out that is it a destination for gluten-free. I was only there for 2 days, but I was able to experience some of the best gluten-free foods I have tried.
Colita
We started off with Colita which is a Tex-Oaxacan restaurant with both indoor and outdoor seating. The bar menu is extensive and includes some unique mocktails as well as craft cocktails. The Naked Dani #3 comes with a salty cloud and a tiny rubber duck on top.
The food is 100% gluten free and is comprised of small plates. The Cucumber Watermelon Salad was refreshing with a unique creamy sunflower spread. We also had the Masa & Guacamole. The blue corn chips with the creamy guacamole set the stage for a delicious meal.
For the hot dishes, we had the Corn Elote that just the right warmth. The Cacio e Pepe Stacked Tostadas were reminiscent of the namesake pasta. My favorite dish of the night was the Lobster Tostada. The sweet lobster with guajillo remoulade and topped with roe and herbs was the highlight of the evening. Perfectly round Churro disks set in a dulce de leche sauce with a dulce cream finished the night with just the right sweet touch. This meal was one of my all-time favorite meals, I still dream of these perfect dishes. If you are in Minneapolis, you must stop by whether you are gluten-free or not.
Food Truck Festival
The next day, we did something I never dreamt of doing with Celiac Disease, we went to a food truck festival. Normally food trucks are gluten-filled wastelands for us, but this festival had two 100% gluten free food trucks.
We started out with mini doughnuts from Gray Duck Concessions. The cinnamon roll doughnuts and the maple bacon doughnuts were little gourmet bites of goodness.
The next truck was Auntie M’s Gluten Free. This is a validated Gluten Free Spot by the Gluten Intolerance Group.
They had the exact food you love at the state fair. We tried the corn dogs and cheese curds. They were the perfect amount of crispy and salty. The curds had just the right amount of squeak to them. The truck also had some decadent looking funnel cakes, but we didn’t have room for them. I highly recommend both trucks if you are visiting the area.
Hola Arepa
That night, we tried Arepas at Hola Arepa. This restaurant started as a food truck, but now has a fun location with both indoor and outdoor seating. Make sure you reserve a table ahead of time because it is very popular. We started off with some plantains with guacamole and black beans. They were the perfect balance of crispy salty plantains and the creamy guacamole and beans. Paired with delicious drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic), it started the meal off right.
The restaurant’s signature dish are the arepas. These pillowy corn-based “sandwiches “ are filled with a variety of fillings. I chose the Cuban Arepa which is 9am, swiss, roasted pork, mustard, pickles, aioli verde. It was so good. The Yucca fries were the perfect texture and salted just right. The sauces complemented the flavors and really enhanced the meal. If you are in Minneapolis, Minnesota, you must stop here or get some food to go. I took half of my arepa home and it reheated so well.
Hold the Wheat
On my way to the airport the next day, I stopped at the 100% gluten free bakery, Hold the Wheat. It was the top-recommendation for places to visit in Minneapolis. It lived up to the hype. We stopped for brunch on the way to the airport. I tried the pizza and the quiche then and saved the berry pocket and apple pocket for breakfast in Chicago. The crust was buttery and flaky. The pizza was delicious. The pastries held up well during my plane flight, kept them in my hotel fridge, and were still very good the next day. This is another must-stop in Minneapolis.
Minneapolis is definitely a gluten-free foodie destination. I plan on going back to Minneapolis just to visit the restaurants I missed. Make sure you add it to your gluten-free travels.
Comments