-This review strictly reflects this restaurants knowledge and ability to cater to those with a gluten sensitivity.-
Gluten-free menu- There was not a "gluten-free" menu available, but supposedly any meal can be made gluten-free. While a gluten-free menu was unavailable, the server was sure he could cater to the needs of even the most reactive individual. A gluten-free menu, in my opinion, is still a good idea.
Service- After notifying the server of my extreme reaction to gluten, he did have to double-check on the soup of the day for both gluten and dairy. I did question the menu on what meats had gluten in them and the meatballs were the only item. It was a typical lunch hour so the restaurant was quite busy for the server to go into further explanation and reassurance. To give a fair review at this point, I would really need to inspect the kitchen and chat with a chef and manager.
Knowledge- At the point of ordering my meal, I can't say I had a ton of confidence in the likelihood of 100% gluten-free with no cross-contamination during preparation, as this IS a bread and pasta restaurant. However, upon leaving the pastaria, I was able to speak briefly with the manager (Steve) and he did assure me of their strict procedures with gluten-free meal preparation. He stated they use designated utensils and prepared the gluten-free pasta completely separate from the regular pasta. After mentioning I was a physician and was doing a Gluten-free review on his establishment, he did recommend I email the head of marketing as well as himself for setting up a time to meet. This is always a good sign, as it shows they have nothing to hide.
Safety of Food- Although I couldn't be sure if my meal would be prepared 100% gluten-free, based on the type of restaurant I was at, this is a small chain with eight other locations that supposedly implements a system at all of their establishments to assure a safe gluten-free dining experience. All gluten-free dishes are marked with a little toothpick "Italian flag" to avoid confusion by servers when brought to the table.
Taste and Cost/Serving Size- The taste of my pasta dish was FANTASTIC, and having taken my office manager Katie to lunch, the cost was very reasonable. I am a bit of a big portion guy though, and would have liked a little more substance to go with my oversized plate. Not having a gluten-free bread option, Katie opted to not eat the regular bread in front of me. As I do follow a very close to Paleo style diet, I very seldom have any form of pasta or bread, but for the growing population of those with gluten sensitivities, a gluten-free bread option would not be a bad idea if it could be implemented safely.
Overall Experience- Good. I was invited back by the Manager for an off hours tour of the kitchen. I met the head chef, Jason, who was also very knowledgeable with gluten sensitivity and with allergen avoidance with food preparation. Jason took me through the steps on how they avoid the potential for accidental cross-contamination. The gluten-free pastas are made first thing in the morning in clean pots and then packaged in special "labeled" bags and stored in the fridge until a gluten-free option is ordered. There was even a grill that was strictly for grilling bread. While the deli meat likely had gluten in it, it was in a separate location designated for sandwich preparation and would not be included in any GF meal. All Salads are made GF and croutons are added after salads are made. My only concern was the bread-crumb container which was a little too close to the spinach. This was, however, something they immediately mentioned they would switch. Also, because there was no "Gluten-Free" menu, I did suggest creating one, and Jason even suggested having all of the existing menus having a GF symbol put in front of all of the GF options. The manager mentioned he would get to work on this possibility as soon as possible.
I give Pastini Pastaria 4.5 Stars, and would recommend the Bend location for those with a gluten sensitivity. In my educational talk with the manager and head chef, I did emphasis the importance of treating every individual ordering GF as if they could have the worst possible reaction imaginable. read more