Locally Gluten Free: Part 8

Posted onAuthorCeltic Celiac

Café Formaggio 
http://www.cafeformaggio.com/ordereze/Default.aspx
307 Old Country Rd, Carle Place, NY 1151


I am going to preface this by saying that this place was so good that I forgot to take photos, on both occasions that I went. This place is well worth the price, it is easily accessible, the staff is beyond knowledgeable and the kitchen is perfectly aware of the concerns of cross contamination (just to name a few great points) . Mike and I’s first time there was on Valentines Day and despite the chaos of the day the waiter was relaxed, accommodating and very willing to answer our gluten free questions. To top it off, he knew all the answers himself. Our second time there was not as busy and the level of hospitality was even higher. Gluten free diners are met with gluten free garlic bread as soon as you mention your dietary needs, which is simply amazing! However, they typically bring out the regular bread before hand without asking, I think because they have a bus boy who’s job is to bring bread to tables. It wouldn’t hurt for them to change that. The gluten free options are amazing and include every type of pasta and pizza imaginable, including fried things that are fried in a dedicated fryer. While I have not seen the non-gluten free menu to compare prices I feel that the prices are decent and well worth the amount of food that you get, enough for almost three meals if you eat small portions. So far Mike and I have tried:

For appetizers:
The Calamari Arrabiata- Absolutely AMAZING. The sauce came already on the dish, which allowed the flavors to mix well before you ate. And a plus, no dipping was needed!
Portamello- An interesting twist to the typical Tomato and Mozzarella, also delicious

For dinner:
Gnocchi Cotti , Rigatoni Con Cime, Penne E Gamberi and Rigatoni Fiorentina. Each and every dish has been simply amazing as far as I am concerned. Each ingredient is top quality and perfectly cooked. I have no complaints!

I have not had gluten free Italian dining out since going gluten free and I can tell you waiting was well worth dining here. As you can probably guess Cafe Formaggio receives:

        

5 Shamrocks

Gluten Free Options: 1 

Atmosphere: 1
Price: 1
Hospitality: 1
Food Quality: 1

My only two recommendation would be to have a gluten free menu for special events and to make sure to ask if the patrons siting down are gluten free before bringing the regular bread out.  I did feel a bit left out in having no special valentines day menu, but that was quickly diminished when I actually tasted the food. However, I feel they probably have enough gluten free patrons that it couldn’t hurt to make them feel extra special! Nonetheless though, this place still gets a 5!  

Thanks Cafe Formaggio for the Great Gluten-Free dining experience!   
Celtic Celiac @ http://celtic-celiac.blogspot.com/