Caplansky’s Deli Toronto – A Gluten Free Review

Smoked meat lovers, rejoice! Caplansky’s now have two locations in Toronto; one recent addition in Yorkville as well as their original location on College Street. I visited their beautiful little Yorkville deli last week for lunch and was seriously impressed.

Upon entering, I asked the server (who was wearing a shirt emblazoned with the slogan ‘I’m kind of a big dill’ on it – amazing) if they had any gluten free options. I was pleasantly surprised to be told that I had tons of choice because they offer gluten free bread, meaning that any of their sandwiches can be made gluten free!

Their fries are also gluten free, but sadly for me they are fried in the same fryer as glutenous items, so they aren’t suitable for coeliacs. However, they had multiple non-boring salad options that I could eat instead, including a house salad, greek salad, Caesar salad and coleslaw. I went for the classic smoked meat sandwich with a side of greek salad and it was DELICIOUS.

Piggy rating: 4/5

The smoked meat is truly incredible and 100% worth visiting Caplansky’s for, and the venue’s decor is adorable and fun, with a running theme of dill pickles and mustard everywhere! They also have an unlimited mustard and pickle bar which is a very cool addition. Caplansky’s loses a piggy point for their choice of gluten free bread – it’s a little bit stodgy – but it still works because the meat to bread ratio is perfect.

 

Bannock, Toronto

Bannock describes its cuisine as ‘Canadian Comfort Food’, and as a lover of any kind of comfort food, I had to check it out. Accompanied by my dairy-free boyfriend (yes, we are the worst dinner guests ever), we arrived at the restaurant on Saturday night.

After being seated and ordering their summerlicious special cocktail, a mix of gin, strawberry lemonade and juniper, I asked our lovely server what I was able to eat. Because of summerlicious, they were offering a slightly reduced a la carte menu, and I have to admit that there weren’t a huge amount of options available for ceoliacs.

Here’s a list of what I was told I could eat:

• Broccoli & Bacon salad
• Caesar salad without the croutons (snore)
• Peppered Flat Iron Steak with duck fat potatoes, mustard greens and salsa verde
• Turkey burger without the bun or the fries (again, snore)

Obviously, I went for the Peppered Flat Iron Steak. I was instantly impressed when the meal arrived because of the large portion. I hate leaving a restaurant hungry! I was also put at ease by the server confirming that the whole dish was ceoliac friendly, without me having to ask.

The steak was delicious, perfectly cooked and well-seasoned, but the main winner of the dish was the potatoes – I could have eaten 1000 more. If you’re a roast dinner lover, you would love this.

PIGGY RATING:

3/5

Overall, I had a delicious meal at Bannock and left with a very happy tummy. However, because they use the same fryer for gluten and non-gluten free items, there are minimal options for coeliacs. I would totally recommend the cocktails though, so it’s a good spot to go for a drink!

http://www.bannockrestaurant.com/