Monday 7 November 2011

Gluten Free Tamborine Mountain

A couple of months ago I bought a voucher for a stay at Tamborine Mountain and we got to use the voucher on the weekend. It was nice to get away and have a relaxing weekend. We wandered around the shops on Gallery Walk, went for a drive, had a drink at the Eagle Heights Mountain Resort and discovered the Botanical Gardens.




After making our booking, every now and again I would think to myself that I needed to check out places with gluten free food so we wouldn't have any hassles, but then I would forget about it. Finally last Thursday and Friday I began my online search...unfortunately without much success. I found it difficult as some restaurants didn't have websites, some didn't have a menu on their website, or if they had a menu, they didn't list if they catered for the gluten free diet.

So I decided to check it out while we were there and put a list together. This is by  no means an exhaustive list, it is just the places we came across and a place to have all of the information together.

1. Mount Tamborine Vineyard and Winery - Gallery Walk http://www.mttamborinewinery.com/restaurant/menu.html
Items marked on the menu with an asterisk were gluten free on request and included:

Bacon and fried eggs on toast
Chips & aioli
Side salad                                                        
Greek salad
Chicken or prawn Caesar salad
Salad w/ aromatic yoghurt dressing
Tandoori chicken breast burger w/ yoghurt mint sauce
Steak burger with red onion jam
Tempura Battered or Grilled Barramundi w/ chips & salad
Steak topped with prawns and bearnaise sauce w/ chips & salad   

This is where we ate - Chris went with the chips and aioli. At $10.95 it was a pricey bowl of chips and he didn't feel well afterwards, but we aren't sure if it was due to gluten or if it was just too greasy.

2. The Gallery Cafe - Gallery Walk
The menu is marked with a [G] for gluten free and includes:

Protein packed eggs
Traditional breakfast
Country breakfast
Spanish Omlette
Open Grill Sandwiches - an extra $1.50 for gluten free
Gourmet Sandwich with avocado, mushrooms, tomato, lettuce, grilled onions and Swiss cheese
Bowl of chips
Pumpkin soup
Fresh Mountain Salad
Turkey & Cranberry Sandwich
Cheese & Tomato Sandwich

3. Eagle Thai - just around the corner from the Gallery Walk, 10 McDonnell Road
http://www.menulog.com.au/eagle_thai
Nothing is marked on their menu, but it says to let them know if you have any allergies.

4. Opus Gallery Cafe - Gallery Walk
Had a blackboard outside stating they have a selection of gluten free meals and desserts

5. Spice of Life Cafe - Gourmet Deli - 28A Main Street North Tamborine
http://spiceoflifecafedeli.com/
The online menu shows gluten free options

6. Songbirds Rainforest Retreat - Lot 10 Tamborine Mountain Road
http://www.songbirds.com.au/restaurant/menus
The online menu shows gluten free options

7. The Polish Place - 333 Main Western Road
http://www.polishplace.com.au/index
They have a menu online, but nothing about what is gluten free. Below is their response to my email.

"Gluten free are:Tasmanian Salmon, Chicken in creamy dill sauce, Pork Hocks, Veal Shanks, Bigos, Duck (no gnocchi served), herring, smoked Salmon and canapés ( using gluten free bread).Sausages we serve are supplied to us so I wouldn’t know if they contain gluten or not."   

8. The Fox and Hounds Country Inn - cnr Oxenford Tamborine Rd & Elevation Drive, Wongawallan  
http://foxandhounds.net.au/index.html
This is near the bottom of the mountain and according to their website they have gluten free options. However, the pub is for sale, so I'm not sure how up-to-date the website is.

Also worth mentioning:
Granny Mac's - they sell lollies, fudge, and icecream and have a dedicated gluten free area with things like sour worms. A lot of their fudge is gluten free, and it is clearly marked - just watch for cross contamination as they use the same knife to cut all fudge.

Mayfield Chocolates has a store on Gallery Walk which includes Lick! Icecream. All chocolates and icecream are gluten free.
http://www.mayfieldchocolates.com.au/index.php
http://www.lickicecream.com.au/retailrange.html

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