Sunday, February 13, 2011

Wheatfields Forever!

Send up a flair, alert the media, Katie bar the door and throw a ticker tape parade! Wheatfields is now featuring gluten-free bakery items!! Yes, I know......fantastic news isn't it? In the old days (BC-before celiac) I was a frequent visitor to Wheatfields and a huge fan of theirs. Imagine my disappointment when I could no longer go there without sadly passing by the amazing array of pies, cakes, pastries, rolls, cookies, breads that assaulted all my senses, as I entered the restaurant. It was virtual torture, so alas I did not go to my favorite restaurant very often. But low and behold, that has changed! So far (and I say so far because I will be sampling every gluten-free item they have, I have tried the pecan roll, the oatmeal raisin cookie, and my own personal favorite: the infamous strawberry wedding cake. What can I tell you and where do I begin? Now those of you that are familiar with trying to find gluten-free baked goods are probably used to much disappointment and frustration.........not so at Wheatfields!!

First the pecan roll. Of course (and this is wonderful) it is big like their other rolls! That in itself is a small miracle to me. Usually if you are lucky enough to find a cinnamon or pecan roll it is about half the size of it's gluten-laden counterpart and somewhat ho-hum! (Not to mention that it is usually frozen.....blech!) Now I heated this pecan-drenched delight this morning and I had my own little party at breakfast. It was gooey, it was decadent, it was everything that their original pecan rolls are, but better, because I could eat it!!! I highly recommend this little trip to heaven! I really need to go buy a cinnamon roll there tomorrow.

Next....the oatmeal raisin cookie. Ahhh, it was chewy, not dry, it was filled with flavor and homemade goodness, and it was a big giant cookie! Again, usually gluten-free cookies require a microscope to actually see them and they usually are less than stellar. This cookie is a winner on every count...........go get some!

And last but certainly not least.........the strawberry wedding cake. Now there has always been a soft spot in my heart for this sinful cake. Everything about it is what makes me love cake. It is moist, it is creamy, it assaults your taste buds with layers of surprise and delight and bursts with the tart freshness of strawberries all at the same time. This cake had officially gone off my radar as I could no longer partake in it's lovliness. But alas, when I ate that gluten-free version of the cake yesterday I was carried back to when I first had Mr. Popp's masterpiece of cakes! It tasted the same as I remembered. Life is good..........this is nothing short of a miracle to me.

Now understanding that it is no small feat to come up with gluten-free recipes that actually taste like they are not gluten-free............ my hat goes off to Ron Popp and his wonderful bakers. This is news-worthy folks and has made my weekend totally sublime. If you have to eat gluten-free for whatever reason.........run don't walk to Wheatfields on Pacific and I guarantee you will go back and try everything that they have to offer. I understand there might be a gluten-free menu in the works.......be still my heart! I am signing off for now......Wheatfields is still open.......yay!!