Cleveland, OH

Back in June I managed to finally book some tickets for the Kusama Infinity Mirrors exhibit! Basically, it's an art exhibit of giant boxes full of mirrors but blimey are they amazing... and beautiful. So, last week Caleb & I set off to Cleveland for the day (yes I had to buy tickets that far in advance) to check it out. And to make it fully worth my while, of course I had to find somewhere GF to eat too.

After searching online for the "best gluten free places to eat in Cleveland" I came across an article that listed around 10 places to visit. I carefully went through the menus of all of them & cross referenced them with location to the Museum of Art and after not being that impressed with most of the suggestions, there was one that stood out - Cafe Avaluan. 

Cafe Avalaun

Cafe Avalaun was one of the only places listed that was 100% GF and not just offering some GF items here & there. I am always overly enthusiastic when it comes to 100% GF places and can never quite believe it - which usually means I get so excited I want everything on the menu; just like the good old days when I could go anywhere & eat anything (and suffer the consequences from not knowing what was wrong with me).
The first thing we spotted when we walked in was the bakery fridge full of the usual cupcake type items, but one specific item caught our eye - the cinnamon roll. It looked like a cupcake, but once we bit into it, it was really anything but. There was a ton of brown sugar and cinnamon in a texture that was more like a veggie loaf than cupcake (I believe it was also vegan) and the topping definitely had a hint of cream cheese flavouring; but wasn't as overpowering as it usually can be. It was truly one of the best things I've had in a while & it was hard for me to not leave with the rest of the batch in the glass case.

Because I could order anything I wanted, I (as previously mentioned) ordered a whole bunch of stuff to try the array of items they offered and see which fared better than others. I was initially very interested in their paninis as it's so rare to be able to have one and so began by ordering the Cuban (ham, roasted pork, Cleveland Kraut ™ Gnar Gnar, gruyere, and mustard aioli on a house made baguette). I loved the ham, the mustard, the sauerkraut, but I didn't love their roasted pork. The bread did fall apart a bit, but I kind of expected it to after the mustard aoili and sauerkraut. I would definitely be interested in trying out their other paninis as this was not a disappointment & was a really great size for a lunchtime sandwich. Anybody else love a panini? I used to be obsessed with them at school. Yum.


Here's a question - When do we ever get to eat chicken & waffles if we're not at Friedman's in NYC? Pretty much never, ever is the answer (if you didn't already know.) I'm honestly a giant proponent of salty/sweet. I spend my life combining things to make this taste sensation happen & chicken & waffles is one of the best examples of this mashing of senses. So, when I get to eat it I like it very, very much. This waffle was thick and fluffy and the chicken bites were salty and I think had a hint of parmesan on them too. It came with a side of hot sauce and syrup and I actually mixed the two because they complimented each other so well. I wasn't sure what I was expecting, but I really did like this. It wasn't the best chicken & waffles I've ever had, but the novelty of it was good enough for me to enjoy this plate and Caleb thoroughly enjoyed it.

Finally, I added on a Crepe. I chose the "Not"tella (bananas, house made chocolate hazelnut spread, hazelnuts & whipped cream) because I was feeling something chocolatey and I LOVE crepes. For me what American's call "crepes" is actually just a pancake in England, but no matter what they're called I really, really enjoy them, and this was no exception. I will say there was a bit too much banana in the filling for me, but the consistency of the crepe and the house made chocolate spread was delicious. A part of me does wish that I had got the Lemon Bar (lemon curd, blueberries, whipped cream & cookie crumb), but there is always a next time!

Please rest assured I did not eat every single last piece of all of this food, and Caleb helped with all of it too. He also ordered a Croque Madam (which was a savoury pancake) but he definitely shared everything else I've mentioned. I know that's wasteful, but after driving two hours I didn't want to only order one thing & wonder what the rest of the menu would be like.

My overall conclusion was that it's always great to find a fully GF place, and that everything I ate was really tasty. It wasn't the best of the best GF food I've ever had, but there was also so much right with what they're doing. If you visit, I would recommend the crepes and maybe take 1 (or 4) cinnamon rolls with you as you leave! Thanks Cafe Avalaun!

My next trip is back to NYC on Sept 21st (and then Cyprus). I already have every meal all planned out. Don't worry, I'm incredibly normal.