A safe haven for gluten free taste buds

As anyone with an allergy or special dietary needs knows, it's rare to discover a place outside of your own kitchen where everything is edible.  I've walked into my share of  bakeries and coffee shops where I could find nothing to eat.  I usually grin and bear it.  This weekend, however, I didn't have to.

I found a piece of heaven (and slice of bread, and bite of cookie) tucked away on Mason Street in Brunswick, Maine -- Wildflours Bakery.  Why are the flours at this particular eatery so wild?  Because they're all gluten-free!

A safe-haven for wheatless taste buds, Wildflour's shelves greet you with a wide smile of gluten-free goods:  packages of flour, cereals, granola bars, breads, and even pizza crusts, each package glittering a bit from the warm sunlight beaming in from the cafe window, where tables are conveniently placed.

The best part of this store lies in the back -- a pastry case full of food that would normally be off-limits.  Hugs whoopie pies, lemon bars, an assortment of muffins and other delights, all baked on-site in the bakery's GF kitchen.  A list of each pastry's ingredients is displayed, which is a sigh of relief for those with food allergies.  They also offer a variety of sandwiches on gluten-free bread.  The garlic hummus one sounded especially appealing.

Andrew and I were on a mission for something sweet, a treat to celebrate finishing my 21 day cleanse.  We went with the Maine classic -- a whoopie pie.  Whoopie pies are almost like blueberries and lobster to Mainers -- we take them seriously, and so do the folks at this bakery.  This one was big enough for us to split and feel like we had properly spoiled ourselves.  The contrast of the chewy chocolate cookie of the pie to the creamy cloud-like filling felt like a dream to my taste buds.  The level of sweetness was spot on.  We agreed that they did a fantastic job of balancing out the flavors of flours in the cookie.  Garbanzo bean flour is a main ingredient, and usually my husband find its taste to be too beany.  But with the taste of this treat, he had no complaints.

We also got to try the festive shamrock sugar cookies.  Dressed in green sprinkles, these cookies were the right combination of sweet and buttery, yet not in an overwhelming way.  The texture was almost smooth enough to melt in our mouths.

Kelley Hughes, the owner of the bakery, said she opened about 2 years ago, and that the response has been positive.  She is on a gluten-free diet, so she understands the yearning for picking up a treat from a bakery. 

Brunswick is also the home to other gluten-free friendly places.  Each Saturday, the mill on Main Street fills with local farmers and their produce.  Diagonally across the street from the bakery is Morning Glory Natural Foods,  which is the host of a large bulk section and local produce.  They also have an excellent tea assortment.  Whenever I go there, I need to treat myself to a kombucha.  Gluten free friendly restaurants include Gelato Fiasco, where the spicy food lover can find flavors like ginger, chai, and cinnamon.  Bombay Mahal is an Indian restaurant with lots of gluten free options, such is paneer and curries. 

Brunswick has always been one of my favorite places to visit for a day.  After visiting Wildflours bakery, my appreciate for the town has been taken to a new height.