Villa Dolce

It was Saturday, and a gorgeous spring day was beckoning. After being cooped up all winter, we were looking for any excuse to be outside. On the way to grab a cupcake from Bloom, we decided to stop for lunch at Villa Dolce next door.

Villa Dolce offers GF pasta substitutions and although the salads were not marked GF, I assume most, if not all their salads could be prepared gluten free as well. I believe they also had one GF appetizer on their lunch menu. The person at the counter was very friendly and helpful in answering questions to help with making a selection.

We ordered at the counter (they have counter service for lunch and table service for dinner) and sat outside to bask in the sunshine while we waited for our meal. Warm weather begs for sangrias and this was the perfect way to spend the short wait before our meal arrived.

Then on to the pasta "farfalle" which was a generous serving of pasta with shaved asparagus, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes and chicken in a lemon marscapone sauce, with gluten free penne substituted for the bowtie. The chicken and pasta were perfectly cooked and the sauce was deliciously creamy. Yum!

I would definitely say that Villa Dolce merits a place in the regular restaurant rotation, particularly when we're looking for an outdoor location on those perfect sunny days. Now if only their pizzas were gluten free!

Enjoy!

Bison Jacks

Bison Jacks is located in Greenway Station in Middleton. They are a relatively quick service restaurant that serves primarily hot dogs and burgers made from bison, with sides such as coleslaw, baked fries and salads. They cook the meat to order and then you can customize the toppings.

The main pros of Bison Jacks are that they stock gluten free buns, appear to be very careful about cross contamination issues and there is hardly ever anyone in the restaurant, even on a Friday night which makes for very little wait for a made to order burger and/or hot dog. In the past I have received a copy of the list of items they carry that are gluten free, but they did not seem to have a copy at my most recent visit.

I have only ever had their burgers and so can't comment on their hot dogs although they do have a number of specialty dogs to choose from in addition to being able to customize your own. As for the burgers, they do satisfy a burger craving if you are in the mood for an actual burger with a bun that you don't have to make at home but don't want to go to a bustling place like jacs. The burgers appear to only be made well done and can be topped with cheese and a variety of other topics of your choosing. I recently ordered the combo which came with a burger, soda and choice of side and was under $10, although it appears that the prices are increasing shortly according to a sign posted on the register.

Overall, for ease of having a safe gluten free meal away from home, I would give Bison Jacks an A. The staff is also very friendly and accommodating. The burger itself is fairly average but the competition in the market for gluten free burgers in Madison is fairly limited and so I would consider Bison Jacks to be a solid choice. Enjoy!

Vin Santo

Tuesday was my first visit to Vin Santo in Middleton although I've passed it by many times on my trips to Bloom and been curious about what it has to offer by way of gluten free meals. I finally ventured in with a friend after previewing their menu online and seeing that they do have a number of gluten free items available.

Both myself and my dining companion found the ambiance of Vin Santo to be somewhat unusual for an Italian restaurant. To start, there is a strange disconnect between the dark windows and awning on the outside of the building and what greets you upon entering the restaurant. The inside seems to be a strange combination of Southwest colors and a supper club theme - antlers on the wall and all. Although the decor seemed unusual, the smells upon entering the restaurant are classic Italian and the diners certainly seemed to be enjoying their meals with gusto.

After a quick review of the menu and a description of their daily specials, I ordered the soup special which was a creamy spinach soup. Although they do not seem to carry gluten free pasta and the majority of their menu consists of pasta dishes, they do have a number of menu items listed as house specials which all seem to be gluten free. In addition, although their mussels are not listed as gluten free on their menu, the waitress indicated that they were indeed gluten free and I ordered those as well.

I enjoyed the idea of being able to order soup in a restaurant more than the reality of the soup itself which was a bit thin and not particularly flavorful. The mussels were a different story altogether.  They are on the Antipasto menu and although the quantity is indicated on the menu, for some reason, I expected a smaller portion. However, given that I ordered it as an entree, I was happy for the 2 1/2 dozen mussels that were presented. The mussels were perfectly cooked and not at all rubbery like they can sometimes be. The sauce was a delicious white wine broth that was great for dipping each yummy mussel into.

Overall, I would recommend Vin Santo as a solid choice for gluten free Italian food, although if they offered gluten free pasta, I would give it an even higher recommendation. My friend enjoyed her ravioli dish and as I mentioned, the meals at the other tables all looked and smelled delicious so it seems like a great option for non-GF diners as well. Enjoy!