Although Kansas City has a large and diverse restaurant scene, navigating eating out can be difficult if you have food restrictions, allergies or intolerances. And that’s especially so if you’re gluten free.
Gluten is a protein mixture that appears naturally in wheat, rye, barley, and other grains. For people with celiac disease, consisting of about 1% of the population, eating foods with gluten inflames the lining of the intestine and makes it difficult to absorb nutrients.
Other people may have a gluten sensitivity that doesn’t involve an immune response, but can still cause them discomfort and digestive issues.
Over the last two decades, the gluten-free movement has become much more visible , and started to include subscribers who are neither celiac or gluten-insensitive but adhere for other health reasons. That’s caused some confusion and a backlash over whether it’s just a dietary fad.
But the gluten-free movement has stuck around, and it’s become a lot more common to see “GF” on menus. So if you’re cutting out gluten with your doctor’s recommendation, know or love someone with an allergy or sensitivity, or perhaps you just want to try something new, Kansas City offers an array of restaurants and bakeries that can meet your need with tasty, nutritious and indulgent options.
Billie's Grocery
Located in what was originally the Luzier Cosmetics factory building in Midtown, Billie’s Grocery is recognizable by its big windows, plentiful light and greenery.
Recently, the restaurant expanded to a Leawood location. But both restaurants have an industrial feel with sleek glass cases piled high with gluten-free goodness – lemon curd-topped mini cheesecakes, cupcakes, cookies, bars, muffins, pop-tarts and more.
Shelves are lined with cooking supplies like homemade chili oil, gluten-free mixes from Sweet Laurels, a popular grain/gluten-free bakery founded by Laurel Galuicci, and flowers from local vendors like Vetiver Co Floral Design.
Billie's Grocery can be divided into three categories in terms of its main offerings: the bakery, breakfast and brunch, and an all-day menu. Standouts from their bakery include gluten-free cinnamon rolls, which still have all the sweetness and gooeyness of a regular cinnamon roll, and an inventive and decadent raw tiramisu (with ingredients like walnuts, dates, cold processed coffee, almond flour and cacao powder).
For breakfast, you might try the hearty and savory Billie's Bowl, which includes creamed eggs, mushroom, bacon, onion, organic kale, brown rice or quinoa, avocado and a piece of sourdough (you can also get two pieces of gluten-free bread that is toasted and seasoned to perfection).
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Categories: Kansas, General