Charley's

Gluten free bread, pizza and pasta! Heaven! Not the most gourmet, but great bar food and perfect for lunch! I have not been for dinner but I would love to try the pizza! Charley's is owned by the Back Bay Restaurant Association, which also owns Joe's American Bar & Grill, Papa Razzi (Boston location does not have bread; Chestnut Hill does) Atlantic Fish (they do not always carry gf pasta so call ahead so they know to have it for you), Abe & Louie's, and Coach Grill, all of which have gluten free menu options! I have eaten at 3 of the 5 locations, Abe & Louie's will be next..some day...

As this was the afternoon after my 25^th birthday we first ordered Bloody Mary’s, you know why. The bartender made them with Absolut (* see bottom for information on Absolut and other gluten free vodkas). I am not sure if he did this on purpose (knowing that absolute has no gluten) or by chance. BUT either way, it worked out, and the drinks were good, spicy but not too spicy. If you do want a spicier drink make sure to ask for the Absolute Pepper.

For lunch I ordered the Chicken Club Sandwich with French fries. The Sandwich was HUGE! It was good. Not gourmet by any means but definitely satisfied my cravings for a sandwich and fries. I had wanted one for weeks! The french fries are pan fried separately to make sure they weren't contaminated with gluten (this is why they look a little different from the ''regular'' french fries).

          

The bread was crumbly and fell apart easily, I had to eat half the sandwich with a fork. But it tasted decent; not the best, but I would eat this bread again. It was so nice to be able to enjoy a sandwich and fries at the bar watching the red sox game. I can’t remember the last time I did that and was not envious of my boyfriend eating a sandwich or French fries in front of my while I had to order an omelette or salad or plain grilled chicken.

We sat at the downstairs bar because we didn’t want to wait 20 minutes for a table. If it had been a nice day I would have liked to have sit outside. The upstairs has more character and a better ambiance than downstairs. But for two people who were hungry and a bit tired we were satisfied being downstairs. 

I also know that they will substitute the gluten free bread for the English Muffins on their Brunch Menu. The management and wait staff here are one of the best I have encountered when it comes to accommodating and pleasing people with gluten allergies and it is very much appreciated :)

Website: http://www.charleys-restaurant.com/

Location: 284 Newbury St. Boston, MA 02115

Gluten Free Vodka – Smirnoff (non flavored – need to verify flavored Smirnoff), Absolut Vodka, Zodiac, Cold River. Most vodka is made from potato or corn. Grain vodkas are also ok since they are distilled and the gluten is removed. BUT some people still react, so you need to be careful if you are highly sensitive or allergic!!

Statement from Absolut:

Absolut
The ingredients for ABSOLUT VODKA are grain (wheat), enzymes, yeast (S. cerevisiae) and water from our own well. For the flavoured versions, only natural ingredients from berries, fruits and spices are used.

The gluten is removed in the production process since the spirit is first fermented and then distilled hundreds of times. We call this continuous distillation, a process so efficient that it eliminates the need for filtration. The crude spirit passes continually through a total of six columns. This gives full control of distillation at every stage and removes all impurities. This strict distillation process separates the gluten in the grain from the alcohol, why it is highly unlikely that any gluten remains in ABSOLUT VODKA.

The question of possible residues of allergens in distilled spirits has been reviewed by the European Food Safety Agency. On the basis of this and other information, the EU Commission concludes that grain used before distillation does not need an allergen warning (Commission Directive 2007/68/EC).

We know allergic reactions can be caused by very small amounts (or even traces) of ingredients. We are not in a position to guarantee that the flavour ingredients have not come into contact with gluten during the suppliers' production processes. Since any medical advice should be given on a personal basis by a medical expert, we can not recommend persons suffering from allergies to consume our flavoured products.