Except for when Rob's parents make me gluten free gnocchi. That always wins.
Whenever I am forced to utter the words "I can't eat gluten," I'm usually asked what I miss most. Honestly, there are so many great gluten free alternatives that I really don't miss anything too much (with the exception of fried chicken and bagels). Most restaurants these days have pretty good gluten free options, but pasta is almost always an afterthought. If a restaurant offers GF pasta, its usually all the same shape and not cooked correctly (most GF pasta cooks for a shorter amount of time than normal pasta does). I've found great brands for gluten free pasta that I make at home (Barilla honestly has some of the best!) but, being a huge fan of Italian food - it stinks not being able to eat pasta dishes at Italian restaurants. I work in the North End, I can't eat anything, it stinks. A BIG day for me was finding out that Davio's has a full gluten free menu, but I haven't actually gone back since going gf - review to follow. That being said, the spinach ravioli with lemon sauce I got the last time I was there was one of the best things I've ever eaten (and I have eaten A LOT).
Rob and I discovered Nebo about a year ago when I first started living in Boston. We have a habit of going back to our old favorite restaurants repeatedly & wanted to find somewhere new that had good gluten free options. We hadn't found a *good* Italian restaurant with many gluten free options at the point and wanted to try one out for our anniversary. I was scrolling through Eater and came across Nebo - an Italian restaurant not only rated one of the best in Boston (which is a pretty big deal considering how many awesome Italian restaurants are in Boston) but one of the best restaurants for people with a gluten allergy. Its right near the Waterfront and, importantly, my seals at the aquarium that I like to go wine-drunk visit whenever I can. Once I saw that they can make every pasta dish they have gf, I figured we'd give it a try. At a minimum, there really is no such thing as *bad* pasta, I was sure there would be wine, and I get to see my seals.
The first time Rob and I went, we balled out. It was our 3rd anniversary and we ordered maaaaaybe enough food for 4 people. Nothing reminds you how much you love your partner like the little moments when you're getting 3 different ~ antipasti ~ to start. I had gotten funghi pasta which was ridiculously good, but I think I probably ended up eating more of Rob's meal than he did (I'm kidding, kinda). Nebo makes a zucchini lasagna that, I kid you not, I like better than normal lasagna. They had competed and won in the "Bobby Flay Throwdown" with the dish & I 100% understand why. So good. So good that I was convinced there was gluten in it. You don't feel gross when you're done eating it, but you're not starving and wanting more. I got it for myself this time around on Saturday and it was just as good as I remembered. Its a huge piece (I know the price seems wild for zucchini lasagna) and if you're getting a bunch of appetizers, you might not even finish it. This time Rob and I just got a prosciutto platter and an arugula salad to split & that was probably what we should've done the first time around - but that will not stop me from eating multiple appetizers this upcoming anniversary either.
I have yet to try the pizza but, judging by how good everything else has been, I'm sure its great. Surprisingly, so far the best gluten free pizza I've had in Boston was from Eataly. By best I mean "most authentic," it actually looked and tasted like a normal pizza. I'm looking at the menu right now and I genuinely would eat every and all of these pizzas. You could put prosciutto and fig on a dried out leaf and I'd still eat it.
If you're looking for a great Italian restaurant, gluten free or not, I'd totally recommend Nebo! It's in a great neighborhood (especially if you're going out for the night after) and has a really cute outdoor seating area. It's pretty moderately priced for what it is & I've yet to be disappointed. As much as I convince myself I'll branch out and try more restaurants in Boston, this is for sure one of them that Rob and I will constantly default to.
I am starving to death and my throat hurts too much to eat anything. Please send help or gelato or both.
:-)
Ally